...

[T. J. Ricer]

If anyone who goes wants to check out that Yamaha 631 Eb and report back, I'd like to hear about it, too..

T. J. "Even farther from BBC than Ian" Ricer

[Doug Elliott]

I've been at the Army conference the past couple of days playing the Yamaha Eb since it's right in front of me at the BB exhibit. It's very nice, easy fast response, and in tune. There are only 3 tiny dimples that I see, no real dents or wear at all.

[imperialbari]

BBC hasn’t uploaded a photo of the King pit-BBb yet. It is told to have 4 valves, but are these the usual 4 in-line valves with the 4th valve lowering the instrument a fourth?

Or is it really a 3 valve instrument with a shift valve to select between a high and a low leadpipe? (High-low position, not H-L pitch).

Any ideas about the bore of that instrument?

Klaus

[bisontuba]

Pit Tubas have just one lead pipe...not the Big Joe tuba with 2 pipes. Regular 4th v. Bore is either .687 or .750.
Mark

[cjk]

My experience with Yamaha tubas is that (assuming good condition: no red-rot, and not beat-up) same-model Yamaha tubas play nearly identically.

I've owned two (bought to sell) 631 Eb tubas. My experience is that they offer a brighter/clearer sound than many large-bell 3+1 comp. Eb tubas (slightly smaller bell diameter, I'm thinking), and the intonation is very good.

I may be mistaken, but I believe cjk (a good tuba player here on tubenet) owns one, and I'm thinking that Micah Everett (low brass: University of Mississippi) formerly owned one, liked it very much, but (for ergonomic reasons only) moved to a front-action instrument. Ask him, though.

Were I one who used an Eb tuba in a quintet or to play solos, I would take a careful look at the (discontinued) model 631...but I use Eb instruments (just about exclusively) to play in jazz bands, and mine is (as many here know) a 52-year-old Besson 3+1 24" recording bell version...and though I have loved playing many comp. Eb tubas, just can't justify keeping more than one for my own use. ...I ~LOVE~ buying/playing them for a good while - prior to selling them, though.

I've not playing any of the ROTARY versions of the King pit tubas, so "no comment" (??)...though all same-model King tubas (again; assuming good condition) also tend to play very much the same.

Yep. I have a 631 and it's everything all these huge piston F tubas wish they coiuld be. It's stellar, just fabulous. It has around a 17 inch bell, not 19 inches as the description says at BBC.