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Both Andycat and I are in the market for new 3+1 tubas, and have noticed that the bore for the valve section of the Miraphone models is larger than other competitors - Besson, LMI, York.(18 - 18.5mm for the Eb and 19.6 - 20.4 for the BBb Model)

Please can one of the resident boffins enlighten us as to the potential effects this will have on tone quality and note production.

Many Thanks

Be sure you consider mouthpipe length, too. Often, the longer mouthpipe length on a rotary vs. piston horn merely means that the valves are further along in the horn, and therefore NEED to be a larger bore.

jmh3412 wrote:Both Andycat and I are in the market for new 3+1 tubas, and have noticed that the bore for the valve section of the Miraphone models is larger than other competitors - Besson, LMI, York.(18 - 18.5mm for the Eb and 19.6 - 20.4 for the BBb Model)

Please can one of the resident boffins enlighten us as to the potential effects this will have on tone quality and note production.

Many Thanks

From MY perspective (which has entirely nothing to do with physics, or really any knowledge of what occurs), the bigger the bore at the beginning of the horn, and the valve section, the less of a "slot" the horn plays in. Graduated valve bores aside, as they seem to retain slot similar to small bores. This freedom is good and bad, depending on what you like and what you are trying to do.


The difference for me is that of pitch determinacy. A besson 983, for example, plays where I place the pitch. The bore is relatively large at the mouthpipe and into the valves. A different besson with the smaller bore and valve section, tends to be more determined to go where it wants to and requires more slide or embouchure manipulation to facilitate.

Many other factors besides valve section bore, mouthpipe bore, and mouthpipe length determine these qualities. But, from my playing experience, it seems like the main difference lies in pitch determinacy.