Posted by Klaus on March 14, 2002 at 22:38:48:
In Reply to: Change to a larger valve block? posted by Bill on March 14, 2002 at 07:47:21:
As those who are in the know have rested in silence, I will refer you to the recent and running "Tone" thread, where Rick Denney and I are representing not fully congruent views. I am the large bore fan.
But not at any price!
Let's say, that I got a favourable offer of a .750" valve block, that would fit into my .734" Conn 40K. Would I take it? No way, if I could not get a .750" replacement for the all of the valve tubing. Plus a new main tuning slide starting out at .750" and having a smooth conicity in its bow.
One certain factory-promotion-hailed-signature-trumpet-model has a reverse step bore. The bore through the main tuning slide is larger than the bore through the valve section. I really have a hard time to believe this to be a good idea.
One respected tuba maker has a model associated with a trans-continental tuba celebrity. The 4 pistons are followed by two rotors of a narrower bore. I do believe in this concept as much as in the trumpet concept told of above.
But it belongs to the picture to mention, that the brass instrument considered the most perfect one, when it comes to acoustics, the slide trombone, has a quite prominent reverse step bore, where the airstream enters the second inner slide branch.
So it is hard to be religious on this matter. Especially for a conical low brass player loving his 9 slide trombones in SATB sizes and Bb, Eb, and G pitches.
Was this an answer to your question? Hardly!
Klaus