Used Mack Brass York Baritone

[tobysima`]

Hello Everyone,
I found a used York baritone horn on Mack Brass for $295. It does not appear compensating to me. For three-valve baritones, is compensating superior? If it is, how so? If there isn't that big of a difference, that will be my lifetime baritone if it doesn't play like crap. But, given that it's a York, I have high expectations.

[acemorgan]

If you are not yet a member, I would suggest joining Dave Werden's forum at dwerden.com. He has a lot of information about compensating instruments, including an interactive video. I know I am oversimplyfying, but a 3 valve compensating system addresses intonation, where a 4 valve extends range (and improves intonation). Check out Dave's information.

[WC8KCY]

It's definitely a non-compensating baritone.

That tightly-wrapped main tuning slide in the leadpipe concerns me--it's possible that this baritone could really sing in the high registers, but at the expense of a stuffy and weak low range, which is where the compensating system would kick in.

Being from 1913, it could be built to be in tune with itself at anywhere from A=435 to A=455, so be prepared to deal with those vagaries.

That said, you won't really know for sure how even the response and tuning is from top to bottom until you test-play it.