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ghmerrill wrote: Mon Feb 16, 2026 2:43 pm Just looking at that picture, I can feel gravity pulling that big bell down on my right side as I struggle to hold the horn and play it.

It's not that big; it was so much closer to the camera then everything else, but they standard one piece compensating E flat tuba bell is much shorter.

Me holding that tuba and playing it like she is, I can hold it and play it forever with either the recording bill or that bell... but trying to tilt it the other way or hold it straight up and play it is nuts.

bloke wrote: Mon Feb 16, 2026 6:56 pm

ghmerrill wrote: Mon Feb 16, 2026 2:43 pm Just looking at that picture, I can feel gravity pulling that big bell down on my right side as I struggle to hold the horn and play it.

It's not that big; it was so much closer to the camera then everything else, but they standard one piece compensating E flat tuba bell is much shorter.

Me holding that tuba and playing it like she is, I can hold it and play it forever with either the recording bill or that bell... but trying to tilt it the other way or hold it straight up and play it is nuts.

I’ve got a 1970 Besson New Standard, but it’s a one piece upright 17” bell - that I bought in 1981 and used as my only horn and do everything horn for 20 years. I have always played it like this. Not only did I use it for concert bands (typically 2 hour concerts), but also in my jazz combo. The combo did a ton of downtown Chicago convention gigs and those were often 5 set gigs and even then never had any discomfort holding the horn like this. You really don’t feel the weight at all when played like this. When I hear folks complain that these old Bessons/Boosey horns are impossible to hold I think they just don’t know the right approach to hold them. Some tuba players seem to think the bell has to be perfectly vertical.

I've seen some big boys holding Eb Basses as if they were a Euphonium.

I'm being really redundant, but this E flat is heavier and taller than the standard ones - due to the unusual/exceptional detachable recording bell feature, and the thicker sheet metal used c. 70 years ago.
The standard modern era 3 + 1 compensating versions - which are much shorter - would be even easier to hold and play than this one, but holding and playing in this manner (stated for at least the third time now I guess) I can play several sets with comfort, and I can even slouch a little bit with these instruments as opposed to front action instruments.

note:
Just as with anyone else, I don't like struggling to play instruments and nor do I like struggling to hold them up while I play them.

Top action instruments need to be tilted this way, and front action instruments need to be tilted the other way.

anadmai wrote: Tue Feb 17, 2026 6:29 am I've seen some big boys holding Eb Basses as if they were a Euphonium.

How you can hold this kind of horn comfortably and without strain depends a lot on your body proportions. I think it's particularly poorly designed, except perhaps for marching -- British style, in one of those tuba sacks they like. Support for this view is the legendary "Fletcher leadpipe" -- of which one description is "The pipe sets the mouthpiece at a height suitable for regular-sized players, often positioned to allow a more open, comfortable, and ergonomic, near-vertical, or slightly angled playing position." [emphasis added ] or "The Fletcher leadpipe is a straight, high-angled pipe that provides a more ergonomic, vertical playing position ".

Even the legendary John Fletcher had issues in wrangling the horn.

Fletcher was short, which is where those wretched horizontal mouthpipes - on some of the E-flats - originated.
(I sure could sell more of the less-expensive model of JP, were it not equipped with that style of mouthpipe.)

Also, the 19" bells...fine (for those seeking a "do everything tuba"), but they sure define the top E-flat and D as flat-natured.

"3+1 compensating tubas are uncomfortable to hold" ...not (unless held uncomfortably)

"F tuba low C's are hard to play" ...not (unless blown as if it's some other type of tuba)


I don't involve myself in those sorts of circular "discussions".