Posted by Klaus on August 21, 2002 at 08:37:23:
In Reply to: OK, I went for the .............. posted by Jenny on August 20, 2002 at 06:38:34:
This is a a long and boring posting attempting to present some thoughts of principles as well as of specific matters, so I once more will have to advise little Mick and his junior high level fellows with the short attention span to skip reading this:
Glad to have been of help, even if my advise went right against the mainstream of the other advises.
It proves a main point of mine: we should not all play the same equipment. And of course we don't.
But also, when we give advises, we should not tell only of the things, that work for ourselves. We should also screen our stored experiences for equipment, that for very specific reasons did not work for us.
I am a male of mid-height, not exactly slimline anymore, but not excessively overweight either, yet able to produce a wider/fuller/less-inhibited airstream, than most with my level of education and experience (which says more than I would like about the latter levels) .
My preferences for open leadpipes, large bores, large bells, heavy-walled tubing and so on often has been stated.
So of course the YEB 731 could not appeal to me, when I tested it. However, when a female contributor to this board asks for an alternative for the B&H 982, because it has a leadpipe, that sits too high, then I know, that she hardly is a type of lady of the build, which we in my language less than affectionately refer to as "en ordentlig maskine". Translation would not be necessary, but it means a lady with a frame somewhat like mine.
And even if a lot of ladies are terribly loud- and fast-mouthed, they very rarely are as bigmouthed (in the anatomical sense), as I am. Even more rarely they have neck and throat proportions comparable to mine (if they had, the world would miss out on a lot of female elegance).
Adding up these factors tells me, that Jenny will be very unlikely to move as much air, and hence as much metal, as players of my type.
Would Jenny be able to produce a sound as weighty and a bandwith of dynamics like mine on any type of equipment? Very unlikely.
Would she be able to make a lively, beautiful, and attractive sound? Most certainly!
Hence my assessment, that what was a cissy instrument for me, might be the right instrument for Jenny (my original and very less argued for advise to Jenny to be seen through the link. Pointing to the yahoo groups version of this board, as I can not trace it in the board archives).
I hope to have shown, that what works for each of us on our own personal terms, not always is the right thing for players working out of a different bodily tool.
Players immediately copying the newest acquisitions by their favourite top pro player (and be sure, that they exist in the trumpet, horn, and trombone worlds, economics mostly being an obstacle in the tubaworld) are less likely to end up happy, than those receiving well thought out advise from persons, that might in some cases be less, even very much less, pro players, but who are pros in the field of teaching out of precise assessments of the potentials of a student.
That I more than one time have had lucky punches in giving advises through this fine board, is to be assessed as: Lucky punches.
To Jenny about her problems with the valve caps:
Yamaha may have kept the 731 diameter and the threading on their newer valve caps. Yet I would make sure, that they really fitted before I invested in them. I would check, that the alignment of ports and tubing was perfect, even if that matter can be corrected with felts and corks unless the inner top of the new caps sit too low.
And I would make sure, that the new caps would not induce rattling in actual playing in all ranges and at loud dynamics.
An alternative to new caps would be some sort of home made strap wrench.
And then you should be a person with options!
Tubaintelligence tells me, that the likelihood of multiple prolific lowbrass Jennies working out of Cornwall would not be overwhelming. So I am fairly shure, that you are the Jenny selling used low brasses through this board and trough another outlet.
If so, a presentation page of yours tells, that you are co-operating with a repairman having certified qualifications. He might not be the strongest in advising on the choice of tubas, but he most certainly would be able to refer your to valve-cap-tools potentially much better than my imaginary strap wrench.
Good luck!
Klaus