Has anyone ever played a shilke tuba?

[EdFirth]

I played one at the store in 76' or 77'. Silver four valve top banger. Maybe a prototype. It was excellent and it was in C.Haven't seen or heard of another one since. Ed

[Ken Herrick]

I only know of a couple...a YCB-621 instrument, and some front-action BBb or CC tuba with a YBB-201/321 body.
It would be hard for someone to convince me those were not built with Japan-fabricated parts.

No need to try.
Schike did a loy of design work for Yamaha late 60s early 70s. The first CC was a prototype cut from BBb which I used asa practice horn when I worked for Ren in 70. The BBb was basically a non comp Besson copy. M1 trumpets were imported Yamaha bodies with some Shilke parts assembled and finished by Schilke.

[Bill Troiano]

Back in 1972, Schilke came to my college to do a clinic. He brought a Schilke BBb tuba with him. It turned out to be the prototype for the Yamaha 321 (4 top action piston valves and a very open wrap). Both my teacher and I liked the sound of the tuba, but we didn't like the set up.

[GC]

Here's an earlier thread.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15696

[Dan Schultz]

I know of a Schilke tuba that is a Yamaha YBB-321 that's been reversed to be played left-handed.

[Donn]

But a 3 valve upright Bflat it just a 3 valve upright.

Whoa, just like a trumpet!

[Lee Stofer]

I have played four of them. In December 1978, I went to Chicago to the Midwest Clinic for the purpose of buying my first tuba. On Friday morning, three of us went to the old Schike location downtown, and up to the 3rd or 4th floor, where there were 4 prototype tubas. They were all bright silver, no bell markings. There was the YBB-321 prototype BBb, and a CC of the same design, the YEB-321 prototype, and an F-tuba of the same design. I was convinced that I needed a 5th valve, and if this CC had been available with a 5th valve, I would have tried to purchase it. As it was, I met Daniel Perantoni at the Custom Music display at the Hilton, and he sold me my first tuba, a 3/4 Rudolf Meinl CC. There was also this really nice man there named Robert Tucci, who discussed the capabilities of this instrument with me. Mr. Jacobs came by the booth that morning, and my instructor introduced me to him as well. I did not fully realize what sort of company I had kept that day until later, but what a great time!