tubaman06 wrote:Rick Denney, i would just like to commend you on your respect that you give on this topic. As you could have read, other people just couldnt seem to stick to the topic at hand.
I think you misunderstand me, and the others as well. Nobody has higher respect for what Bloke knows about how tubas are made than I do. Hint: He also owns a Gronitz PCK.
On the subject of sticking to the topic, please understand that you do not own the conversation. Threads morph into what is interesting for those in the discussion, just like normal human conversation. Sometimes, that wanders away from what the guy who brought up the subject wants to discuss, in which case he can either try to steer it back or move on to another group (or thread) and try again. But if you are going to steer a conversation back to what you want, calling the people in the discussion dumbasses is probably not going to achieve your objective.
And you did indeed step into my trap. In fact, you don't really know the difference between a "handmade" tuba and a "machine-made" tuba. I respectfully submit that the difference is limited to whether the bottom bow, and perhaps the upper bow, are hand-hammered or hydroformed. This difference might have an effect, but probably not.
That is the only fundamental production difference between a 2000 and a 2155 (except small design differences between the two). The biggest difference comes during assembly, and all tubas are hand-assembled.
So-called "hand-made" tubas are hand-assembled by the best technicians, and the parts are adjusted to fit very exactly without having to be stressed. Non-hand-made tubas are hand-assembled by lesser technicians (or technicians who are granted less time) who sometimes make parts fit by flexing them into position and soldering them down.
Having to make hand adjustments to parts is usually a sign of poor production practices, and most manufacturers believe that more consistent production that minimizes the work required during assembly is an improvement. I'm sure Miraphone was pleased when their production improved to the point where parts didn't require so much hand fitment to make them work.
And being hand-made doesn't mean that much by itself. St. Petersburg tubas are at least as hand-made as any tuba currently produced. Being hand-made is no advantage unless the hands belong to a master.
I don't know when Miraphone stopped hand-hammering the outer branches in favor of hydroforming. And I'm not sure it matters. There are many wonderful tubas with hydroformed outer branches and many stinkers that were hand-hammered. I suspect that the bigger difference was a change in design, and perhaps also when Miraphones got popular in the schools, Miraphone had to increase production and therefore used assemblers with a little less mastery.
Rick "thinking respect has to be earned" Denney
