Re: F Tuba Size


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Posted by Klaus on July 27, 2002 at 15:00:24:

In Reply to: F Tuba Size posted by ??? on July 27, 2002 at 14:03:13:

One thought would be, that German F's traditionally, at least in their for real music versions, have no less than 5 valves.

5 or 6 rotors stacked within the main frame imply a such frame, that can not bee too short. That length given there simply isn't main tubing length enough in an F-tuba to make a body wrap with two top bows and two bottom bows.

Instead the "surplus" length was put in the bell stack, that has the same dimensions, lengthwise at least, as on the corresponding models in BBb and later in CC.

I used to have a B&S catalogue, that could raise the suspicion, that the same mandrels were used on all of the tubas in F, CC, and BBb. B&S did not make anything "Kaiser"-sized until the post wall-fall PT-era.

Eb instruments are not that much bigger, so the one standing just behind me, the 3+1 piston 981, has a bit shorter bell, compared to a German F, and two loops of the main body. But the inner bottom bow sits very high. And the inner top bow sits so low, that it actually acts as a hand rest for the right hand (in my opinion a not entirely happy solution, as the bore is too big for that purpose).

Whereas US BBb tubas usually are compacted by means of a third main frame loop, Brit 3+1 BBb's just had this very tall 2 loop main frame. Which was not too hard to cut to CC, something done as well as a factory option as an after-market operation.

The Brit 3+1 Eb with its rather short "straight" tubing of the inner mainframe loop did not invite to such cutting. So if Brit 3+1 F tubas have existed (and they have), they have not been attractive enough to have earned themselves a steady position in any production programme.

Klaus


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