Kurath — Am I Finallyl Finished?

[the elephant]

NO!

HAHAHA!!!

Okay, so what more could I possibly want to do to this poor tuba?

• Since I am pretty certain where the slides have to go to play this horn effectively, I can now adjust the outer tubes of slides 2 and 6. They are still super short. The inner slides are cut correctly now, and things just look odd as they are. Do I *need* to do this? No. Will I do this? Yes. Probably. Maybe. Eventually.

• The leadpipe mounting hardware (at the receiver end) is off by about a millimeter, so it has to be flexed just a bit to screw it down. Leadpipe tension bad. Mongo fix.

• All that "cleanup" about which I keep complaining? Yeah, I've not even started that hated process, and I need to get it done.

• I need to remake the linkage rods out of longer stuff. I am going with two brass rods of the needed length that have the same OD, which sucks because they are much heavier than what I have right now. I wonder how deeply I can center-drill them to remove some weight. Syme would call this doubleplusungood.

• The plate to which the lever rack is mounted needs to be re-shaped.

I will post about all this as I do it. I think each project will be in its own thread, though, as my epic tomes are pretty ridiculous.

Thanks for reading.

[Schlitzz]

I don't see a large bag of Q-tips on that bench. There, I said it.

[the elephant]

It's a box, and it's definitely there…

[the elephant]

I am remaking the linkage rods, and I finally got to try out my old DDR Commie laboratory lathe. It is a sweet, little machine!

[bloke]

I don't see a large bag of Q-tips on that bench. There, I said it.

Yes, dammit. Safety First !!!

[the elephant]

@bloke

Better?

Kurath 6th Range

C - 4
B - 64
Bb - 54
A - 564
Ab - 5124
G - 56124
Gb - 56234
F - 561234 (a bit flat, but 56134 is more sharp than the other is flat)

[the elephant]

I had to screw around with mouthpieces and slide relocations. Now it seems that everything is in tune without slide pulls, using one alternate (top space Ab has to be 23, but G is still 1) and the low range is now much more meaty and full, and the problematic low Bb now speaks and the piggish quality to the tone is gone.

I keep saying this, but then I find a note that was pretty good in all keys but badly out in another, necessitating a slight pull or push, or movement from one fingering to another. But this last workout seems to have done it. I kept saying, "THAT'S IT! GOT IT!" and then having to walk it back to make changes.

The mouthpiece is an issue, as this is a very big F, but the low range, while there, is pinched in places, sort of barky and slow to respond, with the low Bb pretty much being this F tuba's "low C". Once I found a handful of mouthpieces that sound good and play well in that register I had to pick one that also allows me to play stuff like Berlioz.

I think I finally have it. (As I repeatedly say, then recant.) But for real, this time.

I am now practicing all my Christmas quintets for upcoming gigs and all that Rutter and Kirklands stuff because I want to "use the heavy bag" in the low register

[bloke]

I just seems as though the two flattest pitches (with most tubas, and assuming a tuba doesn't suffer from 3rd-partial-itis) are

- fourth partial 2-3
- fifth partial 2 (the one you identify)

As you may have read (with my F.B. adventures), I came up with a weird-yet-easy thing for the first issue, and - with the second issue (yours) - that tendency is remarkably easy (why...??) to defeat (with F.B.)

It requires quite a few changes to completely dial in (even) "pretty darn good" tubas.

[the elephant]

But are those fingerings shown above more in-line with what you use on your B&S? I consider it to be the most "normal" 6-banger I have ever played, fingering-wise.

[bloke]

But are those fingerings shown above more in-line with what you use on your B&S? I consider it to be the most "normal" 6-banger I have ever played, fingering-wise.

yes.

[the elephant]

I had a typo on low Ab. It is actually 5124 and G is 56124.

Oopsie…

I was more concerned about whether my low G matched your prediction. It was not what you thought it should be before this last round of re-tuning. Now it seems to be more or less where it ought to be.

[bloke]

56124 is basically the same as my 5634.

With my tuba, 3 is not longer than 1-2, and I chose 5634 simply because it involves fewer buttons.

[the elephant]

A few have asked (both here and on FB), so…

After all the romping about with a multitude of mouthpieces on this totally-different-than-when-purchased tuba, the one I finally landed on is my 1960s-era Conn Helleberg.

Huh…

[bloke]

A few have asked (both here and on FB), so…

After all the romping about with a multitude of mouthpieces on this totally-different-than-when-purchased tuba, the one I finally landed on is my 1960s-era Conn Helleberg.

Huh…

Those work for a lot of people , and Helleberg II style (slightly smaller) mouthpieces work for a whole bunch of people too. It would be easy (for me) if they worked for me.
sure...I can play them, but I just don't do my best with them. I wish I access to the stuff I'm using these days back when I was on the front end of this hill - rather than the back end.

[the elephant]

My only regret with this horn is that, because it plays so well in tune, I don't need to have my left hand so near to the 1st slide. However, I was worried that I would, after all this work, end up having to constantly shuttle my hand back and forth from the off-side of the top bow to behind the horn to access the slides as I played. So all of this nonsense was to accommodate this '"fear" of mine.

Hindsight really is 20/20, I guess…

I should have set up the levers where left-handed 5th/6th racks usually live.

BECAUSE THIS FREAKING BEAST IS TOP- AND FRONT-HEAVY, TO THE POINT THAT IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO HOLD OVER AN EXTENDED TIME.

But I still love it, heh, heh… And (lucky for me) most of the stuff I play on this tuba is fairly short, affording me lots of time to set the horn down.



Perhaps one day before I die I will re-do everything to be set up like that.

But that day is not this day.

[York-aholic]

You'll get to it sooner or later.

Eventually, it will bug you enough and we'll have another interesting thread to read.

Personally, I give it 6 months.

It sounds like the horn is a good one, worthy of being set up 'just so'.

[bloke]

If you ever do decide-to/figure-out-how-to-rig-everything-to put the 5/6 rack in the traditional spot, I know you're aware that your R.H. thumb ain't doin' nuthin', and (if needed...??) could work a #1 slide trigger.

You may not "need" to move that slide, but you still might possibly "wish" to.

...seven busy fingers on a tuba...??

pfft.

Every finger has a job on a woodwind, and even the R.H. thumb has a gig (holding everything up).

[the elephant]

I want to go the whole hog and add a 7th valve so my low Ab is 674 — but I think a 7th valve would have to be fitted within the bugle… ermmmm… remotely…

HAHAHA!!!

[the elephant]

Now, if some random @bloke were to blow this image up "real bigly" he might notice that—if such a rod were situated BETWEEN or IN FRONT OF the legs of the 5th slide—such a thumb lever could be installed. And I have a thumb lever bracket on the horn… right now… orphaned and forgotten… and the matching thumb lever/spring… so this could work…

[York-aholic]

...seven busy fingers on a tuba...??

pfft.

Every finger has a job on a woodwind, and even the R.H. thumb has a gig (holding everything up).

That’s why I don’t play woodwinds, and wax nostalgic for the King K-90 G bugle I played in VK

“I know my limits”