Removing a Fifth Valve

[toobagrowl]

A 'couple more inches'? As in 2-4 more inches?

LJV is right. No.

*burps* What did you say?

[Rick Denney]

If we go by by that standard, then there is little to no true cylindrical tubing in most rotary tubas except in the valve slides.

You got it! Yay! (Except for the legs of the main tuning slide, of course, and sometimes the whole tuning slide, as with the Miraphone 186.)

There are exceptions to any set of samples, but that doesn't necessarily lessen the accuracy of the characterization of those samples, or the accuracy with which they represent the population.

And, yes, I own both. Furthermore, I've measured them.

http://www.rickdenney.com/york_vs_miraphone.htm" target="_blank

(By the way, Joe's comment on the topic is important. He is saying that the higher the pitch of the tuba, the more valves one needs to play a given set of notes, particularly low notes, in tune. It's hard to play a low F on a C tuba with four valves, and that is a common note. It's easy to play on a four-valve Bb tuba. It's easy on an F tuba, too, but the Gb right above it may require five valves on that F tuba, and still be out of tune. But it only takes two on a contrabass. It's also a common note. Many who have five valves on Bb tubas say they'd struggle to play low stuff in tune without them.)

Rick "whose leadpipes are all tapered throughout their length" Denney

[MartyNeilan]

I own both rotary and piston tubas, do you?

I had Bloke remove ALL my valves. My tuba now plays with perfect response and perfectly in tune on one note.

[J.c. Sherman]

Same thing happened to me when i took the 5th off my 52j

That was supposed to be a factory option... we all with Conn 5Xj tubas had a screw attachement, but it never came to be. In the end, I liked having the 235 Dbs anyway.

However, I've played many Miraphone 184 CCs. I've owned two. The only 5 valver I played which was any competition to my current 4 valver was one bloke modified with a design not braced the body. It's great.

But I no longer own the 5 valver and much prefer my 4 valver. Granted, I'm not a huge fan of pulling 4 for Db, but I can lip it down usually. Otherwise this is a definite improvement. Other instruments seam to work well with only 4 valves, but non-comp basses need a 5th for the low end.