TubeNet

The gist is: It's all relative within each maker's line. There is no absolute.
Within the tuba community, in general, there is probably some consistency. The Miraphone 186 could serve as the standard 4/4. If it's significantly smaller than that, it's 3/4. If it's somewhat larger, it's 5/4. And if it's a lot larger, it's 6/4.

SplatterTone wrote:The gist is: It's all relative within each maker's line. There is no absolute.
Within the tuba community, in general, there is probably some consistency. The Miraphone 186 could serve as the standard 4/4. If it's significantly smaller than that, it's 3/4. If it's somewhat larger, it's 5/4. And if it's a lot larger, it's 6/4.

I believe that is about the best rundown I have seen on this subject. I would consider this a good "yardstick" for measuring tubas.

This system seems sort of vague and not very standardize

Yep. When in doubt, quote the instrument pitch (b-flat, c, etc.), bore and bell size. That will pretty much nail it down.

Does bell size really matter? Once the bell flares out beyond triple or so the bell throat, i have a hard time believing that it's acoustically very important. The helpful article linked above points out that many American tubas are disproportionate, i.e. have 6/4 bells on 4/4 tubing.

I have found measuring the circumference where the bell joins the bottom bow appears to be a good guide.

For example on the Miraphone 188 and B&S PT-20, both 4/4 size that is around about 15". On a 5/4 PT-6 it is 17" and on a 6/4 Mel Culbertson Neptune it is 19". It would be interesting to know how other models slot in using those measurements.

That throat of the bell size seems to have a greater effect on the resulting tonal sound than the bell diameter.

However these are all CC tubas. For other pitches the size criteria are no doubt different. For example on a full size Eb (e.g. on my Melton and Besson tubas) that measurement is 12", although these instruments could be considered 4/4, or 5/4 in size.

duckskiff wrote:Someone should compile a list of this measurement on various tubas of known size and see if it works all the time.

I was rather hoping other TubeNeters would measure their own tubas, so we can compile a list.

For example, I would be very interested to know if the MW 2000/2155 has a bell throat of 17" circumference like a PT-6 to give it a 5/4 classification?

Yeah, I was going to say that tuba sizes are relative. A big Mirafone would be a little Cerveny. A small Alexander would be a huge Yamaha.

One British manufacturer complicated things by having an E-flat tuba and a EE-flat tuba, as well as a B-flat tuba and a BB-flat tuba. The double letters have nothing to do with pitch (I would love to see a real EE-flat tuba!) They have to do with the width of the bore, I think...



I think it's a lot like me buying clothes here in Saigon. I wear a size L in the USA. Here, I get a size XXL. Yes, I have to go to the BIG MAN'S STORE!

LoyalTubist wrote:One British manufacturer complicated things by having an E-flat tuba and a EE-flat tuba, as well as a B-flat tuba and a BB-flat tuba. The double letters have nothing to do with pitch (I would love to see a real EE-flat tuba!) They have to do with the width of the bore, I think...

No, the Besson "EEb" has the same bore as some "Eb" tubas in their range. But the EEb is compensating. I think they doubled the letters to suggest that their compensating Eb tuba could serve in the role of a contrabass tuba because of its chromatic low register down into the pedal range.

(By the way, I hope to have access to a picture comparing a 5/4 Rudolf Meinl CC to my Holton, showing that the Rudy is a heck of a lot closer to 6/4 than what most people think of as 5/4.)

Rick "who thinks the marketers did the naming" Denney

Just for clarification.... it's not the bore size through the valve section, it's the bore size and tapper through the bugle that make a tuba 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, or 6/4. Look at the bottom bow, a 4/4 is the diameter of your bicep while a 6/4 is the diameter of your thigh (well... for some folks, maybe your calf).