Flat 4th valve

[wonderbread403]

I'm playing on a Conn 5J CC made sometime in the 1950s. My valve combos involving the 4th valve are incredibly flat even with all the slides in. So a low G is turning into a F-sharp (very, very sharp).

Any thoughts? Should I be looking into cutting the slide?

David

[sloan]

I'm playing on a Conn 5J CC made sometime in the 1950s. My valve combos involving the 4th valve are incredibly flat even with all the slides in. So a low G is turning into a F-sharp (very, very sharp).

Any thoughts? Should I be looking into cutting the slide?

David

How does that low G sound played 1-3?

[wonderbread403]

1-3 G is in tune, actually.

[sloan]

1-3 G is in tune, actually.

Can you pull 4 so that it's an in-tune F# (perhaps even a slightly flat F#)?

If so...alternate fingerings are your friends...I guess...just a suggestion.

You *might* find that you get more notes with this "F# 4th" than with an "G 4th"

I suppose it's too much to hope for an in-tune 1-2-3 F#

[Kevin Hendrick]

1-3 G is in tune, actually.

How's the F (1-4)?

[EdFirth]

Dave Gannett [tuba gear] played on one of those and referred to the fourth valve as an octave key . Gb 2+4 , F 1+4 , E 3+4 , and so on . D and G below the staff tunable 1 +3 using the first slide to tweak them . Chris Olka told me that Warren Deck tuned his horns that way too and I tuned my Kings like that for years . I thought it made the low end blow more open . But you can always find a placr to trim down a slide if you don't like that tuning . I think your horn is actually a 2J , 5J's are Bbs . Ed

[imperialbari]

The OP reminds me about a report on how Harvey Philips set up a 4 piston CC to get more notes available in the range above the open pedal note.

Klaus

[windshieldbug]

Dave Gannett [tuba gear] played on one of those and referred to the fourth valve as an octave key... Chris Olka told me that Warren Deck tuned his horns that way too and I tuned my Kings like that for years I thought it made the low end blow more open.

I do also, and have all my contrabasses tuned that way. Try it before you change it.

[wonderbread403]

Haha, thanks for the suggestions and thank you very much for the avatar!

So here's my solution: I'll use the 4th valve for a very in-tune low F (1-4) and a very in-tune E (3-4). Low E-flat (2-3-4) is a little sharp though.

About this horn...1-2-3 and 1-3 combos are in-tune. So I don't bother using 2-4 and 4 very much either.

Curious note about this horn. My dad bought this horn from a private dealer back when I was in high school--around 1999. The etching on the bell says Conn 5J, but it's a CC horn. It looks exactly a 2J, though. Serial number starts with 754, so it was produced in 1958, I believe.

[EdFirth]

If the serial number dates it to 58' and you bought it in 99' it could be that the bell got toasted and was replaced with a 5J bell . I don't think 5J's went into production until the late 60's-early 70's when they replaced 4J's [BBb] and the 3J's replaced the 2J's [CC] .They are great small tubas .Ed

[Rick Denney]

If the serial number dates it to 58' and you bought it in 99' it could be that the bell got toasted and was replaced with a 5J bell . I don't think 5J's went into production until the late 60's-early 70's when they replaced 4J's [BBb] and the 3J's replaced the 2J's [CC] .They are great small tubas .Ed

I have seen at least two examples of 5J C tubas, one from a fellow who showed up to a TC event within the last half-dozen years. He bought it new, and was rather proud of its rarity. But they did exist.

Rick "thinking the in-tune 1-3 and 1-2-3 combinations tell the tale" Denney

[EdFirth]

Wow you learn something nwe every day .Ed