Posted by js on June 13, 2003 at 20:49:15:
In Reply to: Who's Copying Whom? (Long) posted by Rick Denney on June 13, 2003 at 15:03:58:
These comments only relate to the first parts of your post:
___________________________________________________________
Donielli may have liked Conn tubas better simply for eronomic reasons.
Those York tubas' mouthpipes define holding the tuba at a 45ish degree angle to one's body, because the mouthpipes don't wrap around the bell very far. This is particularly annoying to a very fat man, as Donitelli is said to have been.
Typically, old jumbo Conn tubas' mouthpipes wrap further around the bells of the instruments and are easier tubas for fat men to hold and play. I doubt if Donitelli chose a Conn instrument for intonation's sake. As I recall from a quick audition of the instrument, the York that he originally owned plays fairly well in tune...about as in tune as any jumbo tubas I've tried...and it really "puffs" (meaning "seems eager to make a sound") The only pitch thing I think I remember being a considerable problem on Donitelli's rejected York CC tuba was a pull requirement for the 1st v. F's...just like my currently-owned CC.
In contrast, I find all the huge Conn tubas that I've ever played to be (as Rick Denney can relate) a bit Willson-like, in that they don't seem as "eager" to offer a sound. Further, I've never played any jumbo Conn tubas (and this would include the 20K and 38K sousaphones) that had usable 3rd partials.