Why rotary F and piston CC?

Blake Dowling · Post by **Blake Dowling** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:11 pm

From what I've noticed rotary horns are always cheaper than piston regardless of key (save for a few exceptions)

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:37 pm

Neptune wrote:Why rotary F and piston CC?

Because bob1062 has neither!

Wyvern · Post by **Wyvern** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:37 pm

Blake Dowling wrote:From what I've noticed rotary horns are always cheaper than piston regardless of key (save for a few exceptions)

I have been told that rotary valves are quite a bit cheaper to make than pistons - I don't know why, but most manufacturers make their own rotary valves, while pistons are usually bought in from an external supplier. At least that was my understanding when visiting Meinl-Weston and Rudolf Meinl this year.

Blake Dowling · Post by **Blake Dowling** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 4:02 pm

That's my understanding as well. From what I've heard, most of the European tuba "makers" use B&S Piston Valves.

MaryAnn · Post by **MaryAnn** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 4:35 pm

skewer: a long pin used to secure or suspend food during cooking.

skewered: having had such along pin stuck through the item in question.

MA

Uncle Buck · Post by **Uncle Buck** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 5:06 pm

MaryAnn wrote:skewer: a long pin used to secure or suspend food during cooking.

skewered: having had such along pin stuck through the item in question.

MA

Considering that dictionary definition, I think the term makes a pretty damn good metaphor for the (crystal clear) concept Bob was trying to convey.

jonesbrass · Post by **jonesbrass** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 11:09 pm

Neptune wrote:
Blake Dowling wrote:From what I've noticed rotary horns are always cheaper than piston regardless of key (save for a few exceptions)
I have been told that rotary valves are quite a bit cheaper to make than pistons - I don't know why, but most manufacturers make their own rotary valves, while pistons are usually bought in from an external supplier. At least that was my understanding when visiting Meinl-Weston and Rudolf Meinl this year.

I believe this is the main contributing factor to the piston being more expensive than the rotor: using an external supplier. That and the "vogue" factor to know that you can charge americans more $$$ for a piston tuba, we americans being the primary market for those big piston CCs. Meinl-Weston was supplying the piston valvesets to Rudy Meinl back when I lived in Germany. At the time, the only other German manufacturer I was aware of that made their own pistons was Miraphone.
Funny that Amati/Cerveny's piston tubas are their "cheap" models . . .
Also, if rotors are so much cheaper to make, why is it that american manufacturers haven't jumped on the rotor bandwagon to save $$? I just don't buy that making rotors is any cheaper than making a piston. . .

Jack Tilbury · Post by **Jack Tilbury** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:13 am

It all boils down to what has been traditional in what country. Tubas made in the U.S. were always piston valved instruments. Before World War II these were mostly BBb and Eb tubas with some notable C tubas as well. After World War II the American manufacturers concentrated mostly on instruments for use in schools, so what we got from them in the 1950s were pretty much all BBb tubas. If you wanted an F tuba you had to look to Europe. Manufacturers in Germany and Eastern Europe have always made their tubas with rotary valves. Actually, by the 1960â€™s if an American wanted to buy any â€œprofessionalâ€