Yamaha YBB 621, What do you know about it?

[tubaplyer]

Hello fellow players,

Has anyone had any experience with the YBB 621, the BBb version of the 3/4 CC that seems to be fairly popular? I have never seen one or played one, but I have to say I am curious. How is the intonation? Is it a worthy investment? Why do we see so few of them?

A

[Chadtuba]

I played one for about a year on loan from a buddy. It was a very nice playing horn but it is definitely a smaller horn. It was great for chamber ensembles and I imagine would be a nice solo horn, but it did not do well in larger ensembles where I was the only tuba. I'd really like a small BBb and if I ever find the right deal on one I wouldn't hesitate to get it after playing it first. As with any horn, try before you buy as YMMV.

[sloan]

Well made, small, expensive.

Not many on the "used" market. What does that tell you?

[tbn.al]

I bought one from Matt Waters and played it about 6 months. At the end of that trial period I went back to my 184. I later replaced the 184 with a blokerized O-99. So I guess my response is, I really liked it but not as much as my 184 or O-99.

[bearphonium]

One of our Tuba Ensemble players bought one about 2 months ago. He really likes it, and it sounds pretty good. I haven't taken it for a test oompah yet, however...

[Chriss2760]

I bought mine about five years ago from a dealer in San Antonio. The story was that the school district ordered it and then freaked out at the retail price when it came in. They put it up for auction with a starting bid of $4500, which was their cost. (And that is a very good price. You have to be moving a bunch of Yamaha stuff to get it wholesale for that.) I was the only bidder.
As for the horn, its smaller, but it isn't any lighter than my Mira 186 BBb. And maybe its just because I expect it to be lighter that it actually feels heavier. On the plus side, I slipped on the ice while walking/playing a couple of years ago and landed bell-first on the sidewalk. I expected a MAJOR crease/dent, but it didn't leave a scratch. We were all amazed, (it sounded bad when we hit.)
This is the most responsive horn I've ever played. I usually use Paul Sidey's original SSH (stainless steel Helleberg) mp with it, although it likes bowl shaped mp's too. There's no "coasting" with the SSH; if its been a long gig or you're otherwise a bit tired, the lack of back pressure/resistance in the combination gives one the impression that they are being sucked into the horn. That's when I go the smaller bore & bowl-shaped route.
As for the pistons, I'm more of a rotor guy these days, and I have to be a bit more attentive (deliberate) when I haven't played the 621 for awhile. But that's not a big issue. After I'd had the horn for a couple of years I went to lighter springs and don't have any complaints at all. You do have to keep them clean, but they are very fast.
One last thing: The sound from the horn is much more focused than that of my Miraphone and has less resonance. "Punchy" is a term I'd use, somewhat similar to a bass 'bone. I've also heard them referred to as "whoofy", and I guess it could be played that way, but I don't. I use the horn for tuba 4tet, brass 5tet, and the jazz and Dixieland gigs. The sound is perfect for this, and the horn looks great and is a lot of fun to play.
Here's a clip of the little horn in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZWyhnmLPyA" target="_blank" target="_blank