Who Needs 4 Valves!!!

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tubatooter1940
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Re: Who Needs 4 Valves!!!

Post by tubatooter1940 »

The young man in the second video is playing a Russian tuba exactly like the one I bought in Vladivostok for $10.
I hate the horn and relegated it to a wall hanging but I must admit that if I got the thing really warmed up and got enough valve oil on those three clanky rotary valves, the thing gradually became quite playable.
After putting up with valve parts falling on the floor during a gig, I replaced it with a 1940 King Eb. Heavy horn but a good player.
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Norm in Bellevue
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Re: Who Needs 4 Valves!!!

Post by Norm in Bellevue »

Clayton Dungey is a student of Ryan Schultz. His mom is a pro violinist and fine pianist. Dad is a former public school music educator, trumpet and euphonium player. Dad and son play TubaChristmas together. But the scary musician in the family is younger sister, Natalie, a brilliant young trumpet player.

Sorry to disappoint you 3 valve fans. Word has it that Mom and Dad are buying a new CC tuba for Clayton.
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k001k47
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Re: Who Needs 4 Valves!!!

Post by k001k47 »

Norm in Bellevue wrote: buying a new CC tuba for Clayton
:?
djwesp
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Re: Who Needs 4 Valves!!!

Post by djwesp »

Chuck Jackson wrote:
St. Pete 3 valve EEb that gentleman from Russia was playing. It is junk, hands down, BUT it is a testament to the PLAYER that he sounds so good. BTW, I have owned that very same model, it is junk, it is now a fountain in my back yard.
Chuck"who's not surprised by the spin on this post"Jackson
Chuck,

In High School I had the wonderful opportunity to witness the performance of a premiere orchestra from The Russian Federation.

Their trip to the USA proved one thing to me. Good players can play on just about anything.

Most of the brass players were playing on equipment considered unsuitable for beginners in the states, and they played them EXTREMELY well.
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Re: Who Needs 4 Valves!!!

Post by Chuck Jackson »

djwesp wrote:Most of the brass players were playing on equipment considered unsuitable for beginners in the states, and they played them EXTREMELY well.
Indeed, thus my praise for him!!!! If the valves had worked on mine for more than a 1-2 minute time frame, maybe it would have been worth using, thus its place in my yard as a fountain.

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Lew
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Re: Who Needs 4 Valves!!!

Post by Lew »

This thread does seem to have a lot more discussion of the instruments in question rather than the players, but I suppose that was to be expected based on the subject assigned to it. Still, both of these players are to be commended for their musicianship. I know that I sure as heck couldn't have played that well at 12, I'm not sure I could even now.

I would add that my Conn 22J was one of the best playing and sounding horns I have owned including having great intonation. I only sold it because it got to be too much to lug that much weight around and my King 2341 played nearly as well for me. There have been many times that I have regreted selling it, but I can always look at a photo of it here:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~cderksen/Conn22J1934image.html" target="_blank
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TUbajohn20J
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Re: Who Needs 4 Valves!!!

Post by TUbajohn20J »

Lew wrote:..my Conn 22J was one of the best playing and sounding horns I have owned including having great intonation...There have been many times that I have regreted selling it, but I can always look at a photo of it here:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~cderksen/Conn22J1934image.html" target="_blank" target="_blank
I WANT THAT HORN!!!
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J.c. Sherman
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Re: Who Needs 4 Valves!!!

Post by J.c. Sherman »

TUbajohn20J wrote:
Lew wrote:..my Conn 22J was one of the best playing and sounding horns I have owned including having great intonation...There have been many times that I have regreted selling it, but I can always look at a photo of it here:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~cderksen/Conn22J1934image.html" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank
I WANT THAT HORN!!!
Oberlin College had one of these... no, you don't want one. It's the most out-of-tune BBb I can remember, and the only truly out-of-tune Conn I've played.

That said, I did play it for a few concerts where I wanted a Bell Front... but got carpel tunnel from whipping the 2nd slide all over the place! Sound was ... good.

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Principal Tuba, Firelands Symphony Orchestra
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Lew
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Re: Who Needs 4 Valves!!!

Post by Lew »

J.c. Sherman wrote:
TUbajohn20J wrote:
Lew wrote:..my Conn 22J was one of the best playing and sounding horns I have owned including having great intonation...There have been many times that I have regreted selling it, but I can always look at a photo of it here:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~cderksen/Conn22J1934image.html" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank
I WANT THAT HORN!!!
Oberlin College had one of these... no, you don't want one. It's the most out-of-tune BBb I can remember, and the only truly out-of-tune Conn I've played.

That said, I did play it for a few concerts where I wanted a Bell Front... but got carpel tunnel from whipping the 2nd slide all over the place! Sound was ... good.

J.c.S.
This sounds like a case of the way people play having a large impact on the intonation tendencies of a horn, the impact of mouthpiece selection, or wide variation in intonation tendencies among individual examples of this horn. I have owned two 20Js, two 21Js and the pictured 22J and the 22J had the best intonation of any of them for me. It had none of the flat third partial problems of the others, although that was only really bad on one of them, and was within 5-10 cents throughout my playing range. I used a Conn 2 mouthpiece that came with the horn. My 22J was purchased from a man whose parents bought it for him new when he was in High School in 1934. It even had the original purchase receipt in one of the cases. I did use the single tuning bit that came with it, as I did with all of the 2XJs I have owned. They were designed to be played with a bit, which not only helps with mouthpiece position but may have some impact on keeping intonation in line. I really was much more comfortable playing that horn than any of the top action versions that I have played, and would probably still have it if it wasn't so heavy to lug around and I hadn't found a King 1291 that I prefer for when I want a BAT.
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J.c. Sherman
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Re: Who Needs 4 Valves!!!

Post by J.c. Sherman »

I should have added "Your mileage may vary" :-)

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Principal Tuba, Firelands Symphony Orchestra
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