Posted by Lew on June 30, 2002 at 06:53:05:
In Reply to: Nice King posted by Gabriel on June 29, 2002 at 21:30:51:
If it plays well, why does bore matter? Wouldn't changing the bore change the playing characteristics, and not necessarily in a good way? The only problem with the small bore that I can see is that it makes it possible to overblow, but it is easy to avoid this.
The King 2341 is an instrument clearly intended for the educational and amateur market. As such, a larger bore would probably make it less desireable for many of the potential purchasers. I guess they could offer a couple different bore sizes, say medium and large, like those that used to be available from King. To do so would add significant cost due to dual inventory and additional design and manufacturing expenses that would cause the price to have to be rasied. I think that the current design is a good compromise. It allows them to use the same valve cluster design that they have been using, allowing them to keep the price down, it has a larger bore than other UMI made BBb tubas, and it is a good size for middle and high school students.