Posted by Klaus on January 12, 2001 at 19:40:39:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Pitch of B&H Euphoniums posted by Rick Denney on January 12, 2001 at 18:27:58:
Before sending Rick into any tube chopping let us take a deep breath and look at another angle of view, which I believe Rick has the greatness and fairness to consider.
Aside from ironmanning, obscuring cameras, Kleenexspitting, tubaprojecting, and wedding Rick mostly has told of playing his YFB621 and his York Master BBb. Not very much about playing his older US euph for anything but uncommitting fun.
Being not a brass player, but a brass collector playing the collection, I have experienced similar problems.
When I found that I outgrew my very elegant Hoyer single Bb horn, I got a wonderful Conn 28D double. Exactly the sound I wanted, but I was flat, when playing the mid-to-upper Bb range, while the F side could be played up to pitch. I consulted one of our top solo hornists to ask how much to cut the main tuning slide.
He almost screamed: "Don’t you even take a hacksaw close to that fine horn! Practise, practise, and get your diaphragm position adjusted to support that much larger bore."
I obeyed within my humble framework of potentials. And got the whole range up to pitch. (Practising with a stopping mute was very helpful).
Today I can play my trumpets up to pitch, except for the Selmer Bb piccolo, which is OK in tune with itself, but about as much off pitch as Ricks euph. I will have to work at that.
If I should point to a temporary solution for Rick, which would not incorporate irreversible tube manipulations, then this one:
You have mentioned 2 mouthpieces related to your euph: The Bach 3G and the DW 4AL. Both should be fine in the long run. But both have shallower cupped siblings, that might help you through a transitional period until you have expanded your capabilities from bass and contrabass tubaing to true tenortubaing/euphing. They are the Bach #3 and the DW 4BL.
Mouthpieces are costly, but less so than extending formerly shortened tubes.
All the best
Klaus