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To go along withthe "out-of-tune tuba" thread:

Why do you different tubas of the same model from the same manufacturer play with different intonation characteristics?

My friends in the tuba design business have given my their opinions, I have my own, but I'd be interested in reading what others think.

I would hazard that inconsistency is the inability (with current construction techniques) to make the bore completely uniform at joints and other connections, thus moving ("shading") nodes of the standing waves that are generated when you play.

Some horns are built with tubing that internally butt-joints well, while others have gaps in critical places.

Alex C wrote:To go along withthe "out-of-tune tuba" thread:

Why do you different tubas of the same model from the same manufacturer play with different intonation characteristics?

My friends in the tuba design business have given my their opinions, I have my own, but I'd be interested in reading what others think.

Inconsistent attention to detail - esp. on the inside where "no one can see it".

Nothing that disassembly and a good set of files won't fix (followed by *correct* re-assembly).

I don't know how much this would specifically affect intonation, and some of this might have already been partially suggested above:

The amount of hammering vs. annealing or tempering that is done to the medal as the instrument is formed and constructed has a great deal to do with how dead or alive sections of it are. Particularly important are places along the pipe such as at nodes and/or anti nodes, and on the entire bell. I believe this can greatly affect how the instrument plays, as well as its efficiency and response on specific notes. This can affect its overall tone quality and dynamic range as well. My guess is that if it can affect all these facets of a tuba, then it might also affect intonation as well.

A friend of mine was shopping for a tuba several years ago and we played 2 miraphone 186 6valve CC"s that were 1 serial number apart. The first one was prolly the best one I had ever played and the second was by far the worst. I imagine there must have been a big blob of pitch or something left in it.