Edit as of February 16: I have reduced the price to $4250, after comparing it with other tubas at the Army Conference.
See my post in this thread for some additional comments.
Original Posting:
Okay, folks, the time has come for this wonderful tuba to find a new home. As some may remember, one of my few posts this year was announcing the purchase of a Hirsbrunner HB-193 Kaiser, which is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own one of the best Bb rotary kaisertubas ever made. But even pre-owned it was much more than I’m able to afford, and I need to pare down the collection a bit.
Despite remorse expressed by a couple of friends, I already traded my Miraphone, and frankly with only some regrets, despite the long friendship between me and that instrument.
Well, the York Master and I have shared a similar friendship, but as I have always said, a relationship with a tuba is not a marriage, and the YM has sat unplayed just too much in the last many years since I bought my Holton. (The Holton will not be for sale.)
So, here’s the story of this instrument:
Maybe 16 or 17 years ago, I wondered, out loud on Tubenet, what were the characteristics that made the big tubas sound so warm and resonant. Yes, that topic has been rehashed a thousand times since then, and it had been hashed out a few times before that. I received a private message from two people: One was Jay Bertolet, who advised me to look around for a tuba like the one he had played when he was studying with Oscar Lagasse (around the time he retired from the Detroit Symphony). That tuba was a York Master, in Bb, and it impressed him so much that he bought a similar instrument (to be sold later when he switched to C). Mr. Lagasse had bought the instrument maybe as early as the late 50’s, or as late as the late 60’s; he could not remember for sure.
The second message came within a day or two from Chuck Guzis, similarly dormant on Tubenet nowadays but always highly respected, and he mentioned that he had an instrument that might bring me some of what I was seeking. It was a York Master. What are the chances of that? And not just any York Master, but the York Master that Mr. Lagasse had kept in his studio, the very instrument that Jay had remembered so fondly.
I traveled to Oregon and met with Chuck, tried it out, and we made the deal, shipping it back in a borrowed Walt Johnson case via Amtrak.
After Lagasse had stopped playing and teaching, his assistant helped him sell the instrument to the new Metropolitan Opera tuba player, Chris Hall. Apparently, Chris was following in his predecessor Herb Wekselblatt’s footsteps in trying out a Bb instrument. After a while, he moved back to C tubas and had sold the instrument to Chuck. But during his ownership, he had it fixed up by Wayne Tanabe at the Brass Bow, including overhauling the valves.
York Master was a marketing brand of what was left of the York Band Instrument Company after it had been acquired by the Carl Fischer Company in 1941. This was their attempt to stay in the pro-quality instrument game when they had switched all Grand Rapids production to student instruments. The larger tubas were made in Germany by Boehm & Meinl, but they were purposely designed to at least resemble a 4/4 York, with front-action piston valves, and a short, fat layout. But the construction details are pro-quality German, with nickel-silver outer slides and mouthpiece receiver, and generally very solidly braced construction. The instrument is no lightweight. This version of the York Master places the fourth-valve branch on the back side, with large, open wraps, and the fourth valve on this tuba absolutely rocks. The B&M factory was bought by Walter Nirschl in 1991 and he continued to make updated versions of this instrument as the B&M Symphonic 5500, but not with the same level of detailing as on this instrument. As I have demonstrated on my website, it’s a large 4/4 or small 5/4 size, at 39 inches tall and with a 20-inch bell. The bore is 19mm (.748” bore) through all four valves.
The valves are tight and work best with Hetman’s Light. Also, I took the instrument to Matt Walters a few years after I bought it and had him vent the valves. The valves are solid and fast, with light springs and no need of anything stronger. Everyone who has ever tried the instrument has commented on how great the valves feel. I found the angle of the valve layout to be wrong for my arm length, and I had an extension button made for the fourth valve. I can no longer find the original button, but trust me, it works better with this extension button.
He also made some adjustments and worked some of his magic tricks to make the instrument play at its best. The upper first slide is fast and they are all properly aligned and move easily.
The instrument is in very good but not perfect condition. One can see where repairs have been made, though the instrument is in first-class playing condition and the appearance is very decent for an instrument that is 55-65 years old. None of the past repairs involved the use of sandpaper, and the engraving is still crisp and clear. I have polished it up this week with Wenol to make it a little shiny but I did not come near it with a buffer or attempt to rag it out in detail. That’s the first time I’ve polished it since I bought it. But it looks quite good as a raw brass tuba, though there is evidence of dent removal and a number of minor dings and impressions.
The tuba comes with both the upright bell and the recording bell. The still-lacquered recording bell has rarely been used and it is in excellent condition. Both bells are constructed to leave no gap, and the upright bell was made by making the whole bell, cutting it, and soldering the attachment ring around the outside. So it is nearly seamless on the inside.
Playing characteristics are excellent and the intonation is quite good, though not perfect. I find the sixth partial to be sharp, but I find that on all my tubas and I think it’s just me. The original mouthpiece receiver was too small, and apparently had never been reamed to the proper taper. Doug Elliott discovered this when I was visiting him to get some mouthpiece consultation, and he reamed it out for me. It will take a similar mouthpiece to a vintage Miraphone, which is smaller than a Euro Shank. Those that are called American shank ought to fit fine, and that’s what I have used. The tuba loves a big mouthpiece and you’ll have no trouble with it sounding woofy. My mouthpiece of choice (not included) is a Doug Elliott T6 cup, which is quite large and deep, more funnel than cup. It’s the one in the pictures that’s almost black from tarnish, except for the gold rim. I’ve gotten used to those stainless steel mouthpieces that don’t tarnish.
I would prefer not to ship the instrument; I’m just too scared to do it and it will take three boxes. If necessary, I’ll see if I can persuade a shop to ship it for me using their truck service, and I’m sure that will be expensive even if they are willing to do it (possibly several hundred dollars, including the cost of having boxes made), and that cost will have to be borne by the buyer. But I will bring it to the Army Conference in February and can deliver it there, and I’m willing to do a bit of driving to meet someone if the deal is firm and if we can pick a hole in my ungodly schedule. I will do my best to make it available for trials for anyone who wants to give it a whirl, but at a place and time that is convenient to me; I live about 50 miles west of Washington, DC. I can usually work something out; I have access to a small church which makes a good place to test an instrument. The recording bell is in its original canvas cover but there is no other case or gig bag with it.
The price is [s]$4900[/s] $4250, and I take cash, secured check of some sort, or personal check if given time for it to clear. I have no way to accept credit cards for an amount that large, sorry. In the event several want it, I reserve the right to choose a buyer based on convenience.
For the price of a price-point instrument, you can get the real deal, with professional-level construction and great provenance. This York Master makes an outstanding general-purpose Bb contrabass tuba for use in any ensemble.
Rick "a little sad, but the time has come" Denney
(hopefully)
