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I was once offered a YCB-621 clone to play. Not sure if it's from the same source as this one (which was claimed to tune at a peculiar B - much like the Cb jinbao appeared a while ago). I could get one at the $900-1000 range (about 6 months ago). Luckily i was able to playtest it - they seems to have copied the outer dimensions of the 621 but not the inner - it played so differently, so out of tune, and so difficult to play.

Again, buy Chinese tubas only if you get the opportunity to playtest one, or have someone handle it for you.

Would never recommend buying from ebay when the seller is using brochure pictures or manipulated images like the one is in this listing it smacks of a box mover who does not understand what he is selling.
And as always playtest or failing that buy from a source that it can be easily and cheaply returned too if it does not play well.

I wonder when they'll pull out a YFB-621 clone...

arpthark wrote:I wonder when they'll pull out a YFB-621 clone...

... or a YEB-621 ...

The first run of cloned YFB-621's might indeed play like YEB-621's. or YF#B-621's. Or YGB-621's... you get the picture. Actually, joking aside, on the few Chinese copies I've played, I thought the pitch was, in general, very manageable.

arpthark wrote:The first run of cloned YFB-621's might indeed play like YEB-621's. or YF#B-621's. Or YGB-621's... you get the picture. Actually, joking aside, on the few Chinese copies I've played, I thought the pitch was, in general, very manageable.

Just thinking they might want to go for the pitch (Eb) that Yamaha didn't make (though Weril apparently did, "a few" years ago).

I think there are many different makes of valves in the Chinese market. I have played a Fletcher Eb copy and, though the horn i tried was supplied with very funny valve buttons, the piston itself was very well made and worked very well (and the horn played marvellous as well. Only if i could justify myself buying one... ).
The yamaha clone i played, however, had its valveset made to LOOK a lot like the original yamaha valveset. Felts and valve guides were (of course) improperly placed and of improper thickness (producing a clunking sound), and i would say it's long way from being the standard of the Fletcher clone.
My $0.02