...but I hooked up my salvage parts (which greatly resemble some c. 1920 low-pitch/high-pitch alternatives loop-the-loop rig) on FatBastard again - dropping it to an A♮ tuba.
I only played through one excerpt (no contest sonatas nor concerti
) a few times.It was "Ride" (which I probably haven't visited in at least a year).
This alteration delivers C-major (B-flat tuba) button-mashing or (for you C peeps) D-major button-mashing.
Obviously the circuit lengths (normal positions) are set for B-flat, but (without repositioning all the slides) I found that I could use fourth valve for B-natural (rather than my customary - B-flat tuba - 1&3 for C) and using 4th valve (which is normally pulled a bit to favor 2&4 for B-natural) added enough length to give me an in-tune (4th valve alone) B-natural.
It's a pretty nice instrument for that excerpt, and BETTER THAN (at least in my experience, and with this instrument with its tuning characteristics) than when I lengthened my formerly-owned C instrument (lowering it to a B-natural instrument) to blow this same excerpt in the "open/home" key.
As far as non-screwed-with instruments, the last two times I played "Ride" in a performance, it played it on the C and - the subsequent time - on this B-flat...it's easier (and easier to play in-tune) on this B-flat instrument...and (ok...) possibly even easier to play in tune on the A-natural version of this instrument.
The low E (4th valve alone - which responds well with this instrument which is the size of a Holton 345, except with an .835" bore) - is a great "cheat" on A-tuba, as well, and speeds up the response of that 16th note pitch as well (allowing it to be heard - with less work - with more clarity, at least when I'm playing it)...
...so what does this have with you - who are (surely, by now) rolling your eyes?
Maybe you don't have chunks of leftover tubing or little tight-turn 21.2mm bows laying around...but (otherwise) maybe - generally - "Think (and do) outside the box" simply to see what happens.
It's not even soldered together (and - were it a permanent accessory - the ends don't even hit simultaneously)...just crap pulled out of a box.
