pistons vs rotors

Tubadork · Post by **Tubadork** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 9:41 am

BBb vs. CC
talk amongst your selves

Bill

Lew · Post by **Lew** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 11:33 am

Porky wrote:I listen to a lot of players. Most of my friends in school play piston tubas like Jupiter.

I think the really good tuba players play rotory tubas.

Piston tuba players just arent as good.

I play a rotory Jupiter, btw.

(OK, I know I shouldn't feed the trolls, but couldn't resist) You mean like piston horn players (in no particular order) Alan Baer, Carol Jantsch, Sam Pilafian, Pat Sheridan, etc... just to name a few.

corbasse · Post by **corbasse** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 12:14 pm

Lew wrote:
(OK, I know I shouldn't feed the trolls, but couldn't resist) You mean like piston horn players (in no particular order) Alan Baer, Carol Jantsch, Sam Pilafian, Pat Sheridan, etc... just to name a few.

Yeah, just imagine what amazing feats they'd be capable of if they just switched to rowtorry instrements!

TexTuba · Post by **TexTuba** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 12:21 pm

corbasse wrote:Yeah, just imagine what amazing feats they'd be capable of if they just switched to rowtorry instrements!

Just even thinking about thinking it would make my head explode.

Ralph

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 12:25 pm

I think rotary valves must be some sort of a high school thing. Just about every high school tuba player I've met wants to play a rotary valved tuba.

But then, maybe there's some logic in this. Up until about, oh, 5 years ago, if a school purchased a rotary BBb, it was most likely a Miraphone 186. The 186 is really a very good instrument in the firmament of student-model tubas.

So maybe the kids aren't nuts after all...

MartyNeilan · Post by **MartyNeilan** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 12:34 pm

Now that we have pistons vs rotors out of the way...

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 1:17 pm

MartyNeilan wrote:Does Size Matter?

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 1:23 pm

the elephant wrote:Nah. He's not compensating for anything . . .

Well, here's another non-compensating "compensating" tuba...

kegmcnabb · Post by **kegmcnabb** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 1:39 pm

windshieldbug wrote:

Hey...maybe if I play this really big tuba, no-one will notice that I'm the bald guy in the orchestra.

Bandmaster · Post by **Bandmaster** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 4:59 pm

Sorry, these have rotors...

TubaRay · Post by **TubaRay** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 7:08 pm

My guess is that size matters.

MaryAnn · Post by **MaryAnn** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 2:13 pm

TubaRay · Post by **TubaRay** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 5:05 pm

richland tuba 01 wrote:I got your size right here buddy.

Yeah! Right!!!

mTaUrBkA · Post by **mTaUrBkA** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 6:02 pm

I'm a high school tuba player who plays a mirafone 186, and I think I have the answer of why many students think rotary horns are better........

You start out in middle school playing on a beat up student 3/4 yamaha with three upright pistons.....or something similar. I didn't realize it until I thought about it after reading this thread......but have any of you seen a young tubist start out on a beat up 3/4 student rotor horn? Kids probably get the impression that they don't put rotors on student horns....they must be good. If they see a piston horn they think of the piece of junk they started on.

My opinion is it is all preference. I have played some piston horns and loved them, and played some rotors and loved them. Personally I prefer rotors, but it's what I'm used to playing on. My ring finger and pinky aren't as strong as my index and middle finger.....so I had the springs loosened a little bit on my 3rd and 4th valve to make my valves feel more even and comfertable. To my knowledge, that can't be done on a piston horn, but I'm sure pistons have their little tricks as well. I'd say it would completely be a preference thing.... just play on the horn that fits you best.

mTaUrBkA · Post by **mTaUrBkA** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 6:13 pm

My second theory.......maybe they just don't want to have pistons like trumpets because trumpet players are too cocky! Just a theory!

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 6:59 pm

Yeah -- what bloke and mTaUrBkA said.

MartyNeilan · Post by **MartyNeilan** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 12:32 am

mTaUrBkA wrote:.....so I had the springs loosened a little bit on my 3rd and 4th valve to make my valves feel more even and comfertable. To my knowledge, that can't be done on a piston horn, but I'm sure pistons have their little tricks as well.

On a piston horn you can just replace the springs with varying strengths. I have often had them replaced with harder ones. Yeah, I tried stretching the stock ones but it is just better to replace them. I am sure lighter ones are available too - just ask a repair guru.
My old Cerveny F has an interesting device on each valve that lets you crank up or down the clockspring tension, I think they were the only company to do that. Mirafone had something on their spiral springs for a couple of years and went away from it.
Marty "currently a rotor guy"

XtremeEuph · Post by **XtremeEuph** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 9:43 am

Lew wrote:
rowtorry instrements!

Holy ****!

Getzeng50s · Post by **Getzeng50s** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 12:38 pm

go practice!

pulseczar · Post by **pulseczar** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 8:37 pm

Pistons are very basic and pretty easy to repair.

Rotors are a b!tch to repair

I played a top piston tuba before switching to rotary, and rotaries definitely beat top pistons. I hate taking the second tuning slide out to empty the spit.

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