Posted by Joe S. on May 11, 1999 at 22:48:27:
I was just wondering how other people's preferences ran on the hand position of front-action pistons. The York-style valveset (which I believe was originally created for the Hirsbrunner York model, and has since been used on many Euro piston tubas) has a prominent vertical alignment. Old Conns, Kings, York Masters, most sousaphones, Boehm and Meinl, and many other makers of front-action piston tubas have favored a more angled position, with the fourth casing usually curved around to fit the hand.
I have had experience with both: My Holton York model was exactly like the Euro York model style, and I used to own a front-action York Eb that had the more angled position, with #4 curving around.
If you could "snap your fingers" and the casing alignment on your front-action tuba could either be that vertical York style or that more common angled style, which would do you think would be more comfortable for you to use?