Posted by fred young on April 21, 2001 at 21:33:20:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Leadpipe Taper posted by unfortunate previous quoter on April 20, 2001 at 19:26:49:
Your comment about a computer being used to design the King/Gronitz is false. If physical theory allows us to do space travel, build the best autos and airplanes ever and to solve genetic problems then why should one not expect it could help design better tubas?
The King/Gronitz was built in 1946 out of parts that were available at the King factory at that time. When the valves wore out for the second time, I decided to have a new valve system installed to my specifications. That required very little computer work. The original tuba had some out of tune open tunes that were remedied by the computer programs I devised in 1958 for the Duetsches Bundesrepublik instrument makers. It was published in the German Journal entitled ACUSTICA. In addition the derivation of the equations is given in my article on the trombone in Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart. Relatively small adjustments in the taper can fix out of tune open notes without changing the tone quality. As for the King/Gronitz being a monstrosity, it is rather large and heavy because double valves and the associated tubing add weight. However, it is small compared to the excess bodily weight of many professional musicians. Without it, perhaps Bill Bell would still be among us at the age of 96.
As for Harvey's Holton, unlike your never trying the King/Gronitz, I have tried it and I think it plays just as well provided one uses a large enough mouthpiece as Arnold Jacob's old York did with the pea shooter mouthpieces so often used. York players produce a lot of very high and useless harmonics and absolutely lose resonance when playing the pedal C they are so proud to place on the end of tunes in C. The bass resonance is there on low G but pedal C is almost 100% harmonic.