TubeNet

Mo, is your next poll going to be something along the lines of "I own only horns that are silverplated..." ?

I bought my horns based on the way they played and sounded, regardless of the types of valves. I have owned a 4/4 sized rotary valve BBb, but my current 4/4 BBb has pistons. I changed because I found it easier to get the sound I wanted, not because of the valves.

My current big horn is a King Bill Bell model with rotary valves. I bought it to replace a 3 valve Martin piston valve horn, because I wanted 4 valves, and because I wanted side action rather than top action. OK, the historic "cool" factor of the horn was another selling point for me. A 4 valve side action Martin piston valve horn would have worked too, but one wasn't available.

My small horn is a Besson 983 (piston valves). I tried a Meinl-Weston 2040 (4 rotary valve) Eb, a Cerveny 651, and a Meinl-Weston 2141 (4 pistons + 1 rotor) when I bought the Besson. I bought the Besson because I liked the way it played and the sounded.

I think I prefer the feel of rotary valves slightly, but don't think that the type of valves should be a deciding factor in what instrument one chooses.

Disclaimer - Of course this has been discussed to death before, and these are only the rambling observations of a very amateur tuba player.

My horn has both. It's very confusing.

Chuck(G) wrote:Mo, is your next poll going to be something along the lines of "I own only horns that are silverplated..." ?

How about "The way they sound, the way they look, or what you couldn't afford?"

Both...

but even more important I now have 3 TubeNet Valves....OH YEAH! No more bugling (bugleing, bugeling, buggering... ) for me! Although...I have no idea if they are piston or rotors.

kegmcnabb wrote:...I have no idea if they are piston or rotors.

They probably are ...

I really wanted rotors when I was gonna buy my horn, but a piston horn chose me with its sound and playability. So I got pistons even though I love the way rotors feel. So my f or eb is probably gonna be a rotor horn.... unless I find and fall in love with a besson 983..........