Oh Klaus, you have wounded me to the quick - I thought it was just an inexpensive trick as it would not even require a pair of inexpensive calipers as Bloke was exhorting all to purchase some time ago.
I'm gonna go sulk and maybe even cry in my beer now.
Try to expand that experience doing some cry o’ genics to your beer.
Yes, it is an Eb York. York saved a lot of money, particularly during the Great Depession, by making several models of tubas with a lot of common parts. The York standard BBb and "
monster" Eb tubas had the same bell and bottom bow, and valvesets, therefore having the same measured dimensions.
The 4/4 and 5/4 Yorks differ primarily in that the bell is longer, having the same starting and ending dimensions, just a different, longer taper. The bottom bow and branches are the same on the 4/4 and 5/4 Yorks, and the difference in overall instrument length is made up for in the main tuning slide area.
Your instrument appears to have a Conn sousaphone bit soldered into the receiver. That is a very bad idea, and should be removed. Otherwise, it should be a really fun player. BTW, the Yorks of that era have a good, thick silver-plating, so with elbow grease(and silver polish), it should really look like a milluion bucks.
The Conn sousaphone bit.....just remove and I should be fine? Seems like the leadpipe is pretty short if I remove the Conn bit.....maybe the original was cut back??