York 6/4 I picked up on eBay some years back. It is a great example of an older York because it is all original, no repairs, and no alterations. The last owner was a collector of antique oddities somewhere in the Midwest. When I received the horn it appeared to have been sitting on a shelf wrapped in plastic for 30-40 years. The slides and valves appear to have about ten years of use on them.
There are no signs of any repair or buffing to the original finish.
Serial number 50974 1913-1915
Finish: Satin Silver with bright accents
It has a 22.5 bell and a height of 39 inches. With the tuning donut disengaged it plays perfectly in tune at A-440. It features a long pull 3rd valve slide. The intonation is very good.
These pictures show the detail of which surfaces were originally satin or bright. The York 91 mouthpiece was found at Dillon Music after I purchased the horn. It is a large shank mouthpiece with a cup-shaped interior. It really does work better for me on this horn than any other mouthpiece I have tried. I really think it is the mouthpiece designed by York for this tuba. The horn has a very colorful resonant tone with a deep low end and a singing high range. It is a joy to play in the symphony and it is surprising how many pieces can be managed with only 3 valves. Sometimes I wonder if the resonance of this horn may in some way be attributed to the fact that it only has 3 valves.
At this time, I will be considering offers above $8000. This is just over the winning bid I put on this some 15 years ago and never regretted the purchase.
PM for more details and a phone call.
Tim Jackson
- York Front.jpg (130.64 KiB) Viewed 2317 times
- York Back .jpg (123.21 KiB) Viewed 2317 times
- York BBb Side View.jpg (114.5 KiB) Viewed 2317 times
