Posted by Lee A. Stofer, Jr. on July 13, 1999 at 09:34:56:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Bore size and horn size are they related posted by Paul Posada on July 09, 1999 at 09:24:19:
Paul,
I agree with Joe, Matt and Jay. There are about a
half a dozen factors which give an instrument it's
"character". On the bore- the flow characteristics
of a piston valve section tends to be more free, so a
tuba with a .750" bore piston section will feel as
open as a rotor section of, say, .820" or so. The
body has a lot to do with the overall mass of sound,
and not just the bell- the WHOLE body. People marvel
at the breadth and darkness of the sound my Conn 34J
produces, but it's not just the .770" bore and the
24" bell- the whole body is conical, and huge. The
1st branch (bottom bow) is comparable to that of a
Deck model, and the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th branches are
larger by comparison. Although the VMI appears to be larger than the St. Petersburg tuba, I think you would be surprised if you took some measurements of the two. Although wrapped in a very compact manner, the St. Pete has some sizeable branches, and is made of thinner metal than the VMI, so it would tend to respond easier initially. Best of luck in finding the horn that works best for you!
-Lee Stofer