An oldie, but maybe a goodie ? serial # 57007 dates it to 1919- 1920 , patented July 12, 1910 is stamped on a badge attached to one of the loops ( I believe this is high/low pitch ) but I dont really understand that.
There's only a little of the original silver left , it has a small reciever , 19" bell and approx. 33 inches tall .
Any info on this would be of tremendous value and greatly appreciated . This was dug out from the back of the community band closet .
It sounds great ! http://i51.tinypic.com/s4ym86.jpg" target="_blank" target="_blank
Last edited by jamsav on Mon Sep 27, 2010 9:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
That's a wonderful old tuba, and it appears to be in pretty good shape. You may find that the middle Ab is very flat when played with the 1st valve, but is right on with 1-2-3. I inherited a 4-valve version of the same horn, pretty beat up. In spite of that intonation quirk and in spite of my dislike of top-action tubas and in spite of its small mouthpiece receiver I still loved playing it. Eventually I flipped it around, put on a brand-new front-action four-valve set with a larger bore along with a new leadpipe, and it's one of my favorite tubas.
Ab is still flat, but the alternate fingering still works. High G needs to be played with the 3rd valve.
In a crowded tuba section you can lay it across your lap between numbers without crashing into your neighbors, and when you stand it on its bell it never falls over.
If there is a Kelly mouthpiece that you like it is easy to file down the shank to fit the old York receiver. ( it is also easy to replace the old receiver with a standard-size one.)
There's no need to be jealous - I am about to post a BBb and an Eb for sale. And, Kanstul is making new 4-valve versions. The 4-top-piston BBb called the model 33-T(T for "top-valve"), the 33-S (S for "side-valve")is a 4- or 5-front valve version. And, there is the 66-T and 66-S, which are the Eb tuba. And, the new Kanstul versions have a modern receiver and are very well in-tune.
These are great playing horns.
I would overhaul it and order a Kanstul 4 valve top action valve set to upgrade it.
It should fit just right! I played my entire undergrad at MSM on a Modell 33 York with 4 top action valves, it served me well.
Best of Luck,
Frank
Frank Ortega
Band Director
Saddle Brook MS/HS
The Bloomfield Civic Band
Music Director/Conductor
Bon Temps Brass
To explain the patented loop, the early Yorks had a little "donut" that could be connected to the main tuning slide to have it play in low pitch, about A=432, or taken out and connected to itself, so it wouldn't be in the air path to have it play in high pitch, about A=452. I had a 4 valve front action York Eb that had that arrangement. I found that if I played it without the loop in place it could be played in modern pitch with the main slide all the way out. I would have kept the York, but I actually preferred the way my Besson 983 played, but there are times when I wish I still had the York.
Besson 983
Henry Distin 1897 BBb tuba
Henry Distin 1898 BBb Helicon
Eastman EBB226
