Posted by Dr. Frederick J. Young on January 31, 2001 at 18:51:34:
In Reply to: Re: C scale posted by longtime lurker on January 31, 2001 at 16:18:51:
In orchestral music it is not very much in demand. However, there are lots of brass band music where the tubas must go very fast up and down long scales and they can't pause to tune each note. Scales done out of tune more than + or - 5 cents sound bad.
I think it is great that Besson is bringing out a new design, compensating I hope. I would rather they make it a full double tuba rather than a compensating one. Although the slides on the low side of the instrument would be longer than on the CC side, they would offer much less resistance and air would never have to pass through the valve set more than once as it does on compensating double instruments. Even so, we must remember that on either of these instruments, the valve combinations on the low side are no better in tune than they are on any three valve instrument in that key. That is why my double instrument has 5 rather than 3 double valves.
Gronitz in Hamburg has been making double Kaiser tubas a long time and is sorry there is no demand for them.