Having a pitch/ tuning issue with JP274

[YungJiJi]

I'm having an issue with tuning/ pitch on my new JP 274 and I was wondering if any experienced players can help me figure out how to solve this. My C# to E in the staff (BC) are extremely flat. It's at the point where they are about 60 cents flat. The other notes are on pitch but these four are just stubbornly flat. I've tried using the mouthpiece it came with as opposed to my Schilke 51D and Bach 6 1/2 AL but I've gotten the same results. I've tried faster air but it gets to the point where my tounge is at the top of my mouth and I have to really strain and force to get about 10 cents flat. Could this be a defect with the horn? It was recommended to me by a music professor at a local university and he claims he has experience and faith in this brand so I'm assuming there is a defect in the horn or I must be doing something wrong. Any ideas?

[RickF]

It can be difficult to diagnose certain issues via the internet. If you have a teacher -- or maybe that professor -- have him or her try your horn to see what results they get. If the same results, then I would suspect it is the horn.

Maybe some others will chime in with a suggestion. Welcome to the forum.

[YungJiJi]

I am planning on bringing it to the low brass instructor at the University of Mississippi this Sunday but I want more outside opinions and ideas until then to help diagnose the issue.

[EuphoJon]

How flat is the Eb? The only explaination that immediately came to mind was that the tuning slide on the second valve has a defect/is too long but that wouldn't explain the Eb being flat. Can you adjust the main tuning slide enough to put those notes in tune but the rest sharp?

We got a JP274 for our Junior band and I tested it, with a tuner and played a two hour practise with it in the senior band. It had no real issues other than the usual Euphonium sharpness at the top of the treble clef stave (F, F#, G) in fact I really liked it and I'm still considering getting one as a back up instrument. I think I was using a DC5 at the time but I wouldn't think the mouthpiece should effect the tuning too much in such a specific range on the instrument in the way you've described.

I would suggest that if you can't comfortably play the instrument in tune (with some minor lipping) across the whole range that the instrument probably has an issue.

[YungJiJi]

With the main slide all the way in, those notes are still about 25-30 cents too flat with the D still being registered as a very sharp C#. Also doing this makes the high Bb and beyond about 50 cents too sharp. With the horn tuned correctly (except the issue notes) all of the partials are just about on pitch so I'm not sure if it's an issue with slide length.

[davewerden]

I tested the 374 and found those notes flat, but not as much as you experience. (The 4th valve notes were very flat, but they may have corrected that by now - slide was just too long).

You can see the result I got here:

http://www.dwerden.com/Intonation/

[TD517]

Do you notice the same tendencies on other partials, even on a minimal level? Like with open in tune, is one combination more flat than the others? If so, then the slide length may be an issue.

[YungJiJi]

Except for the high notes, the other partials are fine. They many be about a little off in one direction or the other but it isn't too noticeable. The other partials are no different than what they were when I played them on my schools Yamaha YEP321

[Alden]

Hey there, YungJiJi!

Did you find out what was the issue with the instrument? Do you still play the jp274?
Thank you,