Posted by Greg Crider on April 26, 2001 at 09:44:03:
In Reply to: Help posted by Jeremy Noye on April 26, 2001 at 09:26:11:
3/4, 4/4, 5/5, and 6/4 are relative sizes of horns within a company's product line. Their "standard" size tuba is usually listed as 4/4, while their compact horns are 3/4, their large horns are 5/4, and their biggest are 6/4. Meinl-Weston's BBb compact tubas actually have 2 horns listed on their web site as 1/4 horns, even though they're as large as most companies' 3/4s. Also, some companies' 4/4, 5/4, and 6/4 horns may have the same bore size, but the difference is made in the size of the bows, throat, and bell.
To further complicte things, there are no strict guidelines to compare horn sizes between companies. For example, Rudolf Meinl's 4/4 tubas are larger than many companies' 5/4s, and their 5/4 tuba is larger than most 6/4s. Their 6/4 BBb horn may be the biggest production tuba on the planet (see their web site; you may have to use a search engine to find it). Ceverny's 601 is listed as a 5/4, but it's as big or bigger than most 6/4s.
The best guide is that a company's 5/4 and 6/4 horns will be large, deep-toned, and capable of being played at great volume. 3/4 horns are for solo work, smaller ensembles or young student use because of their size, weight, and generally brighter tones. And remember, there's always an exception to every rule.