King recording bells

[York-aholic]

BREAKING NEWS: This just in, King 124x tubas with fixed recording bells are more forward facing that 124x/234x tubas with detachable recording bells (ie the detachable ones are pointed more “up” than are the fixed recording ones).

Now that you know this bit of earth shattering information, you may go about your business.

[edfirth]

I can confirm this having owned two Bb and one Eb fixed bell front horns as well as four detachable bell fronts. My section leader at the West Point band referred to the detachable ones as "polite bell fronts" and had himself played on one of the big rotaries for quite awhile. That's all I got, Best to all, Ed

[bloke]

King B-flat tubas just plain old kick butt, and particularly the ones with the more conservative and way more common 11/16" bore size.

[humBell]

Does this mean i should lean forward when i play a detachable recording bell king or back when i play a fixed one?

ps... what if i use a sousa bell?

[York-aholic]

Does this mean i should lean forward when i play a detachable recording bell king or back when i play a fixed one?

ps... what if i use a sousa bell?

Actually, the bell for my king rotary CC is 20” (rather than the normal 22”) and is pretty much a 90 degree bend like a sousaphone. Serial number matches the body so it’s original but definitely a custom order. Then again those rotary CCs were pretty much a group buy custom order. The intonation on mine isn’t perfect but it’s pretty decent. I’ve definitely played much worse.

[gocsick]

Does this mean i should lean forward when i play a detachable recording bell king or back when i play a fixed one?

ps... what if i use a sousa bell?

A 20K Sousa bell actually works quite well on a 2XJ, and using a 21J upright bell turns a 20K into a fine raincatcher. I actually did that at on outdoor Tuba Christmas during Covid. I was on the raincatcher and a friend got to sit with the bell front.

[York-aholic]

Does this mean i should lean forward when i play a detachable recording bell king or back when i play a fixed one?

ps... what if i use a sousa bell?

A 20K Sousa bell actually works quite well on a 2XJ, and using a 21J upright bell turns a 20K into a fine raincatcher. I actually did that at on outdoor Tuba Christmas during Covid. I was on the raincatcher and a friend got to sit with the bell front.

We did the same with our 21Js and 20Ks in high school. Band director just shook his head.

[edfirth]

The picture on the Bill Bell record where he's standing with his King I think, shows one with the "polite bell front" that faces more up.Joe Novotny's C King was here for a play overhaul years ago and it accepted the bells from my 1241...so it would also accept a sousaphone bell.Yorkie, I'm thinking that it very well could have been a custom but the custom part would be just cutting down the diameter on one. Not that you would want to, but there's a silver, I think 19 inch one on the Bay now. But the original raincatchers were 16 inches. I have an exact copy of a Martin Mammoth raincatcher built by King for Don Butterfield as a favor as he was a King artist at the time. So they did do custom stuff at one time. Best to all, Ed

[York-aholic]

The picture on the Bill Bell record where he's standing with his King I think, shows one with the "polite bell front" that faces more up.Joe Novotny's C King was here for a play overhaul years ago and it accepted the bells from my 1241...so it would also accept a sousaphone bell.Yorkie, I'm thinking that it very well could have been a custom but the custom part would be just cutting down the diameter on one. Not that you would want to, but there's a silver, I think 19 inch one on the Bay now. But the original raincatchers were 16 inches. I have an exact copy of a Martin Mammoth raincatcher built by King for Don Butterfield as a favor as he was a King artist at the time. So they did do custom stuff at one time. Best to all, Ed

Hi Ed. Yes, the rotary CCs used the same body and bell collar as the 1241 and the normal sized sousaphones. Yes, I saw that bell on ebay. I bought a few silver parts from the previous one he parted out for a project I'm working on. In addition to the stock, custom bell, I have a 19" upright of newer vintage so I'm all set there. Thank you though.

[Yahnay-san]

Can confirm: the upright bell from a 1241 will turn a King sousa into a rain catcher (did this to avoid schlepping two horns to out-of town gigs involving marching one day and sit-down the next, community band gigs so if they complain about it looking funny they got what they paid for....) , but plays a tad sharp compared to normal Sousa forward bell; an extra tuning bit helps keep the tuning slide from falling out.

[Bbctuba]

Does anyone have a king recording bell that would part with ? Or know of one going
Cheers Paul