pros and cons of reverse tuning slide

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pjv
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Re: pros and cons of reverse tuning slide

Post by pjv »

In the link I posted earlier I gave the same comment I'll give now;
Dunno.
I do know that Miraphone has used it on their horns. Seeing as this is a highly professional company that takes their various (high tech?) tuba models very seriously, I suggest anyone really interested should ask them when and why they use a reverse MTS. They might just feel inclined to answer the question.
Then you'll have an answer from at least one very reputable company.
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J.c. Sherman
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Re: pros and cons of reverse tuning slide

Post by J.c. Sherman »

If you manage to avoid the bump back down in bore in your reversed tuning, you might, psychologically or otherwise, experience improvement. But it's too modest to make a change in your playing; it'll feel a trifle nicer, but losing a brace (if necessary) could worsen the response. YMMV.

It's much more pronounced a difference in trombones. Nowhere else that I've found.
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pjv
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Re: pros and cons of reverse tuning slide

Post by pjv »

So the question remains why would a company like Miraphone even bother to apply this? Why bother? It's not like it's a cool selling point.
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Re: pros and cons of reverse tuning slide

Post by Tabor »

bloke wrote:
roweenie wrote:I have been told by more than one highly respected (ie. at the top of their respective professions) technicians/players/designers that the place where the small end of the MTS meets the valve nest is a critical spot where a bore gap exacerbate problems, at least as far as piston valves are concerned (I have zero experience regarding rotary valves). Postponing a bore gap there can have positive effects, according to them.

YMMV
My personal experience is that minimizing the length of the bore enlargement (much more than does delaying it by a couple of inches - as this point is going to vary by SEVERAL inches, depending on the design of the tuba) seems (??) to be beneficial.

I have two tuning slides for one particular instrument. The stock one plays at c. A=440 (room temp c. 74 - 75 degrees, and instrument warmed up) when pulled c. 1 inch.
The other one is the length of that 1 inch pull when pushed all the way in (no bore enlargement whatsoever on either side). The tuba is VERY slightly (i.e. "only a tiny amount") easier to play - SEEMINGLY - with the no-gaps tuning slide...

bloke "...and I could - very easily - be fooling myself."

I did an experiment today with a king/york BBb that had a slide loop prior to the tuning slide. I tried to make all the slide lengths inside as flush as possible and made a reverse slide out of the loop. I might be fooling myself but it seems to play more smoothly. Might be psychological, or phreneologicoustical, but It seemed to do something.
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Dan Schultz
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Re: pros and cons of reverse tuning slide

Post by Dan Schultz »

How well a tuning slide matches the connecting tubing is pretty much a moot point once the slide has been pulled out a dab. I feel the same way about reversed slides. I'd rather have the firm bracing.
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Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
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