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There is currently a classified ad that describes a certain tuba as being "fully compensated." Is there a difference between a compensated tuba and a fully compensated tuba?

Hup

No,

The use of the word, “fully“ means nothing technically - that I know of.

Someone could make up or invent a technical use of that word, such as “compensating loops vs. - simply - four valves“ or “four valve compensating vs. three valve compensating“ but neither of those definitions are currently down in the books.

When I sell compensating instruments, I enjoy being fully compensated.

In the 80s everything was, like, "totally" compensated.

bloke wrote: ↑Thu Dec 31, 2020 8:32 am
When I sell compensating instruments, I enjoy being fully compensated.

No, in fact the Blaikley compensating systems are only partial. The 3 valve system compensates only for combinations with the 3rd valve, the 4 valve system compensates only for combinations with the 4th valve. So on a compensating Eb tuba, F# and B - 2nd and 3rd valves - would benefit from compensation on a 3 valve system, but not on a 4 valve.

donn wrote: ↑Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:03 am No, in fact the Blaikley compensating systems are only partial. The 3 valve system compensates only for combinations with the 3rd valve, the 4 valve system compensates only for combinations with the 4th valve. So on a compensating Eb tuba, F# and B - 2nd and 3rd valves - would benefit from compensation on a 3 valve system, but not on a 4 valve.

Yes. This has occurred to me as well.

My own 3+1 compensating instruments feature longer-than-o.e.m. compensating #3 slides, to partially smooth over this shortcoming in that version of the Blaikley system.

Even if a system WERE "fully compensating", would that be in Pure, Just or Well-Tempered intonation?

windshieldbug wrote: ↑Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:24 am Even if a system WERE "fully compensating", would that be in Pure, Just or Well-Tempered intonation?

I only own extra-loud and brash-sounding tubas, because I prefer to emit mean tones.

What do we want??

Full compensation!!

When do we want it??

NOW!!

If you were only half compensated, perhaps you should call your local police department (assuming they haven’t been burned down).

I demand recompensations !

windshieldbug wrote: ↑Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:24 am Even if a system WERE "fully compensating", would that be in Pure, Just or Well-Tempered intonation?

Some of us play with Impure, Unjustifiable, and Ill-Tempered intonation.

GC wrote: ↑Thu Dec 31, 2020 2:40 pm Some of us play with Impure, Unjustifiable, and Ill-Tempered intonation.

I would reply to this thread, but I think I would just be "compensating"

tubanews wrote: ↑Thu Dec 31, 2020 8:32 pm I would reply to this thread, but I think I would just be "compensating"

Thank you for resisting the temptation to reply.

I read that in the same sense as "pregnant" as opposed to "sorta pregnant."

Reminds me of French Horn land. There are Full Double Horns and Compensating Double Horns. I wonder if some of that language bled over.

Full double horns keep the B-flat and F horns’ valve circuits completely separate.
Compensating double horns feature all the same fingerings, but add enough to the B-flat horns’ circuits to accomplish the F horn circuits...
...so, when playing F horn pitches with valves depressed, a player is blowing through both circuits activated by any of those valves.
Compensating double horns tend to weigh less, because they feature a bit less tubing, but they also have a (general...and I’m sure this varies by make) reputation for playing stuffy on the F side, as well as out-of-tune on the F side.
I’m not-at-all attempting to educate/school/inform the person who posted before me, but there might be a few people who have never heard about “compensating double“ French horns (as they have become more and more uncommon, over the years)…thus the explanation.

As a comparison, I am fairly certain that I remember that Tommy Johnson’s Yamaha tuba - which was converted from an F tuba to a double F/C tuba – used a “compensating double“ system, and not a “full double“ system...

...and - though they are almost never thought of in this way (nor all-that-much used in this way, with the F “side“ nearly completely reserved for low pitches) - four valve compensating euphoniums are actually “compensating double“ B-flat/F euphoniums.

Hmmm. In the french horn context, I always thought a "compensating" french horn was a single horn with a 4th valve to help the low range, much as a 5-valve tuba has either the 2+3 or long-whole-tone 5th valve setup to help with the low range. Hmmm.