Posted by JoeS on February 09, 2003 at 19:18:19:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: "double" tubas posted by Rick Denney on February 09, 2003 at 19:05:48:
No double tuba (whether it be stock 6-valve F, stock 4-valve "fully-compensating" piston Bb or Eb instrument, or some bulky double-high rotors or bizarre rotor-to-rotor McCracken-ish linkage system) is a proper substitute for a stand-alone bass tuba and a stand-alone (robust) contrabass tuba. Regardless of how the cylindrical tubing effects response/intonation/blah-blah, when it all comes down to it the builder (or his client) must chose some "compromise" bell-and-branches that works "OK" with both "sides".
I really believe that very very few French horn players ever think of their "double" horns as "double". They simply (as with our common-place [see above] "double" tubas) mash the best buttons for given pitches.
Joe "who started the thread because he smelled this topic coming around again - as it was about time - and not emotional, but adamant" S.