Rotary Valves

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Spanky Rear

Member
My pal Dave,who is aTuba player 6 feet 5 inches tall and 21 stone at least[see previous question in Rehearsal Room] has just been to Prague yo get a Cerveny Tuba.This brand new instrument cost him in the region of £1600 sterling.Itis immaculate, and according to other Bb players is a joy to play.I am given to understand that it cannot be used in a Brass Band competition.
Why don't the relevant authorities allow this? Is it solely to protect the interests of piston valve Tuba makers?
I should explain that the Tuba is an Amati, Which I understand is an associated firm to Cerveny.
 
tubafran

tubafran

Active Member
Rotary Valve

Do brass band contest rules really prohibit rotary valve tubas?

At the recent NEMBA contest at Derby and Burton I think Bakewell Band used a rotary valve tuba.
 
S

Spanky Rear

Member
Francis, Ihave been told that Willebroek have played at SCABA Contests with Rotary valve Tubas.But is this strictly within the rules,or do the authorities just allow it, turning a blind eye? Would they be allowed in National competitions?]
 
Dave Payn

Dave Payn

Active Member
Spanky Rear said:
Francis, Ihave been told that Willebroek have played at SCABA Contests with Rotary valve Tubas.But is this strictly within the rules,or do the authorities just allow it, turning a blind eye? Would they be allowed in National competitions?]
Click to expand...

SCABA are OK with long model cornets, for instance, I believe, but I also believe thhese are 'outlawed' at national level.
 
tubafran

tubafran

Active Member
Rotary Valve

OK Spanky, good point, European bands have plenty of access to rotary valve tubas.

What happens at European contests? surely a lot of these bands are using rotary? Or does Brass Band by tradition mean piston valves only?
 
S

Spanky Rear

Member
Yes you've all made good points, especially Scrape the Bone.Trombones often have 1 or 2 rotary valves, so why not rotary valved Tubas? I'm sure many Band Tuba players would love to have a greater chance of owning their own instrument. They'd probably prefer a new instrument at £1600 than a used one at £2000 to £3000 as well. The choice of larger bore,if required, would offset the loss of 'compensation'.

SPANKY
 
D

Dawnys_flug

Member
Re: Rotary Valve

tubafran said:
Do brass band contest rules really prohibit rotary valve tubas?

At the recent NEMBA contest at Derby and Burton I think Bakewell Band used a rotary valve tuba.
Click to expand...

No we didn't! :p
 
C

carlwoodman

Member
Desford and Fodens used rotary valved Mirafone BBb tubas for a period, I think in the 1980's. Possibly a Howard Snell connection there. However, I've no idea if they used them in any contests.
Personally, I can't see what the problem is with using them in a contest.
What about left facing tubas but with piston valves rather than rotors (or indeed a mix of both!)? Are they OK?

In similar vein, I heard three bands in the Championship Section at the recent London & SC Regionals. Of the two bands that were placed first and second, one used 3 x EEb and 1 x BBb and the other used 4 x EEb!

Perhaps someone can enlighten us with the small print of the regulations!
 
impycornet

impycornet

Member
I can't copy & paste from the recent rules page as it's PDF but on ..

http://www.bfbb.co.uk/Rules2004.pdf

It just gives a list of acceptable instruments & you must play a maximum of 25 from that list !

So I suppose in theory you could go on stage with 25 baritones :roll: :roll: :roll:

Cheers,
 
WoodenFlugel

WoodenFlugel

Moderator
Staff member
Not that it helped us in the slightest but one of our bass players played a rotary valve bass at this years area. If it is against the rules, either no-one noticed, or no-one could be arsed or we were so bad that it didn't matter anyway...... :lol: :evil:
 
WoodenFlugel

WoodenFlugel

Moderator
Staff member
WoodenFlugel said:
Not that it helped us in the slightest but one of our bass players played a rotary valve bass at this years area.
Click to expand...

Sorry folks....I realised this morning that it was in fact a Sov tuba with forward facing valves! D'oh! :oops:
 
tubafran

tubafran

Active Member
Rotary Valve

Apologies to Dawnys - I should have said "I thought it was Bakewell". Needless to say one of the bands at Rolls Royce had a rotary valve tuba. Can anyone else recall this? It was in either the 4th or 3rd section.
 
tubafran

tubafran

Active Member
Just to open this up - where does it say in the rules that you cannot use rotary valved instruments of any kind? BBb & EEb basses can be bought with them, so can euphoniums, etc and I have seen European bands playing rotary valved flugel horns.

The list of instruments given at Rule 6 is not qualified save for the "slide trombone" which presummably excludes the use of valve trombones and the confirmation that Eb trumpets cannot be used (trumpets not being listed as allowed instruments anyway).

Are there any banders out there who would prefer to play rotary? 'Cos the rules don't say you cannot use them in contests.
 
D

Dawnys_flug

Member
Re: Rotary Valve

tubafran said:
Apologies to Dawnys - I should have said "I thought it was Bakewell". Needless to say one of the bands at Rolls Royce had a rotary valve tuba. Can anyone else recall this? It was in either the 4th or 3rd section.
Click to expand...

No apology necessary! :)
 
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