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I just worked on a newer one that belongs to a school. I'm pretty sure it's only a year or too old, and not seven or eight or older. It seems like the bell flare metal is thicker and more resistant to creasing, which - in my view - would be a good thing - if I'm not imagining it. In my judgment, those bells have been too thin and soft, compared to their surface area and diameter.

That having been said, the piston surfaces, fit, and slide alignment continue to not appear to compare to the King tubas manufactured decades ago.

Does anyone else have experiences with bell durability or bell repairs, regarding very recently manufactured ones?

A band director friend's program owns six of these, two of which were bought last year.

I have noted that the ones he has had for a long time (with the detachable machines) are lighter in the lap. When you put them on the bell there is flex in the pancake. The two new(er) ones do not seem to have this problem. I have not noticed whether they are as easy to bend, though, but they seem to still look very good, meaning they are probably a bit thicker/stiffer. This would also account partly for the heavier-in-the-lap feeling, perhaps…