Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 2:05 pm
I'm under the impression that YBB-621s are rarely available used. A few weeks ago in this forum I offered to trade a nice YFB-621 for a YBB-621 and got not a single reply. I follow tuba sales here and on eBay fairly closely and have never seen a YBB-621 offered.
However, I did find a very workable alternative. I'd called Dave Fedderly at Baltimore Brass to inquire about Weril's 3/4 size 4-valve tuba and instead wound up trying out a Cerveny 683 Arion (aka "piggy"). It's about the same overall dimensions as my YFB-621 but with a bigger throat. I've played it twice with my quintet and nobody even noticed I was playing something other than the Yamaha. It also works just fine in my Dixieland group and concert band. And it's a whole lot less expensive than the Yamaha YxBs. If your friend is looking for a small but versatile BBb and can't find a used YBB-621, she might find the Cerveny a reasonable choice.
However, I did find a very workable alternative. I'd called Dave Fedderly at Baltimore Brass to inquire about Weril's 3/4 size 4-valve tuba and instead wound up trying out a Cerveny 683 Arion (aka "piggy"). It's about the same overall dimensions as my YFB-621 but with a bigger throat. I've played it twice with my quintet and nobody even noticed I was playing something other than the Yamaha. It also works just fine in my Dixieland group and concert band. And it's a whole lot less expensive than the Yamaha YxBs. If your friend is looking for a small but versatile BBb and can't find a used YBB-621, she might find the Cerveny a reasonable choice.