Yamaha YCB-822

[Z-Tuba Dude]

I think that you will find that the responses will fall into one, of two basic types:

1) Those who own them & think that they are the greatest thing since sliced bread (since they bought one).

-OR-

2) Those who don't own them, and think they are OK, but not their cup of tea (because they don't own one).

Everyone who has played one, has effectively already voted....with their wallet.

[Matt G]

I think that you will find that the responses will fall into one, of two basic types:

1) Those who own them & think that they are the greatest thing since sliced bread (since they bought one).

-OR-

2) Those who don't own them, and think they are OK, but not their cup of tea (because they don't own one).

Everyone who has played one, has effectively already voted....with their wallet.

You're right.

I owned one and it sounded fantastic. It was all core and no edge. It had a fantastic low-register and decent high register.

However, the fingerings were "Alexander"-like. The pitch was very hard to maintain. I traded it for a Tommy Johnson-owned Mirafone 188CC because I wanted more tonal flexibility and better pitch. Basically, the Mirafone was less work and more results.

However, if I had shortened a few slides the 822 would have been pretty good. BTW mine was way early in the series, like in the teens or twenties. They have probably fixed intonation by now, but I haven't heard one with the sound like mine had...

[Matt Walters]

You need to try one before you buy it. All the above tips are right on. I've done some tweaks to the silver one I have and have received many positive comments about it. It is still here for one main reason. The hand angle is odd. You have to play the horn with the bell pointing down at about 45 degrees. If you insist on the bell sticking upward as much as possible, then the angled position of the valve section forces you to rotate your wrist to get the pinky on the 4th valve. If it weren't for that, I would sell plenty of them. If Yamaha wants to use that sousaphone angle valve section, then it needs to be higher on the horn.

With palm facing your chect and wrist staight, move your arm up and down at the elbow to see how the height affects the angle across your finger tips. Also try the exercise with the finger tips not changing angle, but move your arm up and down. You will see that at the top and especially the bottom, the wrist has to move to awkward angles.

Try out the horns. It's big money for most of us.

[tclements]

I played one for years and really loved it. My only REAL criticism was that the sound was kind of plain. Good pitch, GREAT low notes easy to sound good on, but I never was able to find my 'voice' on the 822. Then I played the Gronitz's.

[Gorilla Tuba]

I used to work for Yamaha, bur never purchased one of their tubas. I liked the 822 F tuba, but never really cared for the CC version. At that time, however, I really didn't know what I wanted in a tuba.

Last year I was auditioning tuba players for a collegiate "all-state" band and heard 2 players using YCB 822s. Those two sounded phenomenal! In fact, the one who won the 1st chair position played the 822. Other horns represented at this audition were 2155, 56J, Mirafone 188, PT 20, as well as a bunch of school owned Yamaha BBb tubas of various vintages.

As said before, and will be said again, its the player. For a lot of players, Yamahas are great. For others, they are not.

I have heard many on this board say that it is not worthwhile to listen to all the arm-chair tubist on this board about equipment choices. I disagree. Take advice with a grain of salt, but listen. I chose my equipment based on the opinions of Matt at Dillons and Roger at WW and BW. Without them, and others I may still be searching for "my" voice on the tuba.

[Gorilla Tuba]

I used to work for Yamaha, bur never purchased one of their tubas. I liked the 822 F tuba, but never really cared for the CC version. At that time, however, I really didn't know what I wanted in a tuba.

Last year I was auditioning tuba players for a collegiate "all-state" band and heard 2 players using YCB 822s. Those two sounded phenomenal! In fact, the one who won the 1st chair position played the 822. Other horns represented at this audition were 2155, 56J, Mirafone 188, PT 20, as well as a bunch of school owned Yamaha BBb tubas of various vintages.

As said before, and will be said again, its the player. For a lot of players, Yamahas are great. For others, they are not.

I have heard many on this board say that it is not worthwhile to listen to all the arm-chair tubist on this board about equipment choices. I disagree. Take advice with a grain of salt, but listen. I chose my equipment based on the opinions of Matt at Dillons and Roger at WW and BW. Without them, and others I may still be searching for "my" voice on the tuba.