Posted by Frederick J. Young on August 13, 2001 at 19:27:58:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Gronitz double tuba (?) posted by Barry Guerrero on August 13, 2001 at 04:09:23:
The compensating doubles already are a production line instrument. I think full double tubas have been made by Gronitz for at least 60 years but they are not production line instruments. I guess that the double French horn started out being a rarity and when enough players wanted them Conn, King et al made production line models. The first full double horns were made circa 1910 and I don't think they appeared in highschool bands until the 1960's.
I think the size and weight of the York full double valves could have been reduced if York had made more models. My full double weighs about 84 lbs because it was heavy in the beginning and it has 5 double valves rather than three double valves exhibited by the usual double tubas.
I believe double tubas would become very popular if some great tubist would learn how to play one. It is not just a matter of alternate fingerings! There are a lot of subtle advantages and neat tricks one can learn to use to make tuba playing easier and more fun.
Anyone who hesitates to get one because he doesn't know how to play one should remember that they can be played as simple four valved tubas by ignoring the switch valve. Then they will be no more out of tune than a standard 4 valved instrument. Or one can hold the switch valve down and do the same thing in the other key. Gradually, using this approach one learns to use the instrument as a true double tuba and getting all of its inherent advantages is tone color and intonation. If the open tones on both sides are in tune then there are no notes more than about two cents out of tune in the whole range of the instrument. Of course one can still play out of tune if his or her ear is not actively adjusting the lips.
All I am saying really is that it is a great help to have the correct length of tubing to produce all of the pitches and a means of keeping the lowest register from getting too many high harmonics in tone color. I can see no reason why a York couldn't be wound differently so that a complete set of double valves could be installed. I wouldn't worry about weight. I'm able to carry my tuba cases (with tuba inside) around and they weigh more than 100 lbs and I'm 70 years of age and only 5' 6" tall. Doing that every day it is no trouble for most men. I admit that some women might have trouble but they can do as the harpists do; charm some male to carry it.
As for the transposition valve, you would have to tune each of the valve slides when you changed the transposition valve. That could be done automatically by levers attached to the slides and the transposition valve. Boosey & Hawkes did that for their Bb/A trumpets.