TubeNet

OK, most of tubamanity recognizes the BAT a la York as the Holy Grail. Lets think on this for a minute. Take the huge bugle and plug in a rotary valve set that has a bore size equal to the huge bugle. The Rudy 5/4 weighs in at a hefty .920 and plays like a dream and it is huge ina "Germanic" way. How about an American take on it. Would this solve any inherent problems with response and handling? Piston valves seem to have a terminal bore of .750. Would this be as good or a better horn. Remember, the bugle of a York with a corresponding valve set proportional in size to the bugle. Tell us what you think.

Chuck

Ok, big bugle, piston set of terminal size. Look at the "bugle" of the York, that is the extremely wide and FAST taper taking out the valve set and slides. It is a much larger "bugle" than the piston block, which is standard for most piston valve instruments. If one looks at the huge tapers of the "bugle" of the York, a proportionately large rotary valve set seems to me to bring the horn into better "balance" ie, all the physics may line up. The only flaw in this rather random thought is that the proportionately large rotary valve block may create to much of an open air flow thus hindering control. I am not an instrument jock at all, but it seems to me that the York works well because the smaller valve block offers some inherent resistance not present in the "bugle". However, some have commented that the response and general playing attributes of this style of set up are less than ideal.

Case in point. Recently I played a Besson 995 and a 2165 back-to-back. The Besson is a more proportional instrument throughout its taper than the 2165, thus producing an easier instrument FOR ME to play. Both use the same valves as far as I could tell(the 2165 had the big valves, whatever they are).The low register was better and the overall "scale" was much more manageable as to pitch tendencies. Ergo, proportionate=easy FOR ME, thus the original query. Follow? Just a point to ponder, not go to war over.

Chuck"who likes the creators of Southpark and Canadians"Jackson

Why stop there? If you like BIG, why not graft the big rotary valve set onto a Conn 21J or Martin body in BBb? (Or a Rick Denny Holton?) No matter how big you make a CC tuba you can make a similar instrument in BBb even bigger.
My own big frankentuba is a medium-sized Martin with a Buescher helicon bell and a Nirschl piston valve set. The 4th valve tubing is quite a bit bigger than 0.750", and is big enough for me.