Eb to F Conversion

[Tigerreydelaselva]

Hello:
How are you?
i'll probably have a Rampone & Cazzani 3-valved Eb tuba and i have intention to convert it on a 6-valved rotary F tuba (because originally is rotary valved), i chose this horn because i have used it for 5 years in a youth band, this instrument belongs to the police band, i want exchange it with a sousaphone tha i owned 2 years ago. What do you recomend for me?. Thanks.

[Tigerreydelaselva]

I think it would be cheaper than buying a new B&S 3100 JBL, i'll acknowledge you if you can help me about who can do this work, someone who has a lot of experience on rotary horns.

[k001k47]

[Frank Ortega]

The first F tuba that I owned was one of two Yamaha 321 Eb's cut down by Schilke. I believe this was the prototype that ended up being the 822 or possibly even the 621.
I bought it from an Army Tuba player in the DC area. It had four Top action valves and a side 5th piston. It had the best sound and response of any F tuba I've played. The intonation was abit quirky.
Scott Mendoker and I swaped horns and bought it back from one another a few times, but now resides with Josh Mandel, a fine tuba player in the Westchester area. The reason I couldn't use it was that the cut put the valves too high in relationship to the top bow. This eventually gave me a bad case of carple tunnel. I used this on my Masters recital at SFCM and remember playing the Broughton rather nicely on it. Scott used it at the Army Conference one year to play the David Sampson piece that was written for him. He may have even recorded with it. He sounded wonderful! Of course, Scott could play a shoe horn and make it sound good.

My other cut F tuba was a 3/4 Worchester Conn that was marvelous, except for a few intonation quirks. Here's a pic:



Scott owned this one too, and recorded Holsinger's "Kansas City Dances" on it.
Great recording on a cd dedicated to Holsinger's music.

[iiipopes]

Note the compensator loop between 2nd and 3rd.

Actually, the loop in the photo is just a pass through loop as part of the overall plumbing. The loops you are referring to are on the back side of the valve block, which are the actual loops that add the compensated length of tubing. #1 & #2 are fixed, and cannot be cut down to intonate properly in F and #3 is usually adjustable, but again, would be very difficult to cut down.

[iiipopes]

Regardless, that is pretty much what I said in my post -- six years ago...

Indeed. Thanks. Cheers!

[J.c. Sherman]

1) Monster or Giant Ebs cut to $#!+. They end up with a very, very bad case of "German F Tuba" syndrome in the lower register.

2) You "could" cut the compensating slides of an Imperial Eb, but you'd end up with a small bell diameter version of the recent Besson F... which basically an unplayable monstrosity of a tuba.

3) I'd argue that a Besson Imperial/Sovereign/etc. is a 4-5/4 Eb. It's quite as big at any measurement from the leadpipe on as many 4/4 BBbs... it's just "cut short" from continuing to giganticness.

Look for and Eb of moderate to small size with the tuning slide before the valve section. Those often make very successful cuts. Been there, done that, had fun, enjoyed and then sold the results, except for one tiny 3 valver which I keep in case someone won't allow ophicleide or Euph for and ophi-part. It's actually an outstanding "American Standard".