New St.Pete piston valve tubas

[Lectron]

Anyone tried them out?

[UrbaneScorpion]

Is that a thumb rotor I see?

[Lectron]

From their website stpetetuba.com it ssems to be a 19-20mm valveset with a 21mm 5th rotor

Would be cool to see that 5th on the BBb as well. At least in BrassBand settings theres a lot chromatic stuff going all the way down to BBb

http://www.stpetetuba.com/images/flyers/210flyer.PDF

[Art Hovey]

There seems to be an awful lot of cylindrical tubing downwind from the valve section on the BBb; enough to accomodate an ascending-whole-step fifth valve.

[Lectron]

There seems to be an awful lot of cylindrical tubing downwind from the valve section on the BBb; enough to accomodate an ascending-whole-step fifth valve.

I believe it's tapered. The MTS looks a whole lot fatter than 20mm. But never the less. A different wrapping
(and better looking?) could add a 21mm rotor with ease, given the exhaust of the 4th valve is claimed to be 20mm

[Rick Denney]

It looks to me like a rotary tuba into which someone has grafted piston valves, with a minimum of changes either to the leadpipe, the (horizontal?!) main slide, or anything else.

Rick "smelling a price-point decision" Denney

[Cameron Gates]

You're seeing this all from ONE picture?

I agree with The Elephant, at least on the horn with the rotor. Things look lopsided. My main gripe is the span of that 3rd slide crook. Just a feeling that thing will rock back and forth a lot when pulled. Probably has 1/2 inch of pull too.

Although it is nice to see them build something that is not a direct ripoff of another horn. Way to go Comrade.

[Lectron]

You're not?



Look at the various long tubes. This is not a camera angle thing. When that occurs in a photo like this, usually all the slides expand or contract the same way. This baby has things leaning right, left, all over. Look at all the tubes and compare them to one another.

I'm afraid I have to support that view. The leadpipe also has some awkward routing. Maybe also a tad long on both
given they have gone down in bore. Their rotor ones has ~20%+ higher cross section area.

The BBb looks better from the pics, but could defiantly have the valveset more 'integrated' in the horn.
And there is that MTS....

It looks to me like a rotary tuba into which someone has grafted piston valves, with a minimum of changes either to the leadpipe, the (horizontal?!) main slide, or anything else.

Rick "smelling a price-point decision" Denney

Probably not far from the point, and that is not a bad thing thou more should have been done.
Adding an extra main loop on the BBb on back of the valveset (or something) would make it look better
and still open up for a hypothetical 5th valve.

I do in fact (among other instruments) play a St.Pete 202 5V rotary, being my only BBb tuba
It both looks and plays very nice. I believe these guys could (will?) sort it out.

[kingconn]

BBb horn plays great! The valves fit nicely into the casings and are very smooth and use yamaha type guides. Valves are placed a little too low on the horn and the leadpipe wraps around a little too much for me but BBb players should definitely check it out.