Huge monster tuba

tuba · Post by **tuba** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 5:13 am

http://www.ma.utexas.edu/users/friedman/tuba.jpg

Found this while I was surfing tonight. Looks like the biggest rotary tuba I've seen in a while. Might write the guy and see what it is.

Will · Post by **Will** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 7:00 am

It looks like a Yamaha 641. Maybe the angle of the camera makes it look big.

Liberty Mo · Post by **Liberty Mo** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 8:52 am

Matthew Kaufman owns a beautiful 6/4 Rudy BBb.....now thats the biggest rotory tuba I have seen....

viewtopic.php?t=2529&highlight=rudy+6+4

Shockwave · Post by **Shockwave** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 3:17 pm

Is it bigger than this one?

-Eric

Joe Baker · Post by **Joe Baker** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 3:40 pm

Several reasons I DON'T think it's a Yamaha 641:

o Curve of leadpipe around bell (least convincing; could have been done to make the horn fit the player)

o Curve of leadpipe into valves (most convincing; would be a dickens to change)

o S-links on valves -- I've never seen a Yamaha with S-links.

I DO think there's a bit of a "fisheye lens" effect. The player's hand nearer the camera looks somewhat larger than the other. So the horn probably is not as large as it appears, but may still be larger than average. How long has Meinl Westin made the Fafner? It (with the leadpipe lowered) or some earlier MW big-boy would be my ignorant guess.
______________________________
Joe Baker, who would not bet the rent money that he's right.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 4:47 pm

Well, I have seen YBB-641s with the curved leadpipe and S links. In fact, my Yamaha catalog shows them that way.

I'm going to go with Yamaha...I have a catalog showing S links and a curved leadpipe, and the layout of the slides points to Yamaha, too...

Charlie Goodman · Post by **Charlie Goodman** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 5:01 pm

Shockwave, that is one ugly tuba.

Doug@GT · Post by **Doug@GT** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 5:55 pm

My guess is that it's a MW 25, or some variant (old one definitley, due to the valves).

elimia · Post by **elimia** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 6:26 pm

What about just asking the dude?

Doug@GT · Post by **Doug@GT** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 11:18 pm

elimia wrote:What about just asking the dude?

Because the point of message boards is for us to make uneducated guesses about pictures and be thoroughly embarrassed when the truth comes out.

Kevin Hendrick · Post by **Kevin Hendrick** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 11:40 pm

elimia wrote:What about just asking the dude?

I did just that about an hour ago ... here's his reply:

Kevin,

It is a Yamaha YBB641 BBb. I think it looks bigger than it is in the picture. I'm 5'10'' so about average height, I guess. Maybe it is the chair I was sitting on.

By the way, I really like the tuba, but haven't played much for
quite a few years. I was never much of a tuba player - did better on trumpet and trombone. Lately, I've been playing pedal steel guitar mostly (!)

Best,

chas friedman

Joe Baker · Post by **Joe Baker** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 11:48 pm

Well, I'm feeling p-r-e-t-t-y smug right now...

... having NOT bet the rent money

____________________________
Joe Baker, who is wrong often enough to be really good at it!

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 12:25 am

Tom wrote:Well, I have seen YBB-641s with the curved leadpipe and S links. In fact, my Yamaha catalog shows them that way.

I'm going to go with Yamaha...I have a catalog showing S links and a curved leadpipe, and the layout of the slides points to Yamaha, too...

Here's a pic from Dillon's website showing exactly what I'm talking about:

OldBandsman · Post by **OldBandsman** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:11 am

I suppose the next question is "How old is the 641 in the original picture?" I know that new ones have a lead pipe aligned with a straight run through the valves and straight rod links on the valve mechanism. Mine is from mid 1980s and has this aligned lead pipe and s (or more properly f from F-holes in violins) shaped links. I'd bet the one pictured must be older than mine. When did Yamaha start making this model?

Kevin Hendrick · Post by **Kevin Hendrick** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 10:33 am

OldBandsman wrote:I suppose the next question is "How old is the 641 in the original picture?" ... When did Yamaha start making this model?

According to Yamaha's history page for the YBB641 ...

http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/Con ... TE,00.html

... they started producing it in 1976.

OldBandsman · Post by **OldBandsman** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 11:03 am

Thanks, Kevin!

TubaRay · Post by **TubaRay** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 4:20 pm

TUBACHRIS85 wrote:
BOO-YAH!

I knew I was right!

You know. I haven't been able to make that statement honestly since I was in middle school. In fact, there have been many things that I was absolutely positive about, which I later discovered I was wrong about. I have learned that I am never certain I am right, anymore.

I know. I know. Well, actually, I guess I don't know.

Rick Denney · Post by **Rick Denney** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 5:23 pm

TubaRay wrote:In fact, there have been many things that I was absolutely positive about, which I later discovered I was wrong about.

I thought I was wrong once, but then I discovered I was mistaken.

Rick "who thinks Ray will remember that one" Denney

TubeNet

Huge monster tuba

Huge monster tuba

Ask and ye shall receive :-)