Value of Optional, Longer, Tuning Slides

[Dean E]

In another thread, Matt Walters wrote, with typically, honest directness:

From a community band point of view I can tell you exactly what happens to make the pitch go up.

1) Most amateur brass players tend to play on the sharp side and therefore need to pull the slide out further to get down to A=440. This is a problem with getting the best players in the world to help design an instrument that will be played by amateurs.
. . . .
3) The rank amateur (or mediocre player with a superior ego, etc.) plays it and now has to move the slide out 2-3 times further to get down to pitch and blames the instrument maker. Now, the scale of the horn goes out. When I get a trumpet player complaining that even his old faithful trumpet now plays out of tune, one look at the main tuning slide and I usually see it's pulled out a lot. I ask them to push it in and compare the scale this way. (They got older, and practice less, so now they have to form a tight smile embouchure to play with any security, but now they have even less endurance.) When that fixes it, but they are too high in pitch, we just make a longer tuning slide to minimize that gap created by pulling the slide too far out. That usually makes the horn play more in-tune by minimizing that gap. Of course the over all length of the horn is changed and to be most accurate, some valve slide lengths may need to be slightly adjusted, etc. That is another long discussion.

3a) I had to deal with a community band clarinetist who also wanted to play 20 cents sharp and said it was where his clarinet plays best. That is why I designed my little York CC cut with a long tuning slide (Whereas most people start cutting a tuba by making the tuning slide as short as they can.), so I can push in or out depending on the rank amateur band I am dealing with that week.
. . . .
That is my observation from a repairman and community bander's point of view on that subject.

I am such an older amateur who plays in community bands.

Last year I bought a used Willson 3050RZ CC (5/4, 5-rotary valves) which had been obtained new from a Switzerland dealer.

Allegedly, Europeans often tune to A=443. But in order to tune to A=440 with my vintage, amateur lips, I pull the main tuning slide out about 3 inches, which is dangerously near the end of its travel. I worry about the slide falling to the floor. I can't say for sure how this affects the horn's scale because this is my first pro instrument.

What would be the value of an optional, longer tuning slide? I've read a couple of posts where owners said that their horns had such a longer tuning slide, and I assume that it is not uncommon for European-origin horns to benefit from a longer slide when tuned to A=440.

I am looking for some challenging ideas and insights. Thanks for your input.

[windshieldbug]

Dean,
I've owned my Mirafone since the mid 70's. Although a California horn (and thus says "MiraFone), it was built to the high continental pitch. I've pulled it out to the end of the slide it's whole life. And never had a LICK of trouble (other than to remember to keep it out that far when putting it back in for storage). I was told the same things, but I used my horn at school, wind ensembles, orchestras, solos, and with the Symphony brass quintet without ever changing it.

Could have, but never felt the need. It's a long slide!

[Dean E]

I have heard that some European horns offer a longer tuning slide. However it doesn't seem that C tubas are as popular in Europe as over here, so I don't know how about the availabilty for your Willson.

Could be you could have replacement tubes made that are longer. Does it lookslike it could interfere with anything if it were noticeably longer?

Thanks Bob. There would be no interference whatsoever for a longer slide. Everything is in the clear.

And I could expect a factory-supplied, long slide within about a month.

I'm simply running the question by the freak jury before making a hasty, impulse purchase. I do like the idea of a longer slide.