Please, tell me the truth!!!

[Robson]

Hi guys!

I just bought a York Monster Eb tuba (upright) and I have a project in my mind

I've seen several projects with 5 valves, but I'm thinking about having a compensating system

I know that the York is extremely American, and the compensating system is very British so this project is "different".... but please, tell me the truth! Is it a dumb idea? Is it gonna work?

[York-aholic]

If it is playable currently, how is the intonation of the open partials now? How do the notes around low Bb and A speak?

If those are quite good now, I say go for it. If they semi-stink now, I doubt that they will improve dramatically by putting a different valve system on.

[Robson]

If it is playable currently, how is the intonation of the open partials now? How do the notes around low Bb and A speak?

If those are quite good now, I say go for it. If they semi-stink now, I doubt that they will improve dramatically by putting a different valve system on.

I'm new here on the forum. I live in Brazil and this tuba is going to take a long time to arrive here, so I can't answer your question about its behavior

From what I can see, you are a York-aholic hahahaha Please tell me more about York Monsters Eb tuba projects. Have you played one that you really liked?

[bloke]

What's wrong with the tuba to which the compensating system is currently attached?

[Robson]

What's wrong with the tuba to which the compensating system is currently attached?

Great question Bloke!!! With your question I started to understand the reason why there is almost no compensating projects. It's not just a cultural difference between the countries.... It's very hard to get a compensating valve block

Nobody would buy a expensive Besson or a professional Yamaha just to take the compensating system, unless you are very lucky to find a tuba for a very low price (with a crushed body, for instance)

Like I told you, I live in Brazil, a very poor place. Americans and Europeans are used with hi-end Chinese tubas, like Eastman and Wessex, but here in Brazil we can also find other Chinese brands like Hoyden and Quasar (both have a compensated model). It's not hard to find one on a affordable price here in Brazil.

Now I have bought just the York Monster, but I have no other instrument to take the compensating system....

Except for the availability, is there any other problem with this idea (adding a compensating system on a York Monster)?

[bloke]

I'm just wondering if you find a 19-in compensating E flat that you can buy direct from China, if you might just want to play the instrument as it is and see if that's going to satisfy you, and - if not - tear the valve section off of it and stick it on your York thing.

Building a tuba from random parts is not a 100% promise of perfection.

I've been pretty lucky. The only one I've put together that didn't particularly sparkle was a huge Holton that played badly out of tune as a B-flat and which I converted to C - adding valves as I had parts available (which at that time I had far less access to parts). Even that instrument wasn't any worse in C than it was in B flat, but whatever on that.

[Robson]

I'm just wondering if you find a 19-in compensating E flat that you can buy direct from China, if you might just want to play the instrument as it is and see if that's going to satisfy you, and - if not - tear the valve section off of it and stick it on your York thing.

Building a tuba from random parts is not a 100% promise of perfection.

I've been pretty lucky. The only one I've put together that didn't particularly sparkle was a huge Holton that played badly out of tune as a B-flat and which I converted to C - adding valves as I had parts available (which at that time I had far less access to parts). Even that instrument wasn't any worse in C than it was in B flat, but whatever on that.

When you have a project in your mind, how do you get the parts? Do you try to find beaten up tubas on eBay?