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Was just interested to know whether there were any overall manufacturing differences between tubas made at 440 vs 442, or are the instruments constructed identically and then given longer or shorter tuning slides.
Was just curious because I’m currently playing on a 442 tuba in a country where 440 is the norm. If I get a 440 tuning slide, will it be any different than an equivalent make/model originally built at 440?

Thanks

I am not aware of any manufacturer that makes any real difference in building for that small a change. If you can't hear the difference yet, just pull the slides to a tuner set to even temperament and adjust. You probably could get a 440 main tuning slide which is a bit longer if it helps.

If a horn is "manufactured in A 442" does this mean with the tuning slide all in or in the midddle of its range? That would make a big difference. My Wessex ophicleide has an ingeniously long tuning slide for playing in low, high or modern pitch so 440/442 is somewhere in the middle.
On the other hand the embouchure of the player makes more difference than this few millimeters on the slide. My daughter and I differ a quarternote when playing the identical horn and mouthpiece. This is more than 2Hz...

I have heard that, once upon a time in the past in Europe, some tubas were tuned slightly different (i.e., a length of MTS was different), depending on countries sold due to cold weather. It would be also interesting to know if that is still the case today (may be not so common today?).

When I was selling a lot of tubas, I had to ask my manufacturers to make them at A=440. Only one or 2 of my clients wanted A=442. Personally, when I have a tuba that is 442, I have to have the tuning slide lengthened. Yes, it makes a difference.

Miraphone builds many of their horns at 442 for the European customers. Every now and then one would show up at WWBW with the European main slide. That’s problematic when you have to have the slide pulled all the way out to match pitch and it winds up falling in the floor as you play. Miraphone was always very responsive in sending me the 440 slides needed for sales here in the US. The difference is that, on the 442 slide, the ferrules for the slide tubes are 3/4” long. On the American slide they were 1 1/2” long. It didn’t affect the rest of the horn with the longer main slide. You had to adjust a bit but that was all.