It is worth reforming a York Monster EEb

[opus37]

(PPEbT - People for the Preservation of Eb tubas)

Can I join? I use a Kanstul Eb for everything and find it perfect for me.

[BassBass]

You should send it to me for proper disposal

Actually... I'll disagree a bit... these have a remarkable sound and a 4th may be worth it if you already love the horn's sound and playability. Otherwise, you're trying to make raw eel taste like apple pie by adding whipped cream.

If you're going to do this, some of those old small-bore (Michigan-made) York-made BBb sousaphones (relatively worthless "parts horns", imo) sport pistons, casings, braces, and tubing that match these Eb tubas.

"Remarkable sound" - yes, I would agree ("wonderful" sound), but (with the 16.5mm bore) also "limited decibels" (in a large ensemble, one of those "felt and not heard" sorts of tubas).

As far as a 5th rotor, (if mounting it on the large side of the main slide) you might look for something in the 18mm bore size range (ref: Miraphone 184 BBb/CC, etc.)

Another choice would be to scrap the factory valveset (is it "top-action" anyway...?? ...likely to have been scrapped...??), find a REALLY beat-up old King 2341 (or older version), harvest the 11/16"/17.5mm bore valveset (larger than the original York valveset), shorten it to Eb, and use that on the York...and another option (less work, as the slide lengths would already be correct) would be to harvest a 4-valve 11/16" bore valveset off an old King Eb sousaphone.

Any of these scenarios (if done well, and with a cosmetic overhaul as well) is likely just as expensive (or doing this yourself...??) as buying a nice tried-and-true/ready-to-go 4+1 Eb tuba.

I have a valveset of a 36K 0,735" I can use it to a 4th valve. The 1-2-3 I think in use a King valveset.
Is more large that the original bore. But it will work?

What you think Bloke?

Call

[Mark E. Chachich]

I have listened to Randy Harrison play his E flat York that he modified to a five valves. I have also played that tuba. It is what he said it is and I think that it is an excellent tuba. My E flat York is more limited (it is all original).

Mark

[BassBass]

Hi Randy Harrison,

Could you show for us your York 5V?
We are very curious.

Cheers

Call

[hbcrandy]

I will try to photograph it this week and then try to figure out how to get the photo onto tubenet. Bear with me. I am technologically challenged and I tend to play tubas, not photograph them.

[Wyvern]

Sam, that's a work of art, but I'd prefer it in Eb

I'm the only one, though.. I think

(PPEbT - People for the Preservation of Eb tubas)

You should live in the UK - home of the Eb tuba!

[J.c. Sherman]

That has occured to me

[BassBass]

Bump
Waiting for the York pics of Sir. Randy Harrison.

[joh_tuba]

I'm sure conventional wisdom hasn't changed on this topic BUT so many of these horns float around and they are such prime candidates for being mucked with I feel like *surely* someone has discovered some means of improving them while staying in the key of Eb. OR can provide actual real world examples of perceived changes after a given modification. There's very little of that in the million tubenet posts on these horns.

Reading through all the old threads there are lots of dire warnings about not putting too large a bore on them but no cited examples of such a horn existing. Has it actually been done or is this just conventional wisdom? Also don't see any references to using a rotary valve section on one. Nearly all rotary versions of a piston model have better intonation, right?

I wonder if swapping out an inner bow for a more sensible taper or trimming a bit of the pancake off the bell would help bring the octaves back into agreement. I also wonder how many of the tuning issues associated with these horns are related to the painfully leaky valves and general disrepair they are always in.

New thoughts or data points?

Thanks!

[phaymore]

I have an old Conn Eb Monster and I have the same trouble as everyone else. What would be a proper period mouthpiece for this horn? Shallow? Deep? Large diameter? Small diameter?

[phaymore]

Awesome..thanks!

[hbcrandy]

Yorkaholic and others:

Here are pictures of my Eb Frankentuba. The sound, response and intonation are superb. My post on page 2 of this topic has the specifications of the instrument.

[MikeMason]

Has anyone tried a vintage bell on a Jb comp e flat? Cheap way to get "the sound" with good playability?

[Pat S]

I have an old Conn Eb Monster and I have the same trouble as everyone else. What would be a proper period mouthpiece for this horn? Shallow? Deep? Large diameter? Small diameter?

I use a Denis Wick 3 with my Conn Giant 18J Eb and it works just fine. The horn needs an overhaul (I'm in line to get it properly fixed by Lee Stofer), but the mouthpiece is not the source of distress.

[roweenie]

*

[Mark E. Chachich]

I have played Randy's FrankenYork E flat, it is an extraordinary tuba! My E flat is an unaltered York Monster (4 upright valves) and it has served me well. I think that the York Monster E flat is worth consideration if that is the sound that you want.

Mark

[Bob Kolada]

Has anyone tried a vintage bell on a Jb comp e flat? Cheap way to get "the sound" with good playability?

That's interesting, but I like the idea of a clone body with a 2341 valve set better.