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I just got a B-stock St. Petersburg BBb 202LD 450mm bell off Tuba Exchange and the 4th valve plays flat. The horn actually plays pretty well for the price, IMO, and I do like the instrument, but that struck me as weird.

Is there a way to cut the slide down to shorten it? Any other suggestions? Low F is better 1/3 instead of 4, the C is sort of in the middle between 1/3 being sharp and 4th being flat.

Any advice would be appreciated.

That's correct as Bloke says.
I had a 5V one with a shorter 4th loop,
but the 4V BBb comes with a flat 4th

I quite liked the tuba actually

If you should want it cut, it easy don by 'lifting' the loop following the bottom bow

bloke wrote:Is it just "too long enough" so-as your 2-4 pitches (B and E) will be in-tune, and you can play the 4th valve pitches (C and F) with 1-3 (pulling the 1st slide for pitch) ?

bloke "ie...lemon into lemonade...??"

My thoughts exactly Joe............that was the first thing that popped into head, I'll bet it has a great
low B natural (2-4)

Lectron wrote:That's correct as Bloke says.
I had a 5V one with a shorter 4th loop,
but the 4V BBb comes with a flat 4th

I quite liked the tuba actually

If you should want it cut, it easy don by 'lifting' the loop following the bottom bow

Curious how this is actually done... I'll be playing on this horn as well as having it available as a school instrument, so the intonation being flexible is a big concern. So you're saying the lowest crook of the 4th valve tube gets cut off, chopped shorter on each side, then soldered back on and polished??

Yes. And there's still enough pull on that slide to tune it as low as you'd ever want.
You loose one of the supports on the crook, but the distance to the two next ones makes it no problem.
Should be more than strong enough, but can always add a support to the small bottom-bow

It's really one of the easier horns to to just that modification as it only involves cut in straight parallel tubing
Might be a bit more than illustrated

Lectron wrote:Yes. And there's still enough pull on that slide to tune it as low as you'd ever want.
You loose one of the supports on the crook, but the distance to the two next ones makes it no problem.
Should be more than strong enough, but can always add a support to the small bottom-bow

It's really one of the easier horns to to just that modification as it only involves cut in straight parallel tubing
Might be a bit more than illustrated

After looking at the horn, that's what I figured you were talking about.

I'm going to send a screen shot to my music dealer's repairman to see how much something like this would run. I also know of a tubist nearby that plays professionally in the city's orchestra who does his own work in his basement.