Posted by Klaus on May 11, 2001 at 16:48:45:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: (Long) Road Trip Report: Dillon Music posted by Doug on May 11, 2001 at 16:03:21:
Again solely in reference to my own opinions, though they are supported by some level of studies in math and streaming/turbulence of non-solid mediae like air and fluids:
I would say yes in all cases but one. If the player/mouthpiece/instrument combination demands the main tuning slide to be pushed all the way in, then a bevelling/undercutting of the inner slide branches actually would create a new generator of turbulences in form of an uncalled for ditch in the inner tubing surface.
That means, that I have not touched the inner branches of valve slides that I have not pulled. Out of about 100 valve slides I have constantly pulled very, very few: the 2nd valve of the Conn 28D French horn, both valves of each of the Sovereign and King 7B bass bones, the valve of the Conn 36H alto bone, all 3 valves of an F mellophone played in Eb, and that is about it.
Earlier I have argued against the permanent pulling of the third slide of 3 valve instruments. I hate sharp 1+3 combinations, but even more I hate flat 2+3 combinations, as they very often are leading notes in my vocabulary of keys, which probably is more dominated by ###īs than normally for players assigning themselves mostly to Bb and Eb instruments, as I have done. (The B nat, G and F instruments constitute a, well beloved after all, minority).
My solution is to have all slides pushed in fully as the standard, and then to pull as called for when the situation demands me to do so. These "pull-as-needed-for-valve-slides" are left alone without bevelling/undercutting. Because their most often used position is that of being pushed in fully.
Maybe strange thinking, maybe even a nebulised display of these thoughts. But then: ASK!
Having done all my bevelling at home because I am not easy towards others experimenting with my instruments, I still hav eto say, that Rickīs advice against homework of this kind still is a clever one! My single consolation of my modifications is, that aside from one threaded French horn mouthpiece cuo, I have ruined neither instruments, nor mouthpieces.
Klaus