Random York Eb question

[TheHatTuba]

(I think this is the right place to post this?)

Did York ever make a front-action version of their little Eb? I like the cute little HN White/Conn things, but I don't think I've ever seen a York version.

[York-aholic]

I have never seen a listing in a catalog for a front action “medium” (15” bell) Eb from York. I have only seen front action Ebs from them in the Monster size (20ish” bell).

They made some 18” bell Ebs (also Monster sized bugle) but have only seen catalog pages (and two physical examples) that came as top action (ie not manufactured as front action). One has been converted to front action and the other (mine) is about to be flipped to front action.

As far as a front action “medium” is concerned, here’s one flipped to front action with King small pieces, York high pitched bugle and low pitched bell:

IMG_0375.jpeg (39.23 KiB) Viewed 575 times

[TheHatTuba]

I think I had an 18" monster bell float through here at some point...

high pitched bugle and low pitched bell

I vaguely some with the bells like that, but most were really close to the top bow. Does "low-pitched bell" have something to do with that?

[York-aholic]

York made 18"ish bells for the 700 series BBb tubas. Those are 37-38" tall (the whole horn).

The Eb Monster tubas that had 18" bells are about 33".

Both of the above horns have pretty much the same bottom bow so the difference is in the height/length of the bell.

I know of one other 18" bell from an Eb York, but has long been separated from its bugle.


___________________________________________________________

Medium Eb's: There were two versions of the 15" bell top action "Medium" Eb. The high/low pitch model was 28" tall and in high pitch (low pitch with extensions on the main slide) and the top bow was, as you said, quite close to the bell. The low pitch (only) model was about 32" long. It's top bow was also pretty close to the bell right. Both had the same bottom bow, so again, the difference in height is entirely due to the length of the two bells.

For mine, pictured above, I originally put the horn together with the shorter bell. It played just a tiny bit better in tune with itself but was sharp. Also, the bell rim way right in my face. When I swapped on the taller bell, the pitch flattened of course to right on the money. The intonation up and down the horn is ever so slightly 'worse' however I am still very, very happy with the intonation. It is very good but the short bell was amazingly great. Not worrying about poking my eye out with the bell rim is an added bonus and I think the horn looks better (which is, of course, most important).

THe ones you might be remembering could be some that Rusk cut. He made a few of these Medium Eb's into F tubas. Most were made with the "short bell" high/low pitch horns, but I seem to remember he made at least 2 that used the 'tall bell' low pitched horns, which are much less common. I've only seen 2, mine and one that someone was selling. Then there were the (at least) two that Bob Rusk cut to F. I'm sure there are more out there, but the tall bell models are less common.


^^^
Way more than anyone would want to read...

[TheHatTuba]

Great info, thanks.

Again, I'm 95% sure I had one of the Eb 18" bells at some point. I remember the buyer getting a bit upset with me (rightfully so) for taking so long to ship it out. I got it just as a bell, never saw the donor.

Not sure I ever saw a tall medium before yours (handsome horn btw. Shape reminds me of the little Kanstul), but I remember hearing about them from a little Yamaha CC Charles Daellenbach had with a York bell and thinking "what model did that come from?"

[Bob Kolada]

How do the small Yorks play stock? I've played a Rusk conversion but the only stock Eb York I've played was a Monster.
fwiw I've had two small Conns and one "medium" King*, the King plays like a modern horn but the Conns have slightly better intonation. My first Conn, a Lyon and Healy stencil, had excellent intonation with only a slightly sharp 6th partial.
I also owned a stock 4 front valve Conn Giant and played a big King Eb and a Rusk flipped big Holton Eb. The Holton sounded the best but had iffy intonation, the big Conn had a really wide octave (D in the staff had to be 13 or 4 or pull for 2, low D had to be 234) and didn't play that well (low Bb was bleh, low C was awesome, low B almost didn't exist) and the King was laughably bad. Playing an Eb scale sounded like free form jazz.

*The guy that built my cimbasso said the actual small King is tiny, looks like an American baritone.

[lost]

Mine plays pretty sweet. It won't anchor a section or win concerto competitions but still good for having fun. I kept it to be a tuba Christmas horn, but I've yet to take it. mouthpiece of course is everything. I'm using a period york mouthpiece that seems to agree with the upper range of the horn.

[York-aholic]

Fyi, my York monster Eb has a 19 1/2" bell