Piston or Rotary

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What kind of valves do you prefer playing on the tuba?

Pistons
35
38%
Rotary
24
26%
Doesn't matter
33
36%
 
Total votes: 92

Hank74
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3 valves
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Piston or Rotary

Post by Hank74 »

Forgive me if this question has been posted before, but I wanted to ask as to your preference when it comes to either piston or rotary tubas.
Hank74

Baritone Horn: Wessex BBb
Contras: Dynasty BBb
Helicon: Wessex BBb
Sousas: Conn, Holton, Jupiter, King, Yamaha. All BBb.
Tubas: King, Martin, Reynolds (one w/Olds bell). All BBb.
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Dan Schultz
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Post by Dan Schultz »

I've got lots of both! I used a piston horn for a Dixie gig Thursday morning and I'll use a rotary Mirafone for a German gig tonight. Tomorrow morning, it's back to the King Eb piston horn. Sunday afternoon, it'll be the piston Marzan BBb. Overall, I think pistons are more prone to problems with lint and dirt. I can blow saurkraut through rotors!

Do you prefer a crossbow or a recurve bow? Compound or longbow? Pistol or rifle?

It's all a matter of personal preferrence. Playwise, it doesn't make a darned bit of difference to me.
Dan Schultz
"The Village Tinker"
http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
clagar777
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Post by clagar777 »

I consider the whole instrument. But my PT-606 and PT-6 are both pistons.
winston
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Post by winston »

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Last edited by winston on Wed Jan 05, 2011 11:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
Winston Hind
The Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy
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SplatterTone
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Post by SplatterTone »

I think it is easier to get the water out of rotary valve horn.
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Tubatoad
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Post by Tubatoad »

I prefer rotories for their smoothness and speed - of course, the move from Amati piston to Cerveny rotory also was a big shift up in quality all around. Never managed to play the piston horn without wanting to swear at it, and got tired of holding that all in. Since I play in a church orchestra, I figured I better upgrade or stop alltogether! :D
Pete (the Tubatoad)
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prototypedenNIS
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Post by prototypedenNIS »

what about viennas?
disc?
hagmann?
Thayer?
CR?
CL?
Bach K?
Axial flow piston?
Berliner Pumpen?
denNIS
Salvation Army 1934 and 1954 (Boosey) euph
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iiipopes
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Post by iiipopes »

Now, if I can only find at a reasonable price one of the HB experiments of a generation ago in rotary compensators. Until then, it's me...and my 3-valve....
Jupiter JTU1110
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pulseczar
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Post by pulseczar »

Would this article shed some new perspective onto this argument?

http://aswltd.com/rotary.htm

They discuss about trumpets, but would the same subtleties be noticed on a tuba?
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windshieldbug
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Post by windshieldbug »

pulseczar wrote:would the same subtleties be noticed on a tuba?
They might, but then, they're trumpets, so they're better than you! :wink:
Instead of talking to your plants, if you yelled at them would they still grow, but only to be troubled and insecure?
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