The long and short of it! York 6/4 & G50

[Tim Jackson]

I was having a photo session last night, and the G50 was out of the bag, so I did a few side-by-sides.
I don't consider the G50 to be a small horn... it's just that the York is so BIG & FAT!

If someone didn't know about tubas - could they imagine one of these horns is 100+ years old?

In the last picture, is this the bow that caused Donatelli discomfort?

Enjoy!

[cjk]

As has been speculated here, Donatelli probably wasn’t too fat to play the York, rather he used that as an excuse to not use it. Plenty of dudes bigger than him have come along since and had no issue playing faithful copies of the CSO Yorks.

[York-aholic]

Very nice. That second picture is the first pic I’ve seen of your York straight on. Thank you.

[LargeTuba]

Those are fine looking tubas!

[donn]

In the last picture, is this the bow that caused Donatelli discomfort?

How does it feel on you? It does look like it could be a somewhat awkward embrace.

[bloke]

When I completed restoration on a Holton 345 (similar size to your beautiful York), I took a couple of side-by-sides with my 32"-tall B-flat Holton B-flat (same profile as your G50 C).

pics are on this site - somewhere...I can't remember where...
If anyone's curious, others' memories (of where stuff is) are better than my own.

funny...
I'm thinking about how QUICKLY your York would sell for $4K (if beat up) or for $14K (if four-valve).
' not a comment on your beautiful instrument at all, but just a comment on human behavior.

[Tim Jackson]

Actually, I never noticed that back bow when playing. I think the camera angle sort of amplifies the protrusion.

Yes, a beat-up York will go for 4K all day long. I'll never forget the day I pushed the button on the eBay auction. I was playing a convention in Sandestin and the auction ended right at 7 pm - also my gig downbeat time. The head of catering let me use her office/computer to do my bidding. Cell phones were not doing that function back then. I'm a "last-second" bid-to-win guy. I pushed the bid now button at 6:59:55 I think it was 7K and some change. Man, was my heart beating! never done anything that crazy before - with big money and without a trial. The moment I bid the computer when blank and signed off. I went the rest of the evening not knowing if I won. It was ok because if I didn't win - I would still have the $7250- (a lot of $ then and now!) If I did win, I would have a very cool horn. By the pics, I could tell it was in good shape - just black from years of tarnish. I got home that night and logged on... yep, I had a cool horn. Some antique store liquidating a collector's collection of oddities.

The horn arrived some days later (always lucky when the wife is not home when big boxes come in) The horn was in the shape you see today - just a "gun-blue" color. The local music store did the clean-up and polish for free - since it was such a cool horn.

Back to THE PRICE$$$$ Yes, it was plenty of money but I have never regretted choking this down and can truly say I have gotten as much enjoyment from this instrument as any instrument I have ever owned.

I played several orchestra gigs with this horn. Amazing how many pieces can be played with a 3 valve horn. I really notice the resonance and magic of this horn in a BIG HALL.

I don't remember the year of purchase but I was having a good year and blessed to have some liquid. One day, a York lover will be having a great year and come looking for this one. After playing on it some last night, as usual, now I'm in no hurry to move it along. Really want to record a few solos on it. Like "To Be or Not To Be" (of course) and the Bartok Dirge.

Like I said earlier, I never had any regrets about buying this horn and I'm sure whoever may end up with it down the road will not have regrets.

Just want to make sure the wife doesn't put it in the yard sale when I'm gone. Old tuba $75.00

[bloke]

I'm sure that instrument can play double-low E flat through B natural just fine with the "sousaphone" false tones, and sound very resonant.

I use those 3-valve double-low range fingerings quite a bit with my own new to me huge B flat (which has five valves).

[York-aholic]

And the pull on that 3rd valve will easily drop the pitch a half step, maybe 3/4 of a step.

[Tim Jackson]

Yes, the false tones on this instrument are very strong. But most self-respecting college kids ain't gonna buy a 3 valve horn even if it is a Stradivarius.
I would say someone that loves band work would probably feel comfortable buying a 3 valve horn. I played Symphony gigs, traditional jazz, and solo repertoire on this horn and had a ball... still digging it.
TJ

[donn]

3 valve BBb, sure!

[bloke]

As has been speculated here, Donatelli probably wasn’t too fat to play the York, rather he used that as an excuse to not use it. Plenty of dudes bigger than him have come along since and had no issue playing faithful copies of the CSO Yorks.

I don't mind holding and playing most anything. (Admittedly, those first Brazil knockoffs of Nirschl C tubas were pretty ridiculous to hold in play, but whatever.) Anyway, one of my least favorite types of tubas to hold and play are the short mouthpipe types - where the instrument must be propped across the legs at a 45° angle. I can hold and play them, but - again - not my favorite.

Mr. Donatelli may not have liked this aspect, but the thing that probably everyone's afraid to suggest is that those rare Conn instruments in C from that era - at least the ones I've played, along with a couple of same-era Conn's I've played that were cut down - offered darn good intonation characteristics compared to that big York in C - which I've also played.

[LargeTuba]

if you to CC and add 2 valves and you could probably sell it for $15,000+

please don’t though.

[Username]

Beautiful. A tuba that was clearly designed as a professional instrument with three valves.