Re: Re: BBb 4-valves / CC 5-valves - why?


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Posted by Seasonal low note on November 20, 2003 at 19:56:04:

In Reply to: Re: BBb 4-valves / CC 5-valves - why? posted by Matt G on November 20, 2003 at 18:55:06:

Anent Grainger and low notes, if memory serves, one setting for band of the Grainger "The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol" will take you down to a D.

The surprise with the Holton/Miraphone hybrid was that changing the bell and and adding almost a foot of "clarinet" tubing improved the tuning. Before the change, the 3rd partial F was pretty flat. I've been told by reputable folks that the pre-WWII big Holtons had the large branches made by York--I've stood Matt's horn and another pre-war big Holton right next to a gen-you-ine Grand Rapids York 6/4 and they differ only in the ferrules, braces and valves. So Matt's horn is quite a different animal from Rick's Holton 345, which was made in the 60's.

I've been staring at my latest hacksaw job CC and wondering if I should configure it with a 5th valve or not. I can get a pretty decent F as 124 and I'm inclined to leave things that way.

An idea that I've played with for some time is to take my Besson 3-valve CC compensator and add a 4th (uncompensated) valve tuned to F. That way, I get the best of both worlds--a 3-valve CC that plays in tune down to Gb, and an unstuffy 4th valve F. I haven't run the numbers on the fingering below F yet, but it just might work out.

Glad you like the Holton mongrel, Matt!

C(G)


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