Posted by Rick Denney on February 12, 2003 at 13:11:14:
In Reply to: Re: New Old Man's Tuba posted by Christian Klein on February 12, 2003 at 11:51:30:
I agree with your definition, and also with the characterization of some large instruments as "sapping the air out of you." Those, to me, are the opposite of the efficiency we are talking about, even though they may work wonderfully in the hands of someone with sufficient chops and air supply.
But I don't agree that the big Conns do the sapping. They aren't perfect, by any means, though some are more imperfect than others. I had trouble playing my 20J in tune, and getting a good, soft sound out of it. I also had the same ergonomic problem as Frank, but reversed. But it certainly made a glorious sound with no more input than I'd have provided to my York Master. Actually, it required less input than the YM, and spoke remarkably easily, with a rich mixture of overtones that give the sound character and carrying power. The work of the Conn wasn't in making sound, but in managing pitch with the three valves and the flat third partial.
Rick "whose 20J attracted the name 'blunderbuss' from a summer guest conductor" Denney