TubeNet

On the Willson web site at: http://www.swissprofi.ch/willson/instr.html

I noticed an Eb tuba I hadn't noticed before: http://www.swissprofi.ch/willson/1829.gif

Eb-Tuba Mod. 3400 RZ-4
bore: 19,5 mm (.768")
bell: 480 mm (18.9" bell)
weight: 8,500 kg
height: 950 mm

This seems to be Willson's non-compensating, rotary valve "equivalent" (well, sort of equivalent) to the Besson 981 Eb -- at least with respect to bell diameter and (possibly) breadth of sound timbre. It's certainly a larger horn than the oft-praised "standard" 3400 FA-5 ("Erickson model" -- same web page), with a completely different layout.

Has anyone every played one of these? Impressions?

Does Willson ever add a 5th valve to a horn when that isn't the advertised configuration?

Curious,

E-mail them and ask!

Actually, the bell of the 3400 RZ-4 is noticeably larger -- almost 19" compared to 17.75 for the "Erickson" model. As we have been informed from a previous TubeNet post, the "Erickson" model specs are "inflated" by about 0.05". Therefore, it is believed that the "Erickson" model has a bore of about .700 / .740 / .790-ish (Willson is reported to frequently quote the OUTSIDE DIAMETER dimension of their tuning slides, not the "standard bore" dimension of the INSIDE DIAMETER.) However, I suspect that the RZ-4 is accurately quoting the inside diameter, as .768" is a standard inside diameter measurement.

Therefore I conclude:

"Erickson" model: 17.75" bell, .700/.740/.790 bore
RZ-4: 18.9" bell, .768 bore

If they made an "RZ-5", this would be one more "ideal one-tuba fits all" horn. I already think of the "Erickson" model as such an ideal horn for the "one-tuba solution". But if I wanted something with a slightly broader sound, an "RZ-5" (if it existed) Eb would be this horn.

FYI,

From Mr. Willi Kurath at Willson:

Inman: 1. Could you confirm the specification measurements for the model RZ-4? Does your web site accurately list that the bell is 480 mm and the bore is 19,5mm? And finally, is the bore measurement the INSIDE DIAMETER of the valve slides? (IF not, then what is the inside diameter measurement?)

Mr. Kurath:
The bore inside deameter is: 18,5mm
The bell diameter is: 480mm


Inman: 2. Does Willson build a 5 rotary valve version of the RZ-4 (perhaps you would call this a RZ-5)?

Mr. Kurath:
We never made before a RZ-5.
But when you would like a 3400-RZ5 we can make it.


Inman: 3. Could you please confirm the specification measurements for the "Erickson" model (FA-5), specifically regarding the bore size? What is the INSIDE DIAMETER measurements of the different valve slide tubes? (I assume the bell specification is correct at 450mm, but I have heard that some Willson instruments list the bore dimension as the outside diameter. I would like to know the inside diameter measurements.)

Mr. Kurath:
The bore inside deameter is: 1. - 3. valve 18,0mm
4. valve 19,0mm
5. valve 20,5mm
Bell diameter is: 450mm


Inman: Noch eine kleine Frage -- darf ich die Information in Ihren email auf die "TubeNet" Internet Tubaliste stellen? Ich glaube dass andere Tubaspieler diese Information lesen moechten. [May I put this info on TubeNet? Other tubists might like to read it.]

Mr. Kurath:
Sie können diese Informationen natürlich im Internet veröffentlichen.
[Sure.]

Regards,