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I just got myself an Eb York Tuba a few days ago and I'm not sure what size reciever it should have. I don't know what it has now because it is cracked open (see pictures below.) So does which would I be better off have installed a standerd BBb reciever or a smaller Eb reciever (if I can get one.)

Sorry about the pictures, they were from before I started restoring it.
Reciever Picture
http://chihuahuasoup.com/new8/tuba5.jpg
Other Pictures
http://chihuahuasoup.com/new8/tuba1.jpg
http://chihuahuasoup.com/new8/tuba9.jpg
http://chihuahuasoup.com/new8/tuba8.jpg
http://chihuahuasoup.com/new8/tuba7.jpg
http://chihuahuasoup.com/new8/tuba4.jpg

The selection of mouthpieces are not a problem with me because I already have an Eb mouthpiece that I am very confortable with.
And about the Horn dorn, I just got her yesterday, I got most of the dents out and polished most of the tuba. She's roughly 100 years old. Once I'm done polishing, I'll post some pictures I'm no pro, so it's not going to be perfect, but I know she's going to look pertty good when finished.

Tubaing wrote:I just got myself an Eb York Tuba a few days ago and I'm not sure what size reciever it should have. I don't know what it has now because it is cracked open (see pictures below.) So does which would I be better off have installed a standerd BBb reciever or a smaller Eb reciever (if I can get one.)

Sorry about the pictures, they were from before I started restoring it.
http://chihuahuasoup.com/new8/tuba5.jpg

http://chihuahuasoup.com/new8/tuba1.jpg

Your leadpipe should accept either a small or regular shank tuba MP receiver. I would go with a regular shank receiver as it will make more mouthpiece choices readily availabe to you.

Are there any sound differences between the two?

Here are some new pictures. (3 days after I got it)

<img src="http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o295 ... 1_8110.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket">
<img src="http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o295 ... 1_8106.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket">
<img src="http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o295 ... 1_8103.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket">
<img src="http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o295 ... 1_8097.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket">
<img src="http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o295 ... 1_8096.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket">
<img src="http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o295 ... 1_8090.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket">

I figure c.1909, and looks like you got a good buy!

Yea, still no new reciever.

Bob1062 wrote:As far as I can figure, York made about at least 3 small Eb tubas.

-One with a LONG tuning slide before the valves (have only seen this as "Grand Rapids", though I have seen few of these, there is one on the bay now)
-One like yours
-I can't remember the 3rd variant

Does yours have a 2-piece main slide? It kinda looks high-pitch to me.

The main slide has an extention (that looks pretty good.)

If it were simply a matter of repairing the receiver, I'd say keep it with the original small shank. But since a new one is in order, then it's your choice as to whether or not to go with small shank .490 or "standard" shank .510. Either way will be fine, especially if you already have a mouthpiece you like.

With the small bore, something deep but not too large, like a Wick 3, can sound really good, with a good compromise of range and intonation, and it comes in both shank sizes, 3 & 3L. Mike Finn has done a run of his MF4 with a .500 shank size so that it will fit a small receiver with a tad more gap; these also sound great, especially if you are going to do soloing. PT can be ordered with the small shank, and, of course, for a price, everyone else wll make one. But these are the only stock ones I know about other than preserved antiques.

On the other hand, the standard shank is, well, standard, (please excuse the tautology) with all the benefits of being standard: easier to find a part, conventional to work on, and 99 44/100 % of all mouthpiece makers make one to fit off the shelf.

It's your call. Since I like Wick mouthpieces, and liked the results from when I tried the HB Jay eefer, I'd go with the smaller one. But your mileage will vary, although the destination is the same.

Great find! Good luck!

but, it looks to me as though that is the leadpipe, not the receiver. The receiver should fit OVER the leadpipe. The coupling that is in the first photo seems to connect the same size tubing and from the thickness, it does not look as though that is a receiver on there but a piece of pipe that was spliced on to bring down the pitch and was then split to accommodate the mouthpiece.

I am probably full of cr** but that's what it looks like to me.

Just my usual worthless observation.

Roger

Tubaing wrote:I just got myself an Eb York Tuba a few days ago and I'm not sure what size reciever it should have. I don't know what it has now because it is cracked open (see pictures below.) So does which would I be better off have installed a standerd BBb reciever or a smaller Eb reciever (if I can get one.)
. . . .

I have a York Eb 3V monster with a 20" bell (circa 1917). It has the original, small receiver, which is about the same as a bass trombone receiver. There's a nice selection of mouthpieces in that shank from Denis Wick, numbers 1 through 5, that do everything needed for the big Eb horn. I would recommend staying with the smaller receiver simply because it is satisfactory, athough I have no experience with a larger receiver on that instrument.

I assume that your horn, with a smaller bell than the monster with which I'm familiar, could become blatty with large backbore mouthpieces.

If it were simply a matter of repairing the receiver, I'd say keep it with the original small shank. But since a new one is in order, then it's your choice as to whether or not to go with small shank .490 or "standard" shank .510. Either way will be fine, especially if you already have a mouthpiece you like.

With the small bore, something deep but not too large, like a Wick 3, can sound really good, with a good compromise of range and intonation, and it comes in both shank sizes, 3 & 3L. Mike Finn has done a run of his MF4 with a .500 shank size so that it will fit a small receiver with a tad more gap; these also sound great, especially if you are going to do soloing. PT can be ordered with the small shank, and, of course, for a price, everyone else wll make one. But these are the only stock ones I know about other than preserved antiques.

I plan on using my Herco Professional Eb mouthpiece on it if I get the small shank.

I looked inside the reciever with a flashlight for assistance and it looks like the cracked tubing is a pipe that can be removed but not positive.

Darn, now I'm not even sure what is cracked on my tuba.

Roger Lewis wrote:but, it looks to me as though that is the leadpipe, not the receiver. The receiver should fit OVER the leadpipe. The coupling that is in the first photo seems to connect the same size tubing and from the thickness, it does not look as though that is a receiver on there but a piece of pipe that was spliced on to bring down the pitch and was then split to accommodate the mouthpiece.

Roger

Well I finally got around to trying to remove the receiver. It came off and is a separate pipe connected by the joint circled in the picture.

I'd suggest taking your instrument to an instrument repair professional. Roger Lewis is right, I think - that just looks like an added tube to bring the pitch down, or a receiver substitute that once had an additional small ring soldered over the end, in order to prevent just what happened, a cracked tube. Fitting a modern receiver to the leadpipe, and tuning the tubing length to make it play in tune, will make the difference between having a real player and having a wall-hanger.

I suggest getting it professionally repaired, because the leadpipe on this antique Eb tuba will not automatically fit a modern standard receiver. I have seen all sorts of unfortunate things done by owners in an attempt to make an old horn playable. If the instrument is worth being repaired, it is worth being done right.

Lee Stofer wrote:...I suggest getting it professionally repaired, because the leadpipe on this antique Eb tuba will not automatically fit a modern standard receiver. I have seen all sorts of unfortunate things done by owners in an attempt to make an old horn playable. If the instrument is worth being repaired, it is worth being done right.

Actually, I have decided on a small shank receiver.

Good call!

Until you get your new reciever installed, use what the pros use, duct tape.

"Home Depot Serenade"
Duct tape my heart.
Shop vac my tears.
Glue, screw and sand -
this lonely old man and,
buy me a beer.

Tubaing wrote:.... Actually, I have decided on a small shank receiver.

I put a small-shank receiver in the mail to you this morning. Watch for it. The 'horn-end' of it should fit OVER your existing leadpipe but if it doesn't, I suggest taking it to a repairman.