What Kind of valves do you prefer?

[Matt G]

I prefer working valves...

All others are the same.

[Chen]

In my own experience, I have had far less trouble with rotary valves.

[Rick Denney]

which kind of valves do you like the best on a euph/tuba?

The kind that come on the tubas that I like.

They aren't the same, but the differences pale in comparison to other more important issues, like sound and intonation.

There are ramifications to using a particular kind of valve in the way the rest of the instrument is designed. But instruments designed around those ramifications take that into account. Thus, an instrument designed around rotary valves that has piston valves grafted onto it might not be as good, because the design is not as worked out with the piston valves. And vice versa. But that is a theoretical issue--an instrument succeeds or fails on its own merits, with the valves that come with it.

From a maintenance point of view, once I learned how to manage piston valves (and I learned with extremely tight Yamaha valves), I don't find that they are any less reliable than rotary valves. Rotary valves don't require as much day-to-day maintenance, but when they do require maintenance it's a much bigger job. And a rotary valve that sticks is mighty hard to fix during the third-movement tacet. I think piston valves are more durable in schools, but it took me a while to come around that point of view.

From the standpoint of technique, pistons are lighter but have a longer stroke (and part of the reason they are lighter is because they have a longer stroke). I find my technique is about equally limited on both types of valves.

Rick "who has both" Denney

[Paul S]

I prefer working valves...
All others are the same.

I think the above answer is the correct one for many.

I have owned both types over the decades and when I was most recently shopping for a new horn considered rotors equally with pistons when intonation, ergonomics and "sound" was the same.

I think a good number of us use both types on the same horn with little thought and few complaints as well. Both of my horns have both a rotor and pistons. It really was not even on my mind at all when I made my final choice.

Choose a horn that makes the sound that is in you come out best and and you will not worry about what the brand, coolness factor, or type of valves are.

[ai698]

Don't think this is as being crass, but when I try a horn, I play the horn not the valves. As long as they work and the horn plays great, it doesn't matter to me.

Here's a thought, I traded my Yamaha 321 Eb for a Weril CC because the upright valves made my hand cramp. Some people sell a tuba with the "big valves" because of comfort, or lack there of.

Another thought, I have never had to stop playing in a middle of a concert to fix my valves on my Rudolf Meinl, but had to on my Yamaha.

[Dan Schultz]

I think the round ones work the best

[Ames0325]

at this point in time I prefer rotary valves but I think it may have somthing to do with the fact all the piston tubas I've played had terrible valves with little pressure lots of leaks and lots of slop an d stuck on a regular basis despite being well oiled. On the oter had most if not all the rotary tubas I have played on are in good to excellent condition and so the valves work well. Pistons in equally good condition might be fine.

[Uncle Buck]

It seems like all the responses so far relate to tubas, not euphoniums. With tubas, I agree that the type of valve does not make a significant difference.

However, I think the post and poll was originated by a euphonium player. I think it is safe to say that there are not many (I really think it is correct to say "not any", but I always want to be careful) good quality euphoniums being manufactured with rotary valves.

[Rick Denney]

It seems like all the responses so far relate to tubas, not euphoniums.

There are good rotary euphoniums, but they differ so much from piston euphoniums in all aspects of their design that they can't really be compared.

Euphonium bores are much larger with respect to the bugle length than with tubas. Thus, the valve block takes up more of that length. Rotary valves take up more space than do piston valves, and because the blocks are a bigger proportion of the bugle, the difference will be bigger, too. Thus, rotary euphoniums are designed very differently from piston euphoniums.

But there are good ones. Miraphone made an excellent straight-bell kaiser-baryton with a largish bore and a 12" bell. The Alexander 151 is still a highly regarded "tenor tuba" for orchestra use, and it's a little bigger than the Miraphone. In Germany, the oval euphoniums are more common than the British style, and their music sounds good, too. These beasties are so different from top-action piston euphoniums, though, that their differences could not be attributed just to the valves.

Rick "who would love to have a really good, big rotary euphonium, but who won't pay what they cost" Denney

[Mark E. Chachich]

...any valves that don't make me think about "the valves" -

In my opinion, Bloke is right on the money!

Mark

[TubaRay]

...any valves that don't make me think about "the valves" -

In my opinion, Bloke is right on the money!

Mark

No doubt!!!

[Kevin Hendrick]

I prefer rotary because many of the piston horns have such a long throw and the buttons are so far apart, my hand gets contorted into uncomfortable positions. The MW 45 SLP F? Forget it!

Little Hands

Rose, it's not just "little hands" that have that problem -- arthritic hands (of any size) have the same problem. The "pain factor" is a major consideration for some of us. I'm just glad there's still a good selection of rotary-valve tubas in production (and some interesting ones on the way)!

Kevin

[Getzeng50s]

I Prefer the ones on my tuba! if i had other ones, I would probably have em.? ehh i like talking out my bumm sometimes. im a wierdo. go ahead, try and figure me out.

[Kevin Hendrick]

... ehh i like talking out my bumm sometimes.

Ah, so you're human! We all do that from time to time (some of us more than others )

... im a wierdo ...

Did you ever look at a bell curve, and notice what a small percentage of the area under the curve lies exactly on the centerline (i.e. "normal")? Statistically, "normal" is precisely what most folks aren't ... the vast (well, maybe half-vast ) majority of people are a bit odd in some way, and we still get along OK.

[Getzeng50s]

haha im a littlr more so out of the normal.. people hang out with me sometiumes just to observe me in action. its fun! i love attention and making people think