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Re: Bb to C

To: <brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Bb to C
From: "Solo Cornet" <solo.cornet@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 13:54:16 -0000
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Walker <Walker@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Nigel Horne <brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 12:04 PM
Subject: Bb to C

>Has any of the list tried converting a Bb instrument to C.
>I have the opportunity to pickup an old beat-up horn for a discount
>price and I'd like to try a conversion.
>Is it just a matter of shortening the main slide?

No. You will need to shorten the valve slides proportionally. All the
receiving tubing will ,of course, need shortening as well as the slides
themselves. Lots of trumpet players have tried this conversion. The problem
is that the tapers of the leadpipe and bell have to be in proportion to the
length of the instrument to give good intonation. Bb pipes and bells don't
tend to work on shortened instruments and the thing goes horribly out of
tune.

It is a difficult job using a hacksaw. You might just get away with it if
you make a cutting jig from a perfectly square block of wood by drilling a
hole through it (at 90 degrees exactly) the exact size of the tubing. Cut
the block down the middle so that the hole clamps around the tubing and you
should be able to cut the tube squarely using the face of the wood as a
guide...I hope that makes sense. The accurate way of doing it would be to
dismantle the slides and receivers, modify them very precisely using a lathe
and then soft solder it all back together again.

Altogether it is a bad idea. Should you do it? Let's put it to the vote. I
vote YES!

--

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