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The bell says Holton 350 but it has a 105 valve wrap. This is the third example that I know of that has this "quirk".






Btw, this will be for sale soon so PM me if you're interested. It will have an upright bell too.

a question:

Since upward-facing stuff would sort-of be vulnerable with the bell removed, is it possible that they returned to the older wrap for recording bell versions of the 350?

The bell may not be original to the body - not saying it isn’t, but with a detachable bell, it certainly is possible (unless it has a serial number stamped on it that matches the instrument, of course).

Holton would also sometimes stamp the model number on the receiver - is there one on there?

I’m curious about the upright bell…..any photos or more info?

Yorkboy wrote: ↑Fri Aug 20, 2021 4:24 pm I’m curious about the upright bell…..any photos or more info?

Its gonna be a Kanstul bell.

Isn't kanstul out of business?

Probably from the surplus stuff sold by B.A.C. thru Mr Stiles…..?

Already checked on the martin bells. They don't have any of those. Not sure they ever made Holton bells which are of a different size from both conn and Martin. I do have a homemade Holton upright from Dan S. for a mammoth holton if the OP ever sees this he is free to PM.

As far as I know, Kanstul didn't make different bells to retrofit different 6/4 horns. I believe they just took bells from their biggest contrabass mandrel (and/or from the larger tubas they had in "production") and made a tenon to the size needed, then cut the bell to fit the tenon.

Their large concert and convertible tubas were said to have been patterned on the Martin Mammoth bugle taper. Those bells fit a Martin Mammoth (detachable bell) pretty well.

I had a Kanstul Bell, Holton 340/345 bell. and a Martin fixed upright bell concurrently. The Kanstul was an inch bigger in diameter, but otherwise the three bells seemed to be pretty much the same.

I'm going to modify a Kanstul bell supplied by Mr. Stiles.

Please let us see when done.

The Boston Symphony has a Nirschl York model with a Kanstul-made bell on it, so it would appear Kanstul did make bells to retrofit some horns.

That’s kind of surprising.
It would seem to me that the BSO would have enough cachet to get WN to make a replacement bell, even if he was really busy.

But of course, then it wouldn't be a Kanstul bell.

donn wrote: ↑Wed Aug 25, 2021 6:57 pm But of course, then it wouldn't be a Kanstul bell.

With the York alloy?