WITH THAT IN MIND…
I have enjoyed the 6th valve on this horn so much that I want to complete its transmogrification into the beast I am imagining. I will do this work in June or July. However, there is no reason for me not to begin work on the dependent valve section right now.
I want this to be a fully independent valve system, but there simply is not enough room in the bugle for that. It was designed with such a fast taper that after the MTS, I would need 24mm rotors, and that is not going to happen. Further, I feel that the 4th valve should not have been made as large as it was by Herr Kurath. I copied this, and it just seems to me that it would focus a bit easier if it were a little bit smaller. I know that I dislike the larger 5th on the Willson 3200FA-5 a lot, and this is slightly smaller. I guess that he went the wrong way in bore size when he switched to his ROTAX valves.
This won't cost me that much to prove or disprove, so why not?
Anyway, the 4th on this tuba is now 186-sized, at 19.54 mm, as is the 6th, and the 6th focuses a little better than the slightly larger 5th, so I think my reasoning is sound… even if I'm proven wrong.
So, since there is no more room in the bugle for an additional valve, I thought to add it as a dependent inside the 4th circuit.
But why just one of the three rotors? That seems to be sort of stupid.
Also, the balance of this tuba is a bit painful and fatiguing, so I want to 1.) move my hand position from behind the 1st slide to rest on the outside of the top bow, and 2.) move the dead weight of the valves further over toward where the center of gravity would be if there were NO rotors, meaning much closer to the bell.
If I make a CC tuba 123 valve set, that would add the weight of another valve plus the entire 3rd slide loop. However, I really only need an additional half step to fix the two pitches that are not fully corrected by the 6th valve. So I *could* get away with a CC whole step, half step, and another half step. So, a CC 122 section, rather than the much heavier 123 section. It would also simplify routing the 7th slide.
I want to insert this beastie within the 4th circuit right nest to the bell, with the slides running toward the "off" side, and the paddles being set into the bugle wrap and being accessed between the top bow/4th slide tubing on that "off" side.
Some monstrosity like the layout in the photo is what I am thinking. If I don't like it, I'll put it back the way it is.
Crazy? Yes. But I currently have an F tuba with a super playable low register with next to no alternates and zero slide pulling. Why not try for perfection?
Note that in the photo, the paddles are only shown for where they will end up, but will be on the front side of the tuba, not the back. They are a small clockspring set from an Eb Helicon with round platins, like coins. It is very old, and it would be cool to finally get to use it for something. I already have the valves and the linkage system parts. I am currently awaiting parts from Jason. Then I just need some time…
