Re: Small vs large bore


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Posted by Jay Bertolet on September 03, 2000 at 12:05:59:

In Reply to: Small vs large bore posted by David RN on September 02, 2000 at 21:52:59:

I believe the bore size is almost an irrelevant number. To be sure, if the bore is too large or too small, it can have negative effects on the instrument. I think the better usage of the bore size is as a comparison to other factors of the design. For example, if a horn has a .750 bore that doesn't tell you much. But if the same horn has a huge bottom bow and bell throat with a .750 bore then you're almost certainly looking at a York copy of some sort. These tubas have a very specific sound. But there are other instruments (Miraphone 186=.770, Meinl-Weston 2145=.748, Rudolph Meinl 4/4=.768) with a very similar bore size but don't sound anything like the typical York copy.

My current thinking is that the whole bore size issue is just another piece of the puzzle that is tuba design. All the pieces need to work in conjunction to produce the desired effect. I think this is why it is so difficult to produce good instruments even though some of the manufacturers have been at it for 150+ years. If it was so easy, these things would already be "perfected" and we'd just be looking for ways to make instruments more durable and cheaper to produce and maintain. I heard once that Rudolph Meinl makes all their instrument designs through trial and error. When I heard that, I was convinced that the process was more complicated than I imagined and I stopped trying to look at any one component of the overall design for enlightenment. The bottom line still is, go out and try as many tubas as you possibly can and see if one of them fits you really well. Then you will know what works for you.

My opinion for what its worth...


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