Re: Ascending valve


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Posted by Ray Noguera on March 21, 2002 at 22:03:29:

In Reply to: Ascending valve posted by Sam Gnagey on March 21, 2002 at 13:32:05:

I built a accending valve tuba about 20 years ago. It was a modified walter sear Deprins BBb that was in b natural. The normally open valve made it into a Bb. It was built for Lew Waldeck formerly of the NYC opera. Lew played it for several years. The primary benift was that the low B natural was played with the accending vale actuated but all other valves up. this allowed you to really hit the note without the usual resistance. The other benifit, and the reason we built the horn was that it allowed you to HIT the 4 th line F# clean. Every tuba I have every played has the same problem, that 2-3 combination on the staff is never solid. The accending valve cured the problem. You had that note CLEAN. We didn't encounter any problems with the hons intonation. Every result was positive.I shopped the I dea to meinel ,Mirafone and Hirsbruner but none of them could see the system as being commerically successfull. Everyone that played the instrument had the same reaction ,one of amazement. but, factories make instruments for the masses not the professional.
I'm not sure how well a full step valve would work . It would be intresting to see if the length of the accending valve would disrupt the playing of the horn. We didnt get that on the half step system. I wish I had time to find out....
It also made it easy to play some of those nasty shrap keys on BBb
Ray Noguera


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