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I'm playing on a Conn 5J CC made sometime in the 1950s. My valve combos involving the 4th valve are incredibly flat even with all the slides in. So a low G is turning into a F-sharp (very, very sharp).

Any thoughts? Should I be looking into cutting the slide?

David

wonderbread403 wrote:I'm playing on a Conn 5J CC made sometime in the 1950s. My valve combos involving the 4th valve are incredibly flat even with all the slides in. So a low G is turning into a F-sharp (very, very sharp).

Any thoughts? Should I be looking into cutting the slide?

David

How does that low G sound played 1-3?

1-3 G is in tune, actually.

wonderbread403 wrote:1-3 G is in tune, actually.

Can you pull 4 so that it's an in-tune F# (perhaps even a slightly flat F#)?

If so...alternate fingerings are your friends...I guess...just a suggestion.

You *might* find that you get more notes with this "F# 4th" than with an "G 4th"

I suppose it's too much to hope for an in-tune 1-2-3 F#

wonderbread403 wrote:1-3 G is in tune, actually.

How's the F (1-4)?

Dave Gannett [tuba gear] played on one of those and referred to the fourth valve as an octave key . Gb 2+4 , F 1+4 , E 3+4 , and so on . D and G below the staff tunable 1 +3 using the first slide to tweak them . Chris Olka told me that Warren Deck tuned his horns that way too and I tuned my Kings like that for years . I thought it made the low end blow more open . But you can always find a placr to trim down a slide if you don't like that tuning . I think your horn is actually a 2J , 5J's are Bbs . Ed

The OP reminds me about a report on how Harvey Philips set up a 4 piston CC to get more notes available in the range above the open pedal note.

Klaus

EdFirth wrote:Dave Gannett [tuba gear] played on one of those and referred to the fourth valve as an octave key... Chris Olka told me that Warren Deck tuned his horns that way too and I tuned my Kings like that for years I thought it made the low end blow more open.

I do also, and have all my contrabasses tuned that way. Try it before you change it.

Haha, thanks for the suggestions and thank you very much for the avatar!

So here's my solution: I'll use the 4th valve for a very in-tune low F (1-4) and a very in-tune E (3-4). Low E-flat (2-3-4) is a little sharp though.

About this horn...1-2-3 and 1-3 combos are in-tune. So I don't bother using 2-4 and 4 very much either.

Curious note about this horn. My dad bought this horn from a private dealer back when I was in high school--around 1999. The etching on the bell says Conn 5J, but it's a CC horn. It looks exactly a 2J, though. Serial number starts with 754, so it was produced in 1958, I believe.

If the serial number dates it to 58' and you bought it in 99' it could be that the bell got toasted and was replaced with a 5J bell . I don't think 5J's went into production until the late 60's-early 70's when they replaced 4J's [BBb] and the 3J's replaced the 2J's [CC] .They are great small tubas .Ed

EdFirth wrote:If the serial number dates it to 58' and you bought it in 99' it could be that the bell got toasted and was replaced with a 5J bell . I don't think 5J's went into production until the late 60's-early 70's when they replaced 4J's [BBb] and the 3J's replaced the 2J's [CC] .They are great small tubas .Ed

I have seen at least two examples of 5J C tubas, one from a fellow who showed up to a TC event within the last half-dozen years. He bought it new, and was rather proud of its rarity. But they did exist.

Rick "thinking the in-tune 1-3 and 1-2-3 combinations tell the tale" Denney

Wow you learn something nwe every day .Ed