3B / 12 question

[dukesboneman]

Has anyone ever put a 3B silver sonic bell on a Bach 12?

[Posaunus]

What's wrong with a factory-original 3BSS ?

[Burgerbob]

3B bells have a much larger tail end than a Bach flare. The lower tuning slide leg of the 3B is also much, muuuuch larger, so the tapers wouldn't match up very well.

I know there have been successful transplants onto 36 chassis before.

[Pezza]

I like my Bach 12 as it is, would never consider stuffing it up by putting on a different bell.

[ithinknot]

3B bells have a much larger tail end than a Bach flare. The lower tuning slide leg of the 3B is also much, muuuuch larger, so the tapers wouldn't match up very well.

Yes and no... The bell tail end isn't significantly larger, plus the whole bell is 1" shorter than a Bach bell, so it's a quite different and essentially tighter taper. The upper TS receiver is also pretty close in ID, with the difference in TS upper leg ID (3B quite a bit larger than the Bach) coming from the much thinner tube walls on the 3B. It's all a big part of the thing's 3Bedness - that combination of a proportionately tight/barky bell taper with the big gooseneck/lower leg just doesn't exist elsewhere.


To the OP's question, a direct swap would make the instrument 1" shorter, and the bell would be set back .75" closer to the player than even a Williams. That would be weird enough, and the taper match generally doesn't seem promising. With the bell mounted further forward, and an extra long custom upper TS leg arrangement (possibly with a partial internal taper to 'start the bell taper earlier') anything's possible, but it's not clear why you'd bother.

Try a SS 2B+, given that it exists.

[Posaunus]

I like my Bach 12 as it is, would never consider stuffing it up by putting on a different bell.

And I like the beautifully balanced King 3BSS as it is; wouldn't think to downgrade the slide to a Bach.

[tbonesullivan]

When I see these questions I always am reminded of a line from "The Hunt for Red October"

"Could you launch an ICBM horizontally"?
"Sure. Why would you want to?"

Both the 3BSS and 2BSS are fantastic horns, and developed to work together as a unit. I don't think it would be worth the trouble to stick a silver sonic bell on a 12 given the potential tuning and fitting issues.

[Bach5G]

You could look around for a 12 with a Sterling bell. I tried a 16 with a Sterling bell once. Tremendous horn.

[greenbean]

... wouldn't think to downgrade the slide to a Bach. ...

Them are fightin' words, for sure!

[Posaunus]

... wouldn't think to downgrade the slide to a Bach. ...

Them are fightin' words, for sure!

Not lookin' for a fight.
Perhaps it's just me, but I've never played a Bach slide as smooth as my Kings.
Especially the 3B (or 2B).