New B&S website

[Wyvern]

Just found that the B&S website has been completely updated
http://www.ja-musik.de/index.php?id=3&L=1" target="_blank

Interesting some of the OPTIONS given such as a silver plated Neptune (never seen one!), main tubing slide triggers on many models, strap rings on a PT-6 (would not fancy marching with that!) and exchangeable 2nd leadpipe for PT-20 (I wonder how that would change the tone?).

Nice to see the PT-3 returned to the catalogue

One can also subscribe to free newsletter which might be interesting?

[iiipopes]

Hmm. What about this new Culbertson model, the "Vulcano"? It looks like the 6th valve rotor is dependent on the 5th valve rotor. I've never seen a configuration like that before. I've seen the 5th valve rotor dependent on the 4th valve on a CC here and there, but not like this. I thought the whole point of a 6-valve F was to have all sorts of alternate fingerings available to aid intonation and technical passages, wherever, especially low, but to have the 6th dependent on the 5th seems to take some of the fun out of it.

[Rick Denney]

Seems like a number of their prior and most famous F-tuba offerings are not shown in the product list, including the 3100, or even the 3100JBL that they show on their home page. I don't see the PT-8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, or 16.

Rick "huh?" Denney

[Wyvern]

Seems like a number of their prior and most famous F-tuba offerings are not shown in the product list, including the 3100, or even the 3100JBL that they show on their home page. I don't see the PT-8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, or 16.

Rick "huh?" Denney

The PT-11 is illustrated. The 3100 J-L is actually shown as a variation on the 3099 J-L - click the tab underneath. 5099 is the PT-15, and is not the 3099/1L the PT-10 (?) but I don't know what has happened to the PT-8, PT-9, or PT-12

Jonathan "who thinks B&S F tuba model numbers are over complicated"

[bort]

The PT-17 is so huge, it has assimilated all of those other pesky F tuba models.

But really, that's a big F tuba. Has anyone tried one?

[Rick Denney]

If you are not now and likely will not in the future be in the market for a brand-new F tuba, is this a concern?

If I spend all my time talking up a particular variation on the B&S product line, and they don't offer anything with those basic dimensions, then I might as well be talking up the value of my own tuba. Except that it's not for sale.

The standard 3100, of which I've seen only one in this country (and it's sitting in my living room), has the fully graduated bore with the smaller 1st, 5th and 6th valve tubing. It was a viable modern alternative to a Symphonie. "PT-9" was the Perantucci number assigned to it, at least in theory.

I'll have to go study it some more when I get back to a fast internet connection.

Rick "wishing B&S would rationalize their numbering system" Denney

[Peach]

Hmm. What about this new Culbertson model, the "Vulcano"? It looks like the 6th valve rotor is dependent on the 5th valve rotor. I've never seen a configuration like that before. I've seen the 5th valve rotor dependent on the 4th valve on a CC here and there, but not like this. I thought the whole point of a 6-valve F was to have all sorts of alternate fingerings available to aid intonation and technical passages, wherever, especially low, but to have the 6th dependent on the 5th seems to take some of the fun out of it.

Doesn't look like a dependent system from where I'm looking.
Both 5th & 6th seem to follow the main bugle after the pistons - are we loking at the same picture?

I'm possibly entirely mistaken!
Either way, that's a BAFT.
MP

[Rick Denney]

The 3100 J-L is actually shown as a variation on the 3099 J-L - click the tab underneath.

That still has the 19-21 mm graduated bore instead of 17-21mm as with the Symphonie and PT-9. Those letters apparently mean a lot, not that the meaning is explained.

If they are still offering the instrument with the 17mm bore for the 5th valve, they are hiding that light under a bushel.

Rick "assuming they don't really want to make them" Denney

[Wyvern]

If they are still offering the instrument with the 17mm bore for the 5th valve, they are hiding that light under a bushel.

Maybe they are rationalising production lines and do not want to make what is essentially a non-standard size valve set?

[cjk]

If they are still offering the instrument with the 17mm bore for the 5th valve, they are hiding that light under a bushel.

Maybe they are rationalising production lines and do not want to make what is essentially a non-standard size valve set?

The 3100 J-L is actually shown as a variation on the 3099 J-L - click the tab underneath.

That still has the 19-21 mm graduated bore instead of 17-21mm as with the Symphonie and PT-9. Those letters apparently mean a lot, not that the meaning is explained.

If they are still offering the instrument with the 17mm bore for the 5th valve, they are hiding that light under a bushel.

Rick "assuming they don't really want to make them" Denney

Just because it's on the Internet doesn't make it true. I think you guys are offering "engineering" answers to something a bit more obvious.

It's most likely the webmaster has just made an error here. It's quite unlikely that he or she is a tuba expert.

The pic of the JBL (3099/1/WGJ-L) looks just like a PT10. I believe the JBL instruments have different looking leadpipe and fifth valve setup.

While I do see a PT-11, I don't see the PT-10 at all, but maybe I missed it. I would have figured it to be a variation of the PT-11 or vice versa.

web people make errors all the time (I already told Roger and he's trying to get it fixed):
http://www.wwbw.com/Meinl-Weston-6460S- ... 36788.wwbw" target="_blank

While the new website B&S is pretty, the tubas are certainly not organized the way I would. For example, the CC tubas are divided up based on valve type, piston and rotary. However, there are only two piston tubas listed. The PT6p is listed as a variation of the PT6 under the rotary section.

What I find kinda neat is the picture below under F tuba model 3099/1-L. The fifth valve is left thumb operated like older Symphonie F tubas. It also has the older B&S linkage. However, all the valves spin the same way and the bell has no krantz, so it's obviously not an old Symphonie.

[samulirask]

Hmm. What about this new Culbertson model, the "Vulcano"?

Has anybody even seen one? Might be a good tuba - practically this could be like the big Apollo model F-tuba with piston valves. If the response is good in the "low C"-register, then this tuba could be a competitor for tubas like Yamaha 8-something F (the bigger one).

It seems they´ve been developing also the rotary model Culbertson F. Earlier its bell size was 48 cm (is that taken from the Besson Eb tubas?), but now it is 45 cm. I own the older Mel Culbertson model, and love the sound and the response in most registers, but the intonation is... interesting - but manageable. If they have made the weak spots better in these models, they could be very good tubas. But as I said in the beginning of this post, has anybody even seen those instruments elsewhere than in pictures?