Yamaha York?

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S.G.F.
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Yamaha York?

Post by S.G.F. »

Hi All, does anyone know the best way to go about tracking down a Yamaha York? A name or something more specific than just the company would be a great help.

Thanks in advance,

S.G.F.
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by Kevin Hendrick »

S.G.F. wrote:Hi All, does anyone know the best way to go about tracking down a Yamaha York? A name or something more specific than just the company would be a great help.

Thanks in advance,

S.G.F.
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by ThomasP »

I'm sure if you're a legitimate buyer, and you have cash in hand. Then calling your local Yamaha dealer would get you what you wanted, or say no, then you find a dealer who would deal with you. Or if you have $35,000 how about you hire a translator and just call Yamaha direct.

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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by The Big Ben »

I'm not sure that Yamaha goes strictly by money when it comes to the Yamayork, I think you must be 'chosen'.
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by Neil Bliss »

If the bit on the Yamaha blog is to be believed, they only make two a year. At that rate, there might well be quite a waiting list for one.
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by Wyvern »

Having never played one of these, are they really better than other equivalent handmade tubas such as the Nirschl, or 6450/2 Baer?
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by Alex C »

Neptune wrote:Having never played one of these, are they really better than other equivalent handmade tubas such as the Nirschl, or 6450/2 Baer?
It's opinion time with responses to that.

I played the YamahaYork, I thought it was a very good horn. I'd have to spend a week with it to give you a run down of the pros and cons.

I did not think it was better than a couple of the NIrschl's I've played. It was marginally better than the Yorkbrunner I owned, but not $17,000 better. I haven't liked any of the MW 6/4's I've played but that's personal choice.

Personally, I think I'd take a chance on DP's upcoming Holton currently being ressurected at Oberloh's. I'm afraid that his price would be way more than the Yamaha cost though.
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by Sam Gnagey »

Come play the latest 6/4 CC that we've put together. PM or email me.
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by The Big Ben »

DP wrote:
The Big Ben wrote:I'm not sure that Yamaha goes strictly by money when it comes to the Yamayork, I think you must be 'chosen'.
pfft!
Not chosen by God.... Just the folks at Yamaha. With so few made each year, they would want them where they could be seen or the player could provide them with good feedback to improve the instrument.
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by Wyvern »

The Big Ben wrote:Not chosen by God.... Just the folks at Yamaha. With so few made each year, they would want them where they could be seen or the player could provide them with good feedback to improve the instrument.
I remember hearing that these can only be bought by recognised professionals and that Yamaha will not sell to anyone who turns up with money in hand. I don't know if that is correct?
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by Tom »

Neptune wrote:
The Big Ben wrote:Not chosen by God.... Just the folks at Yamaha. With so few made each year, they would want them where they could be seen or the player could provide them with good feedback to improve the instrument.
I remember hearing that these can only be bought by recognised professionals and that Yamaha will not sell to anyone who turns up with money in hand. I don't know if that is correct?
You guys can all laugh all you want about how crazy all of this is, but I know for a fact that it is all true...

Yamaha will come to you to ask if you are interested in a Yamaha York if they feel you are "worthy" of having one. Not the other way around. Even when Yamaha comes to you, they are not free and command between $30,000 and $35,0000. It is all setup by Yamaha Artist Services.

They are in extremely limited production and Yamaha has a waiting list of people they want to get them to without having even opened up ordering to the public. The only way to get one without being "chosen" is to talk a "chosen one" out of theirs. though it might seem very odd to some of us, they cannot be ordered by the general public even if you have cash in hand.
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by tubaguy9 »

hahaha...Yamaha...[rant]I'm sorry, in my opinion, the best Yamaha tuba I've tried was their marching tuba...I haven't tried much in the way of Yamahas, but to me their sound is bland, and they charge too much for what they give you.
But that's just me. I know there are pros that use them and they love them. Then again, they could make a garbage can sound like a tuba :shock: .
My opinion to Yamaha? Start making your horns that you ship out sound better. I wish I had a horn Yamaha would want to be judged by. But, they don't. If I were Yamaha, I would be disappointed in the sound of a lot of the horns I put out.[/rant]

EDITED for capitalization and Todd being a grammar nazi :P :twisted:
Last edited by tubaguy9 on Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by Todd S. Malicoate »

tubaguy9 wrote:hahaha...yamaha...[rant]I'm sorry, in my opinion, the best yamaha tuba I've tried was their marching tuba...I haven't tried much in the way of yamaha's, but to me their sound is bland, and they charge too much for what they give you.
But that's just me. I know there are pros that use them and they love them. Then again, they could make a garbage can sound like a tuba :shock: .
My opinion to Yamaha? Start making your horns that you ship out sound better. I wish I had a horn Yamaha would want to be judged by. But, they don't. If I were Yamaha, I would be disappointed in the sound of a lot of the horns I put out.[/rant]
I don't understand your argument. You say Yamaha produces a horn that sounds bland but admit that pros can make them sound good. If the Yamaha sound is "bland," how do you suppose Yamaha performing artists make them sound so good? If the pros can do it, why can't you?

I mean, either the brand name has a certain sound or it doesn't. You seem to be arguing both. What could Yamaha do that would make you happy without devoting the time and dedication required to sound like a pro on their horns?

Oh, and as long as I'm being a jerk...Yamaha should always be capitalized. Plural words don't usually use an apostrophe (Yamahas, not Yamaha's unless you mean "belonging to Yamaha"). Opinions are fine, but ones that make logical sense are much more likely to influence people.

Todd, hoping to someday play test one of the famous YamaYorks
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by tubaguy9 »

What I was basically meaning to say, is some people like them, but I don't. As I had basically said in there, it was a rant. As I had said, it was all opinion, nothing can really be backed up besides that pros use them.
And yes, I'd love to try a better Yamaha. I honestly think I probably haven't gotten to try one of the better Yamaha tubas.
Todd, I don't think you're being mean, just providing a valuable argument.
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by jameseuph642 »

hahaha...Yamaha...[rant]I'm sorry, in my opinion, the best Yamaha tuba I've tried was their marching tuba...I haven't tried much in the way of Yamahas, but to me their sound is bland, and they charge too much for what they give you.
But that's just me. I know there are pros that use them and they love them. Then again, they could make a garbage can sound like a tuba .
My opinion to Yamaha? Start making your horns that you ship out sound better. I wish I had a horn Yamaha would want to be judged by. But, they don't. If I were Yamaha, I would be disappointed in the sound of a lot of the horns I put out.[/rant]

EDITED for capitalization and Todd being a grammar nazi

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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by Toobist »

the elephant wrote:
jameseuph642 wrote:
hahaha...Yamaha...[rant]I'm sorry, in my opinion, the best Yamaha tuba I've tried was their marching tuba...I haven't tried much in the way of Yamahas, but to me their sound is bland, and they charge too much for what they give you.
But that's just me. I know there are pros that use them and they love them. Then again, they could make a garbage can sound like a tuba .
My opinion to Yamaha? Start making your horns that you ship out sound better. I wish I had a horn Yamaha would want to be judged by. But, they don't. If I were Yamaha, I would be disappointed in the sound of a lot of the horns I put out.[/rant]

EDITED for capitalization and Todd being a grammar nazi

Find a practice room.
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I've played the Yamayork (or whatever everyone's calling it) and it's phenomenal. It's the most efficient big horn I've ever played. In fact, I was setting it up against my Nirschl 4/4 and it was actually both lighter (weight-wise which was surprising considering the size) and nimbler. The way I described it's playability at the time was: "If you put it outside in a strong breeze, it would play its !*@#(% self." As for tuning, I couldn't find a bum note on the thing and believe me, I tried.

As for the availability, I'm hoping I may be able to pull some strings with Yamaha Canada if I'm ever asked to sell one of these to anyone.

Oh. I've played a Miraphone before but didn't like it. Therefore they suck. Oh, I've met a person from England before and we didn't get along. Therefore that whole colony is full o' stupids. I drank a beer once but it wasn't very good. Beer sucks - including stout, ale and lager because it just makes sense that if I'd smelled the cap of a random beer, I know how they'll all taste. In case you hadn't notice, this paragraph is entirely meant to sound sarcastic. Uninformed opinions... or rather speculation, are the sort of poison that makes a forum like this a mine field of information and misinformation. Imagine if a particular Yamaha tuba was the perfect match for you or one of your students. And then imagine you or your student passing on the correct horn that would've been great for you/him/her because they're susceptible to the 'opinions' on this forum where somebody thought they'd "voice an opinion."

I TRIED the horn in question. Therefore, I HAVE an opinion. Anyone who doesn't have actual first-hand INFORMATION is spouting SPECULATION and making this forum a less viable source for ACTUAL information.

Flame away kids.

Now THAT's a rant.

A note to all of you who think rants
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by Virtuoso »

Haven't tried the york, but all the yamahas I've tried, with the exception of the 103, have had an excellent sound about them (822, 641, 631, 621). I didn't take a strong liking to the smaller horns, as my preference is for the larger horns, and I don't think they're worth buying new, but I cannot deny that they have excellent intonation and tone quality.

David "who would like to try the York sometime" Neider
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by Wyvern »

I have heard the Gnagey 6/4 compared as similar playing wise to the Yamayork.

Gene Pokorny did say that the Yamayork is actually lighter than the CSO originals.
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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by pigman »

My God have you all lost your minds? for $35,000. it would have to b--- -- . How many jobs out there pay 35K? It cant be that great. Lets get a grip. Look what our forfathers played on and how well they played.

BUY A TUBA LEARN TO PLAY.
BUY A MOUTHPIECE LEARN TO PLAY.

Its an INSTRUMENT. The music comes from within.

By the way Every Yamie Ive ever played felt like a dead fish in my lap.
and just for a parting shot...
My 3 Valve martin plays better than York #1. flat out better

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Re: Yamaha York?

Post by imperialbari »

Did somebody miss out on his swine-flu shot?
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