cutting Fat Bastard down to size (OK. I'm probably -??- done posting to this thread.)

[bloke]

pics

for sense of scale - how tall are you?

I used to be about 6' I", but - since I'm now old - I'm probably about 6' 1" wearing dress shoes.

[arpthark]

I am a short guy (5'6") with an even relatively-short torso, so FB would probably come down to my shins if I was holding it like that.

[Three Valves]

Just in case you haven't noticed, I'm REALLY old.
(Also, I'm older than I used to be.)

Boyish charm and adorable dimples go a long way in making up for it.

[bloke]

...along with a cleverly-executed comb-over

[Alebeard]

I love this tuba! All the tubing without the height!

[bloke]

This post is somewhat related to this thread:

viewtopic.php?t=5700

I looked through my box of Miraphone 21.2mm junk, and realized I could build this contraption (a replacement for the stock 5th valve slide - though which I've been playing really low pitches, until tonight) without buying anything...so (according to Mrs. bloke) beginning at 7:30 P.M. I begin building this from four or five of the factory 5th slide parts (two of which I chopped on) and perhaps nine or ten (??) things out of my box of junk.

Frankly, what took the most time was wiggling other assemblies apart to reuse them for this thing (and without burning myself), but I managed to get all that done...so here I am - two hours later, pictures already taken/cropped, typing about it on my laptop...

...and some of you are so presumptuous as to doubt that I can swap out a stock standard wrap F-attachment for a stock open-wrap two-rotor F/D-whatever assembly in two hours.



I cleaned it up pretty good, but not quite well enough to shoot clear on it tonight (plus, I needed to test it).

...so, a couple of the o.e.m. (VERY narrow - ALL THREE of the o.e.m. bows on the original 5th slide assembly being narrower than #2 slide) bows were beginning to show red rot (re: previous owner), so I probably would have eventually replaced them anyway.

I didn't like the fact that I had to pull it out so dang far for it's default position (BB-flat tuba: low E 523, low E-flat - 54, low D-flat - 5125, low B - all valves). What I have here is (nearly pushed all the way in, and it was a darn good guesstimate - if I do say so myself ) the optimum default position with the thing just about completely retracted...and (low C...?? whatever...??) there are about ten additional linear inches available (a lot, yes?) for extension.

Anyway...It's just fine, and - whether I run a trick left-hand ring finger triggerette over to the (very well-aligned) built-in mini-slide or whether I run a maxi-trigger all the way over to the upper #4 slide (which wasn't possible before, due to the o.e.m. #5 slide bows all being so compact that there wasn't room to fish anything through it) I now have options - neither of which necessitate installation of a 6th rotor.

The pictures are dark. @the elephant will be pleased that all of the slide tubing is nickel-brass.

bloke "fastest contraption-rigger and shiner-upper in the w̸e̸s̸t̸ mid-south."

[York-aholic]

That ought to work.

[JRaymo]

I don’t have the link but on the WWBW site the description on this tuba says you’ve reached the end of the rainbow you’ll never be back here except to buy valve oil. Also it says the instrument is pitched to 443hz. I always thought they were supposed to be 440.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bloke]

For me, it was pitched at about 438 or 4:l39 plus a little squeeze... but I've already remedied that.

[bloke]

This strategy may not end up being employed (??), but it looks like - if I put a little Bach trumpet style threaded retainer on the small secondary slide (again: the consequences of lining up stuff just right) - that I might be able to put a ring on top of one of those two upper bows and grab the entire assembly with my left hand - barely moving my left hand off the first slide - and manually (no trigger mechanism) pull the thing out for good intonation-length when playing double-low C. (Neither it's previous shape - nor how far out it sat in its previous default position - allowed for this.)

Remaining mini-projects on this instrument include:
- replacing two or three of the #4 circuit bows with new ones which are 80:20 brass (oncoming red rot on o.e.m. yellow brass bows, and I DO have the replacement bows here; they are the same as model 188 main tuning slide bows)
- replacing a couple more of the bent water keys (which Miraphone adapted - not particularly well, IMO - from their model 186/188 straight water keys) with large brass European-made (the type used on B&S/M-W) curved water keys for the #4 circuit (and #3 circuit - which currently has no water key).
- going back over the #4 circuit, and aligning the slide tubes a little bit better (possibly a can of worms, but not the first can of worms I've ever opened)
- replacing the #3 slide with a longer and better aligned one (again: as well as adding a water key to the #3 circuit).

[arpthark]

I don’t have the link but on the WWBW site the description on this tuba says you’ve reached the end of the rainbow you’ll never be back here except to buy valve oil. Also it says the instrument is pitched to 443hz. I always thought they were supposed to be 440.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

"Order one and sadly, we will never hear from you again except for valve oil. This is the end of the rainbow, the top of the mountain, the best of the best."



Somehow I don't think @bloke is going to be buying valve oil from WWBW.

[arpthark]

[contraption photos]

This sort of reminds me of how on my old PT-6, it came with a slide extender for the 5th valve to turn it from a flat whole step to a two-step combo. The extended slide faced downward behind the instrument and went all the way down to about the fourth valve.

(What happened to that tuba, @Doug?)

I don't suppose the geometry of your 98 will allow for that, if you ever got a yen for it?

[bloke]

I've changed my mind before, but I just can't imagine ever wanting that. After I croak, though, someone else may decide that they want something like that, but I don't know what purpose it would serve...(??)

Either of the two commonly encountered lengths of #5 circuits (and I suspect any others as well) leave one very low pitch badly out of tune - unless on-the-fly adjustments are made. Seemingly to a man, everyone who likes the older style longer 5th circuit only seem to like it because they are accustomed to it...
(Ironically, some of those same people are older, make a big deal about one or two pounds difference in the weight of a tuba, and the longer length actually adds noticeable weight.)

... but yes, such a contraption would fit down through the top of the instrument over the rotor action rods.

ONE OTHER THING:
If I set up this newly-configured #5 slide assembly with a pull ring to catch it with a left hand finger - and balance it's two slides so as the default position of the main assembly is out about an inch, that would leave some pushing-in room - so as the 2-3 low F sharp could be played with 1-5 (which would be an absolutely perfect length for that particular pitch...It's really nice - when playing depth charges at triple forte - to not have to do any lipping, yes?)

[bloke]

... I can't help but think about not owning a tuba in C - and wondering if I might obtain or build one in the future, but - the more I play this thing - the less I see a purpose for owning one in C.

[Doc]

I don’t have the link but on the WWBW site the description on this tuba says you’ve reached the end of the rainbow you’ll never be back here except to buy valve oil. Also it says the instrument is pitched to 443hz. I always thought they were supposed to be 440.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

443 tuning is common on German-made instruments and 442 is common on others, since much of the rest of the world doesn’t operate exclusively at 440. Just because the US uses 440, that doesn’t make it the world standard.

Manufacturers might make products for the US market that play 440, but that’s not always the case. My Hagen has two tuning slides to accommodate customers regardless where they live. Because I typically play low, I appreciate and use the short (443) slide. When playing it in British Brass Band at 442, I have to push that short slide in all the way. Even when I play my British style Eb (meant to be played at 442), I have to push in almost all the way in. This advantage to me might be a hindrance to others, but it is what it is.

[JRaymo]

I don’t have the link but on the WWBW site the description on this tuba says you’ve reached the end of the rainbow you’ll never be back here except to buy valve oil. Also it says the instrument is pitched to 443hz. I always thought they were supposed to be 440.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

443 tuning is common on German-made instruments and 442 is common on others, since much of the rest of the world doesn’t operate exclusively at 440. Just because the US uses 440, that doesn’t make it the world standard.

Manufacturers might make products for the US market that play 440, but that’s not always the case. My Hagen has two tuning slides to accommodate customers regardless where they live. Because I typically play low, I appreciate and use the short (443) slide. When playing it in British Brass Band at 442, I have to push that short slide in all the way. Even when I play my British style Eb (meant to be played at 442), I have to push in almost all the way in. This advantage to me might be a hindrance to others, but it is what it is.

Very good to know! Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bloke]

I seem to play lower than some folks as well, and my mouthpieces are not extremely deep, but they tend to play a bit lower than what a lot of people play ( as so many people seem to play something like a helleberg 2 or 30H type of thing, which tends to play higher... though another common school is the super-deep model "50" school)...
... but I would have to stick my neck out a little bit farther and say that someone would probably have to play in a fairly pinched manner to have picked up this particular instrument and played it at 443 - regardless of the temperature of the surroundings, unless perhaps up in the 90s Fahrenheit.

Before I altered the tuning slide, I was lucky to reach 440 with this room warmed up by the sun last fall to 79° or so.

[Doug]

[contraption photos]

This sort of reminds me of how on my old PT-6, it came with a slide extender for the 5th valve to turn it from a flat whole step to a two-step combo. The extended slide faced downward behind the instrument and went all the way down to about the fourth valve.

(What happened to that tuba, @Doug?)

I don't suppose the geometry of your 98 will allow for that, if you ever got a yen for it?

I sold it a few years ago. That was a really good PT6, but I was having some issues with the 5th valve being too high for my thumb, causing some hand pain.

[bloke]

another tribute to Wade - for when he's soldering outdoors in the wind:

I don't see how he does it. I have a little double element / double fan 220 wall heater that blows heat out from underneath my main work desk in my shop, and - when I'm sitting in front of my desk and soldering (where I prefer to solder, as opposed to my solder bench) - I cannot solder worth a crap when that thing is blowing on my flame.

I either need to move over in front of the bench's drawers - which block the air, or just turn the SOB off.

[bloke]

These are the o.e.m. tighter-@$$ed-than-the-#2-slide-bow bows that were previously components of the #5 slide assembly: