Page 1 of 1

Tuba Tuesday: Conn BBb 26J, c. 1941

Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2021 11:00 pm
by bisontuba
Happy Tuba Tuesday.

This Tuba Tuesday, the highlight is of one the Museum’s more unique contrabass BBb tubas: the Conn model 26J, from 1941, which has four front action, short action, piston valves, .770” valve bore and a 24” diameter front facing detachable bell. This instrument is unique in that it is the Museum’s only Conn, short action valve BBb tuba with front facing valves. Conn produced many more BBb tubas with top action, short action, pistons: Models 20J, 21J, 23J and 24J.

Conn patented their short action valve system in the mid 1930s. It features a piston with some ports shaped elliptically instead of round and which cuts the length of the piston stroke by 25%. Conn originally offered short action valves on baritones, euphoniums, tubas and sousaphones. Today, only a short action sousaphone model 20K is being manufactured.

Image


Apparently, the 26J was discontinued in the late 1940s. The Museum has not seen another four piston valve, front action, short action, Conn 26J other than the one in this collection.

https://simonettitubacollection.com/ins ... -4-piston/