random

[bloke]

This is my work-in-progress vintage/compensating Besson B-flat.
The detachable bells (with genuine Besson - not King - male collars) are 24" and 17"
I hurriedly stuck it together enough to use (outdoors/patriotic) a couple of years ago.
Eventually, I will transplant a 4-valve compensating system (sitting in a box) to this instrument, but swap out these (fancy) nickel slide tubes - so that they stay with the instrument.

I haven't pulled it down for the better part of a year.
DANG, it sounds good !!! (with either bell)

bloke "just sayin' "

[bort2.0]

Nice tuba!
Nice clock!

[bloke]

A friend/customer asked for me to pull it down a couple of days ago.

They are encouraging me to leave it 3-valve compensating...

The fake low range (E-flat down to B-natural - "way down there") works remarkably well - and is pretty darn convincing...
hmm...

These (3-valve compensating of this specific vintage design/bugle taper) are ALL] that ANY school needs, (and h_ _ _ no to the Yama-sorta-like things - that so many schools buy and so few tuba players like) ...SO...VERY...GOOD...

bloke "...but when I croak, Mrs. bloke will be able to get more dough for it with the other valveset."

post script:
Even better, were the Edgware Road-style Besson 24" bell 3-valve sousaphones reintroduced (which - like Kanstul - took their top-action pistons blocks and twisted their knuckles around to front-action) but with three COMPENSATING valves, those would do for ANY school for BOTH indoors AND outdoors.

[BramJ]

I haven't seen one of these with a recording bell on European online market places, US only model? When I see pictures of them I wonder, can you see the director? Seems like the bell is right in the line of sight

[bloke]

I don't know how other people play top-action instruments, but I generally rest them on top of my left thigh and tilt them to the right...
The B-flat recording version doesn't balance as well as the E-flat, but I can still easily make it through a rehearsal/performance/practice session.

I don't know anything about muscle "training", but I believe that I understand that there is "endurance" training and there is "strength" training.

Endurance strength is what I use (inner thigh muscles) to support a large FRONT-action tuba for long periods of time.
I haven't developed the shoulder muscles as much, but I'm thinking that shoulder muscles need to become "endurance trained" to support top action tubas or other tubas which don't balance particularly well (such as this tuba, when its recording bell is attached).

I don't deem it as necessary to "face" the music director - when playing this instrument with this bell.
As our eyes are not fixed facing forward, I can position myself to face one way, point the bell a bit off the other way, and turn my eyes to look past the bell towards the sheet music and towards the stick.

In an IDEAL world, this bell (as well at the straight bell - including NON-detachable - could be two or three inches taller, as I consistently find these vintage instruments (though they play marvelously well) to be sharp-natured, in that I often find that I need to pull their main slides out at least three inches to get them down to A=440...so - were the bells taller, I wouldn't have to pull but an inch or so, and (yes) the recording bell would be a bit more up and out of the way (yet even more top-heavy).




brought to you by Mrs.blurry-bloke productions

[BramJ]

Ah, you hold it at an angle, I sit on the chair at an angle and set the tuba on the corner of the chair, so pretty much straight up, the weight is on the chair. That's what most players around here do, or they use a stand.
at home I have piano bench (inspired by your collapsible piano bench) which is much more comfortable. I still mean to get a collapsible bench to take to rehearsals and concerts

Also, the bell also seems a bit higher on your picture then I remember from other pictures

[bloke]

Ah, you hold it at an angle, I sit on the chair at an angle and set the tuba on the corner of the chair, so pretty much straight up, the weight is on the chair. That's what most players around here do, or they use a stand.
at home I have piano bench (inspired by your collapsible piano bench) which is much more comfortable. I still mean to get a collapsible bench to take to rehearsals and concerts

Also, the bell also seems a bit higher on your picture then I remember from other pictures

Well...(again) the tuba is resting (not "in", but actually ON - ie.) "on TOP of" my left thigh...

...but I would hold it in just the same manner, with the other bell.

[York-aholic]

That really is the perfect spot for that clock.

[tofu]

[

[BramJ]

Only when using it in a brass band did I ever play it straight up. Brass banders love uniformity.

We have one player using a Besson 983

[bloke]

Regarding the brass band comments,
I have a lot of opinions on this stuff, they are pretty strong, and totally inappropriate to express - as I have never had an opportunity to participate in a British style brass band.

If someone ever put one together in this town and I was still ambulatory and able to play, I will have this 17-inch bell, and the 24-inch recording bell is for outdoor sit-down stuff. The sound with the 17-inch bell sounds rich and full and I don't believe suffers in the least from not being 19 inches in diameter, but I do have a another 19-inch upright bell that is used with my Besson E-flat 4-valve compensating detachable bell tuba (as an alternative to its 22-inch recording bell). I really believe the 17-inch bell sounds better than the 19-in bell on the B-flat. Most people aren't able to experiment in this way, so I guess I have a bit of a luxury here. I also don't particularly like the sound of the 17-inch bell on the E-flat, just for what it's worth...

...To review/clarify, I have two Besson compensating detachable bell tubas. They are E-flat and B-flat. Their collars are the same size and I have four bells that fit both of them which are 17-inch upright, 19-inch upright, 22-inch recording, and 24-inch recording. All four of the bells are outfitted with genuine Besson male collars.

[Grumpikins]

I didnt catch what the vintage of your Bb and Eb tubas are. I have never had the opportunity to try a Besson and its on my tuba bucket list.

Sent from my SM-S367VL using Tapatalk

[bloke]

The E-flat is late 50s, and I haven't even bothered to look at the serial number of the B-flat. A lot of people will rate these old instruments as "stuffy" or some such when - in reality - what's wrong with them is that their valves are all worn out and leaky. When the valves are close to new condition, the low range really isn't stuffy at all, not anymore than with a non-compensating instrument that plays well. Other people who dismiss them tend to be Americans who are top-action phobic, or who attempt to hold and play top-action instruments as if they are front-action. Even other Americans might tend to assume that these feature playing characteristics which are as quirky as the Yamaha non-compensating knockoffs, and that's not the case either.

[Grumpikins]

That's why trying Besson out is on my bucket list. I want to see for myself. People seem to love or hate them. I haven't been a fan of top action, but my little eb is warming me up to them. I really like old horns. It seems to me that more craftsmanship went into their manufacturing. Fun to hear about what your doing with them.

Sent from my SM-S367VL using Tapatalk

[bloke]

I suspect the 24" recording bell would sound better (to me) were I able to hear it as well as I can hear the 17" upright bell (which I can hear easily).

I've used this thing (with the 24" recording bell) outdoors (no amplification/no shell/no stage/no nuthin') playing old warhorse marches/flag-wavers/etc., and had a tuba player (who happened by at that event) whose ears I respect (and who does not pass out feel-good compliments nor patronize) tell me, "That sounds GREAT !" (I believe they themselves were a bit surprised, because they formerly taught at a university that owned a few old-old Besson B-flat's that DID sport worn-out valves.)

I tend to suspect that the 24" bell offers forth a sound more like a so-called "American" 6/4, and the 17" bell (again: which I can actually hear well - when playing) offers forth a more "noble" type of sound - sort of in the "Meinl-Weston 25" sonic family...except without having to lip up nor use alternate valve combinations on the open D nor the 2nd valve C-sharp.