Posted by Klaus on July 28, 2000 at 19:08:10:
In Reply to: Future Tuba Improvements??? posted by J.A.D. on July 27, 2000 at 23:56:34:
The discussions on slides (as on trombones), rotaries, or pistons being the most effective tools for pitch modifications on brass instruments could be carried on endlessly.
Preferences are strictly personal, so do not shoot me for my (personal) points of views!
My present collection of brasses could be counted in numbers like 47 pistons, 28 rotaries, and 7 slides. I love all of the 29 instruments, but in low brasses my favourites for smooth phrasing are slides and pistons.
A five valve piston instrument with all of these pistons being activated by the right hand is hardly obtainable to day.
Which is causing some wondering on my side. A number of French horn makers, Yamaha, Kalison, and some Austrians, have used a rotating piston as the tool for changing between F and Bb sides of their models.
The advantages of pistons mostly can be summed up in the lesser deformation of tubing (airpath) profiles.
The Thein brothers have made an unpayable 5 piston CC with all normal pressure action.
The rotating piston will cause some engineering considerations, when transformed to tuba proportions, but my guess is that the basic idea is free of patent restrictions.
An idea, which I gladly would read counter arguments against.
Klaus