I want to know the difference between abb481 and abb681 Amati Tuba

[Tombass]

In a previous post, I was told that the Amati tuba I own is a model called ABB481, but when I looked into it, I wondered if it was ABB681.
If anyone knows of any information on the differences between each model or a website where I can find that information, could you please let me know?

thank you.

[DonO.]

I too used to own an ABB 481. I miss it and wish I’d never sold it! My understanding is that it was branded Amati but was actually made by Cerveny. For some reason these were marketed as Amati in the 1980’s. I bought mine at Tuba Exchange in North Carolina. Some years later Cerveny instruments were unavailable in the USA and when they
came back that same model was re-introduced as the Cerveny CBB 681. The design appears to my eyes to be more or less the same, with the biggest difference being paddle shape. Mine had “Chiclet” shaped paddles (extra points if you remember Chiclets!) and the more modern version has teardrop shaped paddles.

[rodgeman]

I used to own a Cerveny 601 Kaiser BBb tuba so this post caught my attention. I found the following thread which may shine more information on your tuba.

I hope it helps.

viewtopic.php?t=6352

[Tombass]

I too used to own an ABB 481. I miss it and wish I’d never sold it! My understanding is that it was branded Amati but was actually made by Cerveny. For some reason these were marketed as Amati in the 1980’s. I bought mine at Tuba Exchange in North Carolina. Some years later Cerveny instruments were unavailable in the USA and when they
came back that same model was re-introduced as the Cerveny CBB 681. The design appears to my eyes to be more or less the same, with the biggest difference being paddle shape. Mine had “Chiclet” shaped paddles (extra points if you remember Chiclets!) and the more modern version has teardrop shaped paddles.

Thank you for your information. My tuba looks like the attached image, but was it the same?

I think there are differences between Amati and Cerveny depending on the material, but from what you have told me, there is no such thing as ABB681, and is it correct to assume that ABB481, which was sold under the Amati brand, was sold as CBB681 in Cerveny?

[DonO.]

Yes, my paddles were that shape. That’s what I meant by Chiclet shape. A rounded square, if you will.

(For those not as old as I, or perhaps out of the USA, “Chiclets” are a brand of sugar-coated square shaped chewing gum that used to be sold in the USA and, to my knowledge, no longer available. I’m showing my advanced age by using the reference)

Mine also had a contour of sorts, kind of a wave in the metal that served as a tactile guide for finger placement. It’s hard to tell from your photos if yours have that or not. I liked that and I found those keys to be very ergonomic and comfortable. I never saw any other make of tuba use valve keys like that.

[MiBrassFS]

I remember hearing that at one point if it had rotary valves it was made in the Cerveny factory and if it had piston valves it was made in the Amati factory regardless of what was engraved on the bell. How true that was during that period of time, I don’t know for sure.

‘Feel free to “fact-Czech” that data…’

[arpthark]

I learned CC tuba on a tuba branded Amati, essentially the CC version of what you have. It was a rotary valve horn with the “squircle” paddles, just like my Červený Piggy.

viewtopic.php?t=10976