Re: Tuning of a 1955 Imperial?


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Posted by Jay Bertolet on April 12, 2001 at 23:18:24:

In Reply to: Tuning of a 1955 Imperial? posted by Bill Schultz on April 12, 2001 at 12:59:27:

Actually, Clifford Bevan mentions this very situation in his book "The Tuba Family". Apparently, the playtesters at Besson use a VERY small mouthpiece to check the tubas out that come off the line. This causes all of them to be flat if you then try to use what we consider today to be a normal mouthpiece on the horn. The difference is the total internal volume differential between the two mouthpieces. This differential turns out to be considerable when comparing what was used to playtest and an average mouthpiece like a Bach 24AW. I believe Bevan says the volume difference between those two mouthpieces is equivalent to 2 inches of overall length. He never really specifies what the playtester used, only that it was very small comparably.

I don't think the answer will lie in getting a mouthpiece with a shaved down shank that inserts farther. That might help but I don't think it will really address the problem. I had the main tuning slide on my old 981 shortened 2 inches and that seemed to help. Cutting the branches would be an even better solution because it would leave the main long enough for proper adjustment. Or you could try one of those really small mouthpieces. If you do decide to cut the horn, do yourself a favor and be sure to take it to a real professional who will know how to determine how much to cut and will do the job right. Good luck!

My opinion for what it's worth...


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