Wanted: 5th valve on 321 Euph

[Will]

I saw this horn for sale in the For Sale board. From looking at the picture and reading the description, it looks like the 5th valve slides on in place of the 4th valve slide. Is this correct?

Where could I get this attachment for my 321? I'm very interested.

[Ed Jones]

The fifth valve option was offered as a stop gap measure until Yamaha developed their first compensating euphonium, the 621. As near as I can tell, they were manufactured in limited quanities. They are extremely rare and if you find one fore sale, it might cost you more than what you paid for your euphonium.

Just for the record, the fifth valve attachment WILL NOT be sold separately from the euphonium.

[David]

I dont know why you would want one. You can play down in there fine with 4 valves.

[Will]

Playing down there is no problem. I'd just like an option that wouldn't require a lot of slide pulling or changing of the embouchure for low C or B natural.

[imperialbari]

The fifth valve option was offered as a stop gap measure until Yamaha developed their first compensating euphonium, the 621.

The first compensating euphonium made by Yamaha was the YEP-641, which has a 0.591" bore through the 3 first valves and a 0.661" bore in the 4th valve. I own one of the last made samples of this model. I have had a main tuning slide trigger added to it. I am most satisfied with this wonderful instrument, which fits my ideas about the euphonium being a tenor tuba. I play it through a Yeo signature bassbone mouthpiece. As a ringer covering euph, bassbone, and tuba books within the same concerts I really have enjoyed the Swiss army knife versatility of my 641, when I couldn’t bring more than one instrument.

The YEP-621 also has the 3+1 valve set-up, but it is non-compensating. Like the 641 it has a large (that is bass trombone size) mouthpiece receiver. However its bore is 0.571" through all four valves, a feature it shares with the YEP-321.

A local friend of mine plays the YEP-621, which I tried through my said Yeo mouthpiece. The 621 is a wonderful and extremely playable instrument, very well in tune in all ranges not challenging its lack of the compensating system. For my personal taste it is just a shade too bright and light sounding, but most people wouldn’t take that as a criticism, as I am playing darker and bigger, than the general taste dictates.

I don’t like all of Yamaha’s brass instruments, but as a (now retired) brass teacher, I was immensely relieved, when they introduced their student lines 30+ years ago. The level of intonation and playability was raised significantly from former standards.

Yamaha has a marketing planning, which isn’t always obviously smart to Westeners.

The YEP-621 is marketed in Europe (at least here in Denmark), but not in the US. In my eyes Yamaha could make mega-bucks by marketing the 621 on the US market.

The 621 is the way best 3+1 non-comp euph, I ever tried. Also much better than any of the 4-in-line non-compers. Many younger players and upper end amateurs wanting to step up from a 321 to a real instrument would be better served by the 621 than by the often heavy (and always expensive) compensating euphoniums, which offer some features, which these categories of players never really will exploit.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre