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Without more information there can't be much of an answer.

There are two general classes of Amati tubas: Piston valve and rotary valve and there are many grades of each.

The rotary valve tubas are built by Cerveny (a subsidiary of Amati), the piston instruments by Amati.

58mark wrote:For that matter, I've never seen an Amati branded rotary tuba that wasn't the standard BBb school variety.

there's a mystery here...

I think the closer you look at it, the more mystery to be found. My F helicon was Amati brand. Clock spring rotors, with rounder and somewhat dished spatulas that typically go with them. Never lacquered. I have no idea when it was made, but it had sure been around the block a few times ... '70s? '50s? no idea. Someone a few miles from here is trying to sell an old F Amati with the same type valves, looks more or less similar to a photo of a Cerveny Filharmonia model except the latter has more valves.

GregTuba79 wrote:

bigtubby wrote:Without more information there can't be much of an answer.

There are two general classes of Amati tubas: Piston valve and rotary valve and there are many grades of each.

The rotary valve tubas are built by Cerveny (a subsidiary of Amati), the piston instruments by Amati.

4 Rotary Valves with finger pads like the one in your avatar specifically, larger bore horns, Kaiser style with large bells. So Cerveny built them in the late 90's?

AFAIK all Amati rotary tubas were built in the Cerveny plant. They were always exactly like the corresponding Cerveny models except for "appointments" - the 4xx and 5xx grades were usually branded Amati. These were identical to the Cerveny 6xx, 7xx and 8xx models except that things like slides were brass not nickel silver and so on.

My avatar photo is a tiny (32" long overall) Schuster & Co. "Army" model built between 1884 and 1896 according to the folks at the Markneukirchen web site.

Does your Amati have clocksprings and "S" linkages? I think that would put it well before the 90's.

The bottom tuba in this image is an Amati. Ari at Amati USA told me that it is properly a Cerveny 481, probably built in the 1970's. The top one is a much more recent Cerveny 681. Aside from the larger bell diameter/shorter stack, note the NS slides on the Cerveny, brass on Amati. Clocksprings vs. coil sptings/spatula shape is more indicative of age. This particular Amati is very nicely put together and I prefer it in general over the Cerveny.

Edit
You said "built 1997" - does the receiver have a "made in" stamp? The Amati in my photo is stamped "Czecho-Slovakia". By 1997 yhe country would have been well into the "Czech Republic" era.

58mark wrote: ...

For that matter, I've never seen an Amati branded rotary tuba that wasn't the standard BBb school variety.

there's a mystery here...

By "standard BBb school variety" do you mean the 3TP and 4TP models? Those were built in Kraslice. There are still Amati branded Cerveny tubas available, like the "Amati Arion" which is a Cerveny CBB 483 (and I want one!)


http://www.cerveny.biz/tuben/bbb_tuben/abb_483_4m.php

bigtubby wrote:The bottom tuba in this image is an Amati. Ari at Amati USA told me that it is properly a Cerveny 481, probably built in the 1970's.

Is that the original linkage? My clock spring valves have come with the classic S linkage, I wonder if this says anything about date of manufacture?

GregTuba79 wrote:just imagine the Kaiser version of it.

Look like this?

Donn wrote:

bigtubby wrote:The bottom tuba in this image is an Amati. Ari at Amati USA told me that it is properly a Cerveny 481, probably built in the 1970's.

Is that the original linkage? My clock spring valves have come with the classic S linkage, I wonder if this says anything about date of manufacture?

AFAIK the linkage is original. I'm beginning to wonder if springs and linkages are very useful in dating instruments (except that miniballs are newer than "S" linkages.

Our friend Frank has an Amati Arion 1660-4 (looks like an ABB 483 and nearly the price of a new CBB 683!!!) with clockspring/miniball linkages. It is engraved "Czechoslovakia".
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131186558257

I also noticed last night that the 8xx (Custom) series still uses clocksprings - but adjustable ones like the very fancy old helicons used:
http://www.cerveny.biz/tuben/cc_tuben/ccb883-5.php

"Adjustabel Clockwork spring action"


So I guess that dating these is still going to be a matter of asking Ari (and he usually forwards requests to the factory folks).

Also since OP's instrument is in the Czech Republic I wonder if the Czech/European models might differ from the U.S. export models?

Edit
And this one breaks the "Amati == cheaper Cerveny" rule. Nickel silver slides, adjustable clocksprings indicate a higher than 4xx, 5xx grade. <shrugs>

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131314322812

GregTuba79 wrote:wow that last horn is cool. What are you using for a search term for Ebay to find that?

"Amati Tuba"