Wessex chicago york vs Eastman 836 vs bmb 6/4 cc

[Matt G]

Definitely cuter!

[jtuba]

But there are not many professionals playing Frankentuba 6/4’s

. Pro with a frankentuba.....

If I have my facts correct, the pro referenced here has this instrument on loan from the owner. I wonder what the owner paid, knowing who I think built it, probably more than 5K.

While we're at it, didn't the Boston Symphony tubist play a Nirshl York w/ Kanstul bell, so "franken" tuba lite? Also considerably more than 5K.

Point being, yes, for the rest of us a 5k frankentuba is probably gonna be fine for our lowly needs. And if we all start flooding busy 5K repair people/tuba builders to make horns they won't be 5K for long. And as another poster mentioned, you start a better chance as a storefront selling something "prefab" to make whatever little margin is possible than investing all of your time in labor. Then there's the waiting. I can have A tuba today, or B tuba four months from now. And four turns to six...seven...

Discerning pros demand more out of their instruments. They're on the radio all the time, I however am not. I already have more than I really need

[Matt G]

I do not know Warren Deck, but many people who do have told me of his endless adulteration of instruments.

Yeah, I’ve heard the same about various horns in various stages of assembly and modification in his basement back in the 1990s.

I forget what the combination was that he was playin in Houston, maybe Alex and Holton, but I believe he did all of that work himself?

[roweenie]

Technically, CSO York 1 would qualify as a Frankentuba, if my memory serves me right. First, the leadpipe was replaced by Lyon & Healy. Then the valve section was replaced by Peter Hirsbrunner. I may be wrong, but I think that is what I have read. Pro with a frankentuba.

I don't know about #1 having its valveset being replaced by Hirsbrunner, but I have my pet theory that both of those horns were built from the get-go with valvesets sourced from outside the York factory.

I've never seen an original 4 valve York tuba (side-action, of course), in a catalog or in the wild, that sports anything but a "sousaphone-style" valve set (diagonal). I've been to the Conn-Selmer plant, and have watched how valvesets are made - it is an INVOLVED process. With that in mind, WHY would JW York go through the extensive effort of engineering, developing, tooling and manufacturing a vertical-style set, only to put it on TWO instruments?

At that time, to my certain knowledge, the only manufacturer who was making valvesets like that (.750 bore/vertical) was Holton, and considering their past history of collaboration, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that York would source them from there.

My $0.02 - I can't prove it, of course, but it sure seems logical.

So, assuming this is true, both of the two Chicago York tubas would be "frankentubas", right from the factory......

[roweenie]

At some point in their manufacturing, York apparently changed the length of their .750 bore pistons.




Both of those pistons are from model 712 horns - the left, from circa 1922, and the right from around 1928.

My guess is they shortened the stroke to compete with other manufacturers' "short action" models.

[roweenie]

Yes. The distance between the ports is reduced, so the stem is also shorter - it might not be as obvious in that photo, but it is significant enough that they also shortened the overall length of the piston.

IMHO, the Yorkmaster/B&M valveset is a fine choice for that horn - the quality is great, and it's about as close to original as you can get, short of having an actual York set to use