6/4 recording tubas produce false tones even more easily and more solidly than regular 6/4 tubas (in my experience), so - as one of your tubas has three valves - that's the one to feature three.
... same goes with 5/4...Unlike most people who own old Besson tubas, I have both a 24-in recording belt and a 17 inch upright bell for my compensating Besson B-flat. The false tones are much easier with the recording bell offering the additional curve at the end of the instrument.
Wondering out loud… in text… I wonder if that bell-elbow-curve reflects the sound back in a bit allowing it to be pushed against resulting in better false tones?
Maybe we need a “Show us your bell front tuba” thread.
Okay, I found a mouthpiece combo this tuba really likes.
@bloke piece Symphony, with an Orchestra Grand Euro shank.
False tones... YEAH!!! This thing eats them up. I played it a bunch today, and pitch/response stability is MUCH better on this one than my original-ish condition 340.
Once that thing goes together with some care, I think I'll have some dangerous weaponry on my hands. Rebuilt valves, carefully soldered together, dent free, raw brass... Drool.
MiBrassFS wrote: Sun Feb 02, 2025 10:00 am
Wondering out loud… in text… I wonder if that bell-elbow-curve reflects the sound back in a bit allowing it to be pushed against resulting in better false tones?
Maybe we need a “Show us your bell front tuba” thread.
I had the mouthpipe moved for the sake of comfortability. Before, it was much too high, and just came straight off the bell, which meant that I literally had to turn the tuba to point almost sideways to (un)comfortably play it.
It actually hits between the old factory brace mark and the newer, higher, before location. Now, it fits me perfectly, the bell can be pointed straight ahead, and doesn't impede slide movement at all. I am one happy camper. It also looks less weird with this nicely re-bent pipe on it.
Guys, seriously, this is the BEST sounding tuba that I own. It's just amazing the quality and quantity of sound that it puts out. I'll record it sometime but that won't do it justice.
Really, all that's left to do is get the big dent out of the top bow, and the big one out of the bottom bow, and strip what's left of the finish off. I probably won't be doing that dent work for a L O N G time, as I'm more focused on my 345, and this one's just a big ol' ugly bell front that I'll use in the summer and for Tuba Xmas, but really, that's what gives it the cool factor, isn't it?
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