CC tubas -- 4 or 5 valves?

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Matt Walters
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Re: CC tubas -- 4 or 5 valves?

Post by Matt Walters »

Four my community band playing these days, four valves on a CC tuba is more than enough. When I entertain the thought of adding an extra valve to my four valve tuba, I just put on my big boy pants and tell myself, "What four are you thinking about adding an extra valve to your four valve CC tuba?" Four the audience I play four, they can't tell if I am using false tones or not to play those rare low D and Db notes. Four if there was anyone who could easily install an extra valve in their tuba fourthwith, it would be me. But four the sake of maybe four notes a concert being a little easier on a tuba with one more than four valves, I like the lighter felling of a tuba with only four valves. An extra rotor assembly with the linkage and all the tubing certainly adds more than a fourth of a pound.

But four you professionals and aspiring professional tuba players looking to buy a new tuba in the fourseeable future, you should buy CC tubas with at least one more than four valves.

I do plan to add a 5th rotor to my four piston York CC in the next couple of years so that when I can no longer play it due to old age, I can sell my four valve York CC four more money and quicker. Four I have no delusions that 5 valve CC tubas are currently more popular than four valve CC tubas. It is fourtuitous for me that when I built my four valve York CC tuba I planned ahead of time to one day add a 5th rotor valve. Four when creating something new, the fourtunate person knows to: "Think of the last things first." I'll keep my nearly new condition Conn 2J CC as a four valve tuba.


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Re: CC tubas -- 4 or 5 valves?

Post by LeMark »

Great Post Matt!

I picked up a horn last November for $850, it was a amati 68. It is a great instrument, and I was the only bidder. I think besides the modern context of what the amati name has turned into, I think people look at 4 valve CC tubas as being about as limiting as a 2 valve contra. That's silly of course, in 25ish years of playing in a symphony, I've had exactly 2 times when I wished I had to play a D or Db.

That being said, I added a 5th valve to it, mainly because I already owned all the spare parts to do so. I don't plan on selling it, but I know if I ever did, it would going quickly at even double the price I paid for it.

I'm still going to use my 4 valve 601 most of the time with the symphony , but it's nice knowing that I have a just in case option. Also, for muted parts the 68 works better because I don't have a mute that works well with the 601
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Re: CC tubas -- 4 or 5 valves?

Post by bort2.0 »

Wait Matt... I don't get it. You saying 4 or 5 valves?





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Re: CC tubas -- 4 or 5 valves?

Post by bloke »

Thanks for being so fourthcoming.
Matt Walters wrote: Sat Aug 29, 2020 6:52 am Four my community band playing these days, four valves on a CC tuba is more than enough. When I entertain the thought of adding an extra valve to my four valve tuba, I just put on my big boy pants and tell myself, "What four are you thinking about adding an extra valve to your four valve CC tuba?" Four the audience I play four, they can't tell if I am using false tones or not to play those rare low D and Db notes. Four if there was anyone who could easily install an extra valve in their tuba fourthwith, it would be me. But four the sake of maybe four notes a concert being a little easier on a tuba with one more than four valves, I like the lighter felling of a tuba with only four valves. An extra rotor assembly with the linkage and all the tubing certainly adds more than a fourth of a pound.

But four you professionals and aspiring professional tuba players looking to buy a new tuba in the fourseeable future, you should buy CC tubas with at least one more than four valves.

I do plan to add a 5th rotor to my four piston York CC in the next couple of years so that when I can no longer play it due to old age, I can sell my four valve York CC four more money and quicker. Four I have no delusions that 5 valve CC tubas are currently more popular than four valve CC tubas. It is fourtuitous for me that when I built my four valve York CC tuba I planned ahead of time to one day add a 5th rotor valve. Four when creating something new, the fourtunate person knows to: "Think of the last things first." I'll keep my nearly new condition Conn 2J CC as a four valve tuba.
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Re: CC tubas -- 4 or 5 valves?

Post by cjk »

bloke wrote: Sat Aug 29, 2020 7:51 am Thanks for being so fourthcoming.
Matt Walters wrote: Sat Aug 29, 2020 6:52 am Four my community band playing these days, four valves on a CC tuba is more than enough. When I entertain the thought of adding an extra valve to my four valve tuba, I just put on my big boy pants and tell myself, "What four are you thinking about adding an extra valve to your four valve CC tuba?" Four the audience I play four, they can't tell if I am using false tones or not to play those rare low D and Db notes. Four if there was anyone who could easily install an extra valve in their tuba fourthwith, it would be me. But four the sake of maybe four notes a concert being a little easier on a tuba with one more than four valves, I like the lighter felling of a tuba with only four valves. An extra rotor assembly with the linkage and all the tubing certainly adds more than a fourth of a pound.

But four you professionals and aspiring professional tuba players looking to buy a new tuba in the fourseeable future, you should buy CC tubas with at least one more than four valves.

I do plan to add a 5th rotor to my four piston York CC in the next couple of years so that when I can no longer play it due to old age, I can sell my four valve York CC four more money and quicker. Four I have no delusions that 5 valve CC tubas are currently more popular than four valve CC tubas. It is fourtuitous for me that when I built my four valve York CC tuba I planned ahead of time to one day add a 5th rotor valve. Four when creating something new, the fourtunate person knows to: "Think of the last things first." I'll keep my nearly new condition Conn 2J CC as a four valve tuba.
And welcome to TubaFourum!!
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Re: CC tubas -- 4 or 5 valves?

Post by bort2.0 »

^ Ditto!

Fourget about that other place!
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Re: CC tubas -- 4 or 5 valves?

Post by bisontuba »

Me like :clap:
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