Posted by Frederick J. Young on May 30, 2001 at 20:50:35:
In Reply to: BBb for british style brass band? posted by Rob Suttie on May 26, 2001 at 11:04:06:
I would recommend a double Kaiser tuba in BBb and low FFF made by Herbert Gronitz. It would be well in tune and lack the stuffiness many tubists allege the Besson or Boosey & Hawkes BBb compensating tubas have. It would also be larger in bore through the valves. Remember that the three valve compensating tuba is better in tune on the notes of real significance than they are on a four valve compensating instrument. On the three valve instrument 23 and 13 are very good and 123 is only a small amount sharp. On the four valve compensating instrument those combinations and not well in tune with or without the fourth valve. You sacrifice intonation over the most useful range of the instrument by getting a four valved instrument for the purpose of getting an in tune 24, 14 and 34 combination. Given that one can play low Eb and down to B natural using the open tone for Eb it seems a waste of money to replace the three valve compensating BBb with a four valv compensating BBb or a double BBb as above.