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… but despite that, they work great, and DAMN they look nice! However, I can't wait to finally finish them so I can get to work cleaning up all the details and trying out that Rennaissance Paste Wax used by museums. I also intend to buy a spray rig and try to lacquer the bugles of the Holton and Kurath, but that is not happening for some time, yet.

Here they are today, my three babies, after a vigorous practice session with drones and my book "The Dozens". I also spent two hours on all the upcoming Star Wars stuff we have Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. "Here They Come!" can be a real bear, along with several other scenes. I had to decide 4/4 or BAT. (This time the BAT won out, after having re-listened to the original soundtrack.)

I took the photo because I did not have a "family portrait" for this collection of tubas as I have had in the past. These are the three horns I use at work, along with a euphonium and an upright bass. I have a lot of horns, but these are the three that matter most to me. I love all three for various reasons.

It took many years for these three to finally find me.

Now add pics of *your* project horns!

This photo really makes me want to own an F again…

My F cimbasso
- still doesn't have it's #2 slide trigger (for a decent F-sharp, as is needed desperately in Nabucco - as just one example) completely rigged up, and
- I have not lacquered about half of the valves-contraption half of it.

My Holton B-flat
- cosmetically still features that lower #1 circuit return that's slightly skew (previously pictured)
- needs a partial redesign (smaller/stronger) of the 5th thumb lever.
- might possibly (??) end up having the #5 circuit slightly shortened (but possibly not - The jury's out.)
- cosmetically needs one #3 circuit brace discarded and replaced
- might (??) end up with a friggin' BELL swap.
- has no finish, and deserves one.

My bought-new-in-1982 F tuba
- still sports 30-year-old DuBro links (but they work so damn well)
- has had it's bell gone completely over (perfectly dent-free), but
- badly needs lacquer or silver plating.

My Besson E-flat
- is begging for the bottom bow to be removed, and denting to be better addressed (though - thankfully - there are no real dents in the cap area).
- is begging for a satin silver finish (on it's original bell and its auxiliary upright bells.

"old reliable" C tuba
- don't need nothin'


but...
(just as with yours)
All three of the "not completely done" ones kick @$$.

bloke "broke, but probably going off to tire-kick an expensive tuba, in a few weeks"

Yeah, my ongoing unfinishedness is mostly cleaning up solder pads and streaks from assembly work. I was very neat and then did some extra careful cleanup for most of each horn's work, but at the final assembly of each, some things had to be heated and coaxed one way or the other for the two halves to line up as nicely (and as naturally) as I wanted. I was so stoked to finally be able to use them again at work that that is exactly what I did. And I have been pleased enough to not ever remember to go back in and finish cleaning up the messes.

I need to install three braces on the Mirafone, and they all have to be made from Jinbao parts as I have to custom fit (and angle) the base flanges to the posts and silver solder them together. Maybe I will do that when it is not so dang cold out there. (And when it is not cold, it is wet, or windy. I hate soldering outdoors. I am working on a plan to enclose at least part of my carport permanently, but there is a lot to do just to get the slab up to what I need, finish-wise. — $$$$$!!!!!)

The Holton's bell still needs a severe bashing to get it flat, but the metal memory from damage done prior to my buying this tuba causes the old screw-wrinkling across the engraving, and I do not want to cause that and then have to remove it again. I am afraid of cracking, though the metal is still very soft/pliable on the Fast Eddie. It is a final bit of work I may *never* do because of this. On the bell, it is wobbly, though. In my orchestra, we have enough dipsticks in the lower strings, that to lay the horn flat on the floor ensures it will be stepped on and badly damaged. If I leave it on the bell where it is just about impossible to miss some battleax cellist will leave the impression of her high heel on my bell flare. You can't win, sometimes. Also, I need to make a better lever since I am going to so much trouble to make a nice one for my F tuba, I can't have my silly-looking lever on my baby. Upgrade, improve, customize.

The F is just hanging around like a hungry dog awaiting parts from Deutschland. Once they get here I can build a new 5th valve section (while off of the horn) and then add a 6th valve section to that. Then I can figure out the attachment locations and method for the new two-lever rack that will live behind the 1st slide. Then the old 5th can come off and the new 5th/6th can go on and I can link them up. I am pretty excited about this modification.

Once that has been done I plan to go over every slide and brace to make sure my alignment is just so. (In installing the 3rd slide something shifted a tiny bit and the lower 3rd is pretty tight. Also, one of the four tubes is mildly ovalized in the middle somewhere, so it feels like it needs to be lapped. I will just install a new, un-squished tube rather than try to fix that by lapping it to death.

I also need to check all the horns for leaks. So far I have not had issues, but I failed to do my normal leak tests to every tube joint, so I just want to confirm that things are good.

Lots of fun. But so far I am very pleased with these three tubas.

Have fun with the loose ends on your horns.

Do we ever really *finish* our personally owned horns, or do we just putz around with them forever? I forget.

"Spraying clear paint on them" or "silver plating them" sorta puts an end to mods, eh...??

the Lyon & Healy bell:

Compared to the Holton bell, it's mostly (though it needs to have sex with the rawhide mallet, the roller, some STP, and the dent machine) the Lyon & Healy bell has the potential of a much less molested surface appearance. As they appear to be identical (other than probably being made during the Roaring 20's vs. being made during the Vietnam era), I'm just not one of those "What if I don't like THE SOUND...!?!?" hand-wringers. It's going to SOUND fine either way - as long as the operator is competent. I'd probably also be glad to have a same-exact-shape 19" Grand Rapids bell (also sans deep gouges) to stick on this thing, but (well...actually) so many people have grabbed York bells and stuck them on their NOTTAYORK® tubas, that I'm sorta (and NOT denying my desire to NOT be "just like everyone else") not as interested in that prospect.

345 bell:

The Michigan repair (that I just did) seemed best left with a not-perfectly-straight rim, as (like you) I really didn't feel as though it would be wise to fatigue the old already-distressed (and actually: a spider-crack that I had to braze) bell with some rigorous and no-point-in-it back-and-forth. Further - hey: - "I didn't break it, dammit."

bloke wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 8:44 pm"Spraying clear paint on them" or "silver plating them" sorta puts an end to mods, eh...??

Well, I have never done that to my horns, so I wouldn't actually *know* this. I would like to lacquer both piston horns because the valve sections can be easily removed. This means I can retain bare-metal machines to tinker with while having shiny, sexy, plastic-wrapped bodies.

Of course, you know that as soon as the lacquer cures I will want to move something or need to take out a dent. FML.

It’s not too difficult to realize when an instrument is as good as it can by for me (you, etc.), and finally has every gadget on board that’s going to be genuinely useful.

denting after the fact (paint or plating)…??
That’s not a problem. We never dent our instruments, because we are “professionals“.

the elephant wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 5:07 pm I have a lot of horns, but these are the three that matter most to me. I love all three for various reasons.

It took many years for these three to finally find me.

Replace "rifle" with "tuba"

I have recited that verbatim, many times, and was sort of thinking of it when I typed that.

Scary…

Just saying... I think that 186 is handsome as hell.

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 09, 2022 11:32 am Just saying... I think that 186 is handsome as hell.

Vintage (420mm bell diameter) model 86 C tubas are handsome.
Those - which are also in really nice condition - are eye-popping.

sidebar:
Another REALLY handsome model (to me) is the Nirschl 4/4 (defacto 5/4?) C tuba.

You do a great job Wade, and your striving for perfection is an inspiration to the tuba world!
Every post from someone tweaking his/her instrument is a great source of knowledge and experience about tuba repair and modification!

On my own tubas, there is also always something to improve, something that itches me after I have played it for a while, with the difference I don't do the work myself...
I consider my upgrades for a rather long time, talking to different people before finally deciding to go for it but I have always been pleased with the results:

My former Rudi 4/4BBb was upgraded with a 5th valve and a goldbrass leadpipe (starting rot on the old one), turned out really well.
The valve linkage was upgraded from the old ball and sockets to a bronze ball bearing system.
Somebody before me already added the 4th valve to this original 3 valve tuba, great job, whoever did it...

The Melton 2145CC I had played a bit flat to my taste (with my face on it, tuning to 442Hz), so I had the MTS shortened after a while, pleased with how that turned out.

The Hirsbrunner BBb got it's 1st slide shortened, and I had a factory original receiver put on again (it had a screw-type exchangeable receiver on, which I didn't like). Also the 5th valve linkage will be moved from left hand to right hand thumb. The original tryplen valve rotors got replaced by metal ones. It is still in the works, so awaiting the final result. It will make a fine instrument even better.

The Besson compensated Eb 's main slide is all the way out because we play at 440Hz in brassband.
I'd like a MTS with longer legs sometime, so that I don't need to secure it to the main bugle with a shoelace... upgrade is in the thinking phase...
It had been upgraded with a larger bore straight leadpipe before...

My kaiser tuba was a wall decoration for 10 years, which was about the time I needed to decide I wanted it completely restored to playing condition. Too many upgrades to mention, but it's good for another 100 years of service now.

Keeps life interesting for sure!

Excellent!

Pics? Please share…

Oedipoes wrote: ↑Wed Feb 09, 2022 2:41 pm The Besson compensated Eb 's main slide is all the way out because we play at 440Hz in brassband.
I'd like a MTS with longer legs sometime, so that I don't need to secure it to the main bugle with a shoelace... upgrade is in the thinking phase...

I believe Besson makes a longer slide for the 981/982 to get the horn to 440Hz, by special order.

the elephant wrote: ↑Wed Feb 09, 2022 3:23 pm
Pics? Please share…

Ok, a picture from the current stable below.

From left to right:
1980 Besson Eb (including schoelace), Goldbrass Miraphone Eb Norwegian Star, B&F kaiser, Goldbrass satin silver Hirsbrunner HBS 192/5

The Miraphone is the only one still in original condition, I have not found anything to improve to it so far...

TheBerlinerTuba has restored the B&F, you can read all about it on his blog here:
https://brassandpipes.wordpress.com/202 ... -6-finale/

This is the 'after' picture from the Rudi 4/4 BBb I owned.

And here the Melton 2145CC.
Just imagine the MTS a bit shorter for the 'after' picture...

kingrob76 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 09, 2022 7:37 pm

Oedipoes wrote: ↑Wed Feb 09, 2022 2:41 pm The Besson compensated Eb 's main slide is all the way out because we play at 440Hz in brassband.
I'd like a MTS with longer legs sometime, so that I don't need to secure it to the main bugle with a shoelace... upgrade is in the thinking phase...

I believe Besson makes a longer slide for the 981/982 to get the horn to 440Hz, by special order.

My tuba is from 1980 and made in England... a new slide would not fit my instrument, it would need to be custom made...

Oedipoes wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 2:44 pm

kingrob76 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 09, 2022 7:37 pm

Oedipoes wrote: ↑Wed Feb 09, 2022 2:41 pm The Besson compensated Eb 's main slide is all the way out because we play at 440Hz in brassband.
I'd like a MTS with longer legs sometime, so that I don't need to secure it to the main bugle with a shoelace... upgrade is in the thinking phase...

I believe Besson makes a longer slide for the 981/982 to get the horn to 440Hz, by special order.

My tuba is from 1980 and made in England... a new slide would not fit my instrument, it would need to be custom made...

If the bore is still the same (but the tubing fitment dimension has changed since being made by B&S), you might consider buying TWO B&S made slides (short and long) ALONG WITH two new outside slide tubes (that fit the B&S slides), which should solve the problem...UNLESS the bow width has ALSO been changed by B&S.