Stofer Custom CC Tuba, Updated 1/27

[Tom Coffey]

Some horns, like Mirafones and Yamahas, seem to run more consistent from horn to horn than others such as CB 50s. I have played several of the latter (though not side by side). I thought some were very responsive, and others were so-so.

[Dan Schultz]

Some horns, like Mirafones and Yamahas, seem to run more consistent from horn to horn than others such as CB 50s. .....

Although I have not had the opportunity to work on or play ANY CB 50 tubas, I've seen plenty of bad examples of others such as this Miraphone 186 bow ferrule that was never fully soldered on the bottom bow side. You can pretty much be assured that conditions like this will never leave Lee Stofer's shop (or mine, for that matter!)

[Lee Stofer]

I am also a fan of the new-style King 2341 and the Conn 56J, and when they are properly set-up, they play quite well. These instrument have at times been plagued with loose-fitting valves, which is very un-like the Getzen-made valves. I hand-lapped the valves - twice - on the prototype to get them running freely-enough to take to a rehearsal with confidence. These valves are closer to Yamaha tolerances than the typical King fitting. As far as the sizing, more than one company did use the same-sized valves. And, some of these ideas may have traveled along with F. A. Reynolds as he apprenticed at J.W. York & Sons as a valve-maker, was then hired by H.N. White, and eventually left to build some of his own instruments. In the parts I bought, there are two valvesets that look like the old B&M symphonic valvesets. Thomas Getzen told me that they had at one time considered outsourcing the valve production to Meinl-Weston, but it never happened.

Concerning the braces, the brace rod is the same size, but I have a zillion brace flanges and sockets from Getzen, different in shape from the King braces, and the jig to hold these things while I braze them together. In the case of a custom instrument order, I can assemble the tuba using any style or sort of bracing desired.

Although the King and Conn tubas are overall good designs, I have thought that the 5th valve design on the 5XJ could have been better. I'm pretty picky about 5th valves, requiring that they be comfortable to operate and really work well sonically, too. My plan has been to take this one step at a time, first developing a 4-valve instrument that is a winner, then figure out how to best add the 5th valve without it being a detriment to how it plays. The current idea is to make small cuts in the smaller branch tubing to allow for extra length in the main tuning slide area, and add a .770" 5th rotor just past the main tuning slide. As for Bloke's comments about the valve and linkage on the G-50, the rotor itself was a Meinl-Weston rotor, but the linkage was American-made. When I add the 5th valve, I can guarantee that there will be no black plastic radio-controlled airplane linkages used, and the design of the lever will be different, unless someone wishes specifically to order a replica of the G-50, in which case they can have the rotor-in-leadpipe, a Getzen-style linkage, and I'll fit it with miniball metal links. My main problem with the G-50 5th valve was not how it worked, but the fact that it was such a bear to get to the rotor casing to clean it, or to install the rotor.

Bloke is right, that there is probably not enough market demand for a large company to devote the necessary resources to manufacture York-like, 4/4-sized CC tubas, but I am only planning to make a few tubas to the highest standards, and see what happens.

[chhite]

I have another update from Lee, with pictures. He's headed out tomorrow for DC and spent all day today buffing and ragging to have it ready to show. The bell is different than the one initially posted, as it is engraved, but it maintains the same specs. Stop by his booth and give it a try.