Satin Silver York Master

[York-aholic]

NIce looking horn.

https://www.heritagemusicrepair.com/shop/p/york-tuba

[KingTuba1241X]

1) Cool horn, actually amazing horn and might be one of a handful or less left in the world
2) I wonder what "horn replaced" in 2001 means? typo?
3) That gig bag...Protec/Wessex/Superfine Cases/Messina take note of that and offer to build a production version of this!

[bort2.0]

Possibly meant "re-plated"?

It's a very pretty tuba, either way!

[hrender]

Agreed, very nice.

[MG]

That’s a beauty. The Stearns Collection at the University of Michigan has an original York that looks a lot like that. Stellar condition as well.

[hrender]

Has anyone had any success making or acquiring upright bells for these?

[jonesbrass]

Isn’t this one of the German/B&M built ones?


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[KingTuba1241X]

Isn’t this one of the German/B&M built ones?


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I think all the York "Master" models are B&M. The actual Yorks are all US made? Yes.

[jonesbrass]

Isn’t this one of the German/B&M built ones?


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I think all the York "Master" models are B&M. The actual Yorks are all US made? Yes.

That was my understanding, too . . . So why would we consider this one “rare,” other than the great condition?

[York-aholic]

Not rare, uncommon certainly, yes made by B&M in Germany, modeled after the (Grand Rapids) York 716.

Don’t think they originally came in anything but lacquer. Love the satin silver look on this one.

[KingTuba1241X]

Isn’t this one of the German/B&M built ones?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think all the York "Master" models are B&M. The actual Yorks are all US made? Yes.

That was my understanding, too . . . So why would we consider this one “rare,” other than the great condition?

Rare in satin silver, and uncommon under normal circumstances.

[LargeTuba]

That’s a beauty. The Stearns Collection at the University of Michigan has an original York that looks a lot like that. Stellar condition as well.

I checked that out and they have the tuba labeled as a baritone

[bloke]

Same pistons (though description says "rebuilt", so likely now oversized) as the European instruments which were all originally using Nirschl valvesets (smaller diameter pistons).

[Rick Denney]

Has anyone had any success making or acquiring upright bells for these?

Kanstul made a replacement uptight bell for the York Master, or at least prototyped it. Lee Stofer had one at an Army conference.

These bells weren’t made like King bells. B&M made a complete bell without the joint, installed an attachment ring where it fit tightly, and then cut the bell at the edge of the ring. The result was a perfect fit inside the bell. The replacement was less perfect, but replacing one of those bells will always be less perfect.

Rick “thinking the Marzan variation might have had a better bell” Denney

[tofu]

.

[Rick Denney]

I expect the previous owner (or his previous owner) sent it to Wayne Tanabe at some point, and he rebuilt the valves and restored the instrument, which may have been when the satin silver appeared. In the 90's, Wayne was one of the go-to guys for high-end repairs--my own York Master (which had been owned by Oscar Lagasse) had been overhauled by Wayne (including the valves) by its next owner.

The valves on that instrument were simply superb. That's one thing I really miss. The geometry wasn't right--my arms wouldn't sit on the instrument where my pinky could reach the fourth valve easily--but the operation of the valves was solid and quiet, and not clunky at all like the valves on my Holton (notwithstanding their perfect restored condition).

But these stories get compressed. "I took it to Wayne Tanabe back in...when was that?...must have been at least before 2002 because that's when I moved to Elm Street--let's say 2001--and he overhauled all of it including replating the valves and [so on]" Yeah? Show me the receipt and then we'll really know what was done and when.

Mine had a more careful provenance, but I know it because I wasn't trying to reconstruct it 20 or 25 years later.

Rick "never expects a random sales blurb to be accurate in terms of instrument-maker history or repair history" Denney

[dp]

Doesn't anybody proof read any more?

When they say horn was replaced by Wayne Tannabe I think they mean rebuilt.

I saw it and thought it was a one-letter typo (replaced.... probably meant replated)

sure is purty I have an old bell-front horn I'da liked to do like this....

[MG]

That’s a beauty. The Stearns Collection at the University of Michigan has an original York that looks a lot like that. Stellar condition as well.

I checked that out and they have the tuba labeled as a baritone

For reasons I don’t know, it does not show up on their online collection. I’ve searched many ways and have come up with nothing. They had it on display in the main lobby display case for a long time a number of years ago. It was absolutely stunning.

[hrender]

I note this horn is still available. If an upright bell for it could be found or fashioned, it would seem to have a lot of potential utility.

[bloke]

Regardless of the person contracted to do that set of jobs involved in that restoration, I suspect Dave Secrist did the valves, some grunt at Anderson did the glass bead blast job, and Anderson did the plating.

York Master: ' funny how no one ever refers to these as knock-offs, though that's obviously what they were.