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What is the time line of Mr Nirschl's piston valve construction please?
How much of the following is true?
- B&M Symphonic used to make excellent valves for the York Master (and Marzan?) models?
- Earlier examples of the 'CSO York' models used Nirschl-made pistons, also excellent
- At some point Mr Nirschl bought in 3rd party valves (where from?)
- Presently, valves on Nirschl tubas are all Brazilian-made

Just interested...

The source for the 'good' valves that were used on the early Nirscle tubas was Bohm & Meinl. Being a Marzan fanatic... I've asked many people (including Herr Nirscle himself) what happened to the tooling when the production was moved from Germany to Brazil and then to China. All I've received in response is 'shoulder shrugs' and blank looks.

In my opinion... the bells and valves will NEVER be as good as the B & M German ones.

A while ago, I sent an email to Herr Nirschl (auf Deutsch), and never received a reply.

The older B & M valves are a very good copy of the later York .750 valves, and indeed are very well made.

The earlier York valves (minus bumps in the ports) are even better, IMHO.

Willson will sell their 4 valve sets - last time I checked the cost was roughly $1,000 US.

The valves in my Nirschl are MAW valves, which are made in Germany. They made the instrument play even better.

Walter Nirschl took over Boehm & Meinl, continued to make valves for various manufacturers, Hirsbrunner for example, also early production "B & S" piston-valve instruments, and his "York"-based CC-tuba. Several years ago he began using piston valve sets made by Weril in Brazil. No comment on the quality or the fact that someone laying out $18,000 for a York copy should have first-rate merchandise.

The valves made at "B &S" for their instruments, for all "Meinl-Weston" tubas, for "Besson" Euphoniums and tubas manufactured at the factory in Markneukirchen, are first-quality. These are the large diameter, well-ported ones that went into production in the early nineties.

"Adams" in Holland bought out the Bauerfeind company years ago, moved the production to their shop in Holland and make excellent valves for their Euphoniums and tubas.

Eugene

Do we know the dates of these transitions?

E. Green wrote:.....
The valves made at "B &S" for their instruments, for all "Meinl-Weston" tubas, for "Besson" Euphoniums and tubas manufactured at the factory in Markneukirchen, are first-quality. These are the large diameter, well-ported ones that went into production in the early nineties.....

I think those 'quality' piston valves were in production much earlier than that. All of the piston valves I've seen from as early as the 70's were very well made.