Front action Compensating Valves?

[Triggerfish]

Does anyone know of such a tuba that might exist, I am interested in compensating valves and how they add tubing to correct naturally sharp notes like the B natural on BBb tuba, but i don't like top action or piston valve tubas. Now i'm wondering does anyone know of a manufacturer has ever attempted to create a compensating rotary valve tuba, because in theory it would just be the same tubing situation as on a double horn.

[michael_glenn]

Hirsbrunner made a three valve compensating BBb.

[ajtuba]

Besson made both an Eb and a BBb with 4 front action compensating piston valves. I believe they still make the Eb. I don't think the BBb is produced anymore. I used to own one of the Eb's. It was model number BE-983. It was a fantastic playing instrument. I believe the BBb was model number BE-993.

Andy T.

[Michael Bush]

Like this?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Besson-Sovereig ... et="_blank

[oedipoes]

Tried a besson 993 once, would never want one...
ergonomics is even worse than on a 994, go figure...

[Patrase]

I would like such a Bb tuba, with four rotax (compensating) double valves, with the left hand operating the 4th valve. Ideally hollow valves so they are nice and light to move quickly.

Any manufacturers reading this post please note there might be two (2) buyers of this tuba, myself and the OP, although with different operations for the 4 th valve. Hope that's enough motivation to put it into production.

[Matt Walters]

Patrase & Triggerfish,
Wilt Chamberlain was always being asked if he could jump up and reach one spot or another. He started saying "Put a $50 bill there and we'll see."
I am curious. How much will you would pay for this custom built 4 valve compensating rotor BBb tuba? Keep in mind the odds of this turning out to be a Red Violin are infinitesimal. But if you offer enough money up front, you might get someone (Not likely to be me. I have more personal projects than I can do before I drop dead.) to take you up on your project tuba.
I am serious about wanting to know how much would you pay for such a tuba? I'm curious.

About 30 years ago I wanted a new bell for my Holton 345 BBb tuba. When the going price for a new tuba bell was about $300, I told the shop foreman I would be willing to pay $1000 for the Holton 345 bell. I must have stood tall enough because he thought about it for 1 minute before saying, "No....., I am not interested. I can't make French horns fast enough and we'd loose money not making French horns while digging out the mandrel, setting up the lathe, the shop hours involved spinning a couple bells just to have one good one for you, plus the shop time cleaning up and putting the mandrel back in storage. $1000 is a lot of money for the bell but we will loose more than that making it for you." Heartbroken, I understood and more so with experience. A more than fair price is not always profitable.

[Patrase]

I am but a mere accountant, that's why I was trying to joke that there are only two people interested in such a device and even we probably have different wants, so the tooling and other costs would never be recouped by why I could afford to pay. I know, given my current financial position that I could not afford to pay what it would cost (including opportunity cost) for someone to be motivated to make such a tuba and still pay my mortgage and not have my wife divorce me!

But I will go ahead and name a figure - if I had a heap of cash I would happily pay $30k or more for such a tuba as I know it would be a one off. But responsibilities prevent me from doing so

If you do find yourself in a position to make one I would like it to be 5/4, 3+1 layout, trigger on first, designed so that all the water drains to one spot, a remote for the water key setup so I don't need to tilt the tuba to drain it and excellent intonation, preferably with same pitch tendencies as the other Bb players Besson 994, so we are naturally in tune with each other.

[TheBerlinerTuba]

Dear Triggerfish and Patrase,

http://www.gronitztuba.de/index.php?id=16

I believe the price is somewhere between 18-20K+ Euros.

I once had a 1970s Gronitz prototype F/CC tuba in my workshop. While most double tubas tend to be a "work in progress" this particular tuba was an excellent F tuba with a CC tuba low range.

In terms of parts and labor it would cost me approximately 20K Euros to build a similar tuba.

Best Regards,
TheBerlinerTuba

[humBell]

Thanks for this thread, as it sparks my imagination.

I think i successfully traced out pathway for the 1970's prototype. (to confirm, i believe the third and first valves' upper and lower pathways are perpendicular to each other, while for the second valve rotor they are parallel.) I like the linkages going to both valves from the 4th key. I have not really tried to trace those of the new Gronitz from the picture, nor have i sorted out the Besson path from the ebay pictures, but it seems like a fun logic puzzle for the future.

I'm certainly curious/interested in compensation, but i've got plenty to learn about more ordinary tubas to keep me busy for a while, so the curiosity/interest will only be indulged in the imagination for the time being...