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My OTS (that Tabor made) really works well, but is such a pain to travel with. What kind of options would I have to make the whole bell stack removable?

I've been asked by the Arizona Territorial Brass band to play on the Sesquicentennial concert for Tempe, AZ. I can fit the tuba in my car, but I will most likely have to have it in my car during my workday... so I need a better option that can be hidden in my trunk. I know Getzen had the bell as removable on their contras - anyone have these parts handy and willing to sell them? Otherwise I need a good option to make my existing parts work.

Some French horns have screw bells. Not sure of the specific dimensions of your saxhorn but would something like that measure up?

There was a German made F tuba on Tubenet a few years back, which had a bell stack that unscrewed. I don't remember much else, sorry!

Kevin Stiles sold a old Kanstul tuba screw rim on Facebook a couple months ago. Maybe talk to him?

You probably need to start with measurements to even get an idea of what might fit.

I can’t think how making a 4-foot-long bell removable would make an OTS any easier to carry around...
... I guess that’s why I’m not a member of Mensa...(??)

bloke wrote: ↑Tue Jul 20, 2021 6:16 am I can’t think how making a 4-foot-long bell removable would make an OTS any easier to carry around...
... I guess that’s why I’m not a member of Mensa...(??)

To stuff into a tiny Mini Cooper...



Blue line would be nice, but the red line is at the ferrule for the Yamaha 102 bell.

The actual mechanics would be fairly easy, though time consuming. It would be the same as any standard detachable bell, whether King, Conn, Reynolds, Olds, Martin, Kanstul, any souzy, etc: pull the bell and ferrule off; install a collar and tenon. The hard part will be to find a collar and tenon set, or even more difficult, have one made, that is the diameter at the point you desire to replace the ferrule.

Ok, I found the one I was thinking about:

https://yorkmaster.org/yorkmaster/photo ... index.html

I bit higher than both is the bell connector (entire bell removed from bottom bow via a pair of connector rings and a huge threaded bell flare brace) size for the GG contra (chrome-plated) version of the 1970's Olds O-99.

Mini-Cooper...(pre-2019) ranked 28th in reliability...so (though that probably defines "car payments" - which I've never had) I hope you bought a "newish" one.

me...??
Not being particularly interested in cars - but interested in NOT buying much gas, NOT paying much for a car, AND interested in reliability - I've always been drawn towards Toyota Corolla's...at least ten-year-old low-mileage ones...


These slipped apart HERE, and the chrome and nickel shouldn't cost much to have stripped...
...but the size is very likely larger than would be of use to you.

...but what about the bell connector ring pair from an old junked American bell-front baritone...??

Mithosphere wrote: ↑Tue Jul 20, 2021 12:14 pm

bloke wrote: ↑Tue Jul 20, 2021 6:16 am I can’t think how making a 4-foot-long bell removable would make an OTS any easier to carry around...
... I guess that’s why I’m not a member of Mensa...(??)

To stuff into a tiny Mini Cooper...



Blue line would be nice, but the red line is at the ferrule for the Yamaha 102 bell.

I can tell you that the small end of a Yamaha 102 bell is much smaller than the Olds G contra removable bell tenons. Olds was not the only manufacturer of Contra G bugles. I have two Olds tenons stored in my basement. The Olds tenons fit 15 inch Besson E flat bells, Miraphone 184 bells, or Olds 0-99/Conn 2J bells.

@bloke Did the baritone G bugles also have removable bell tenons like the contras did?

I'm no rocket scientist but having that much bell hanging off of a detachable tenon looks like trouble to me. I suppose the bell would be supported by your shoulder when in playing position, but that bell will still have a lot of leverage. Both of the pictured tuba/contra above also have a bell brace to mitigate some of that leverage.

Is this going to be an ongoing gig or a one time thing?

If one time, what about just bringing your torch along (I seem to think you have repair experience) and solder the bell on at the gig.

If ongoing, hum...

Doesn't anyone make an aftermarket roof-mounted OTS rack for a Mini Cooper...??

Look, these things were not detachable in the civil war, and that worked out just fine for everyone, okay, right? Oh wait...

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 20, 2021 1:17 pm Ok, I found the one I was thinking about:

https://yorkmaster.org/yorkmaster/photo ... index.html

That looks like the entire bottom bow is removable.

Might be pretty handy for school horns that need frequent dent removable...

yeah...and I’m sure that – in a school situation – those threaded devices would never get smashed in or ovaled.

York-aholic wrote: ↑Tue Jul 20, 2021 10:06 pm

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 20, 2021 1:17 pm Ok, I found the one I was thinking about:

https://yorkmaster.org/yorkmaster/photo ... index.html

That looks like the entire bottom bow is removable.

Might be pretty handy for school horns that need frequent dent removable...

@Mithosphere compare the size of the parts at the blue line to removable bell American style bell front baritone tenons. I think I recall seeing Olds / Reynolds ones with removable bells. Conns too.

bloke wrote: ↑Tue Jul 20, 2021 8:06 pm Doesn't anyone make an aftermarket roof-mounted OTS rack for a Mini Cooper...??

You just have to remember not to put the bell forward, or you'll be harvesting a lot of bugs in the bell bow.
On the plus side I think that bungee cords work just fine...

Unsolder the bell at the red line. Buy a roll of grey electrical tape. Put franken-ots in mini cooper in 2 pieces. Put the bell back in the ferrule when you want to play it, and tape it on securely (ish, hopefully).

Alternatively,
Swap cars with someone who has a larger car for just that day or rent a car that day.

I have a Reynolds baritone body with a removable bell. You could use the tenon and collar from that. The ID of the collar is approx 3.5". It is missing the flanges and screws, but you could probably procure some. You could then drill a hole in the male tenon so that the screws actually go through the male tenon rather than just press against it. Dan Schultz did that for a removable bell helicon he made.