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Is there any advantage to cutting inside valve slides down to a length that is long enough, after pulling to tune, but short enough to take out easily? For example, the inside 1st valve slide on my Besson goes almost up to the joint on the outside slide, but I never have to pull it more than 1/8 to 3/16 to tune. So would there be any advantage to cutting it down to a couple of inches long on each leg, to facilitate removal, cleaning, etc.? From reading Rick Denney's website, it would seem he does this as a matter of course. Opinions? Thanks.

I wouldn't do it.

Consider that if a slide is pushed all the way in, the inside of the tubing is essentially continuous. Pull the slide a bit an all of the sudden, you have a section of tubing that's about 0.040 larger in diameter and technically, an acoustic discontinuity. Cut the slides and the discontinuity is permanent.

Consider also that many manufacturers permanently install a length of tubing inside the outer slide if the tuning slide legs are too short in order to keep a uniform inner diameter.

Now, if you were to shorten your inner slide legs and compensate by taking the lengths you cut off and inserting them into the outer slides, I'd say sure, go ahead.

Probably as clear as mud, but it's late.

Don't do it.....here's a tale of woe because of cutting bits off an instrument.
a helped a youth band out a while ago , back in the 1970's the band purchased an old 19inch bell , boosey and hawkes laq tuba , but when the band got it , the tuning was so out the guy playing Eb at the time thought it was a good idea to get a couple of inches of pipework taken out , I will try and find a pic to show the quality of the job...over the years the laq dissapeared and the tuba began to smell of raw metal , sweat etc...If you played it for a while you would begin to feel sick and you would get a nasty rash from the raw metal...It was affectionatly known in the area as Smelly Bass...a real experience for North Wales Tuba players..
so after that horror story DON'T CUT BITS OFF!!!!!!!!

NickJones wrote:DON'T CUT BITS OFF!!!

(You're supposed to cut the bits off the tuba, not the lad!)

iiipopes wrote:From reading Rick Denney's website, it would seem he does this as a matter of course. Opinions? Thanks.

No, I don't. I did it on the Eb tuba that I cut to F, the tuba that has the nickname "soldering practice" in my collection. The third-valve slides were rather mangled and trimming the very long inner slide was an expediency on an instrument that would be unlikely to notice the difference. I would never do that with my main instruments.

Rick "who fourth-valve slide on his Holton is pulled so far it might as well be trimmed, however" Denney

Thanks for all the input. On my Besson, the 1st and 3d valve slides use the same elbow, so I put the shorter 1st into the 3d to see if I could hear a difference. I couldn't.

Rick - thanks for the clarification. Sorry I misinterpreted when you talked about cutting the slides for both your F project and the horn you helped get up to speed for your father-in-law. On rereading, this was a last resort to get them playing. How's the F doing?

Yes, and this time I get to beat bloke to it, now's the time for a good old saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Thanks again.

Bloke - thanks. Don't worry. It aint' broke, so between the other advice, the clarification by Rick, and the fact I couldn't hear a difference when I switched slides, I'm not "fixin'" it.

Occasionally, when I want a good low Eb to end something with, the only way to get it is to pull 3 as far as I can. Of course, I need all the slide I can get for that. So, no need for anxiety in tubadom. At this point, since it is so well in tune and the valves are great, I'm probably not even going to take any more dents out and risk losing the perfect intonation of my 5th and 7th (yes, I said 7th - I can play gb and g 4th space 1 and 2, respectively, and they are spot on. Makes fingering incredibly easier!) partials, as well as everything else.

Yes, it is a comp. Low B nat & C are just a tad stuffy. A small price to pay for the benefit of everything else.

Thanks again.