OLD Tuba - pitch question


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Posted by Tim Cary on September 08, 1999 at 07:43:35:

I have just acquired an old Conn BB-flat tuba that appears to have been made around 1910. The horn blows freely, but seems to have a major pitch issue - it plays about a half-step high. I believe that this may be due to the horn being a "high pitch" instrument, being tuned to the old, higher pitched A440 rather than the standard "low" A440 on modern instruments. If I pull the tuning slide all of the way out, it does approach pitch. Does anyone have any ideas on how to "lengthen" the horn to bring it to proper pitch? When I got it, it had two 3"-4" extensions on the main tuning slide, but the work was very sloppy and they leaked excessively, so when I had the horn worked on they were removed. This horn will be a combination living room decoration / oom-pah band horn, so I would like to be able to use it for something other than a pure collector's piece. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


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