Posted by GC on February 05, 2004 at 13:09:38:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Death Match: New 2341 vs. 52J/56J posted by ? on February 05, 2004 at 10:29:41:
The 56J and the 2341 share the same bell; the 52J bell is 2 inches less in diameter. The bows of the 52 and 56 are necessarily shorter since the pitch is higher, so the tapers open a bit more quickly. They share the same valve sets and valve tubing size, but the valves are wrapped a bit differently on the CC tubas. The tubing in the 5th valve on the CC horns is also a bit larger in diameter than the other tubing. Adding a 5th valve usually makes $800-1200 difference in the price of otherwise equivalent horns.
That said, the 52J has a bit more compact and focused sound than the 56J, and both have somewhat brighter tones than the 2341. The 2341 can have a bright tone or a super-dark tone depending on the mouthpiece; it's really sensitive to mouthpiece selection.