Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $2800 or Trade (Traded)

Read forum rules before posting.
Forum rules
This is for buying or selling your personal equipment, but sponsored selling is allowed as well. We are requiring all ads to have the following information. Price, (even for trades) Brand, Model, and location (for instruments, not accessories) need to be included in the ad, or at least be very clear in link provided. It is acceptable to link to an external ad if you are promoting a sale of your personal equipment. No Ebay Auctions, but Buy it now listings are fine. Photos are HIGHLY suggested as well. If you see an ad that does not meet these criteria, please report it.
Post Reply
daktx2
Posts: 54
Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2020 10:03 am
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 17 times

Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $2800 or Trade (Traded)

Post by daktx2 »

I am putting my Yamaha 321 Eb tuba with added whole step fifth valve up for sale, asking price is $2800. I could also be interested in a trade for the right contrabass tuba, 4 or 5 valve C or Bb (+ or - cash depending on the tuba, make me an offer). A beat up, original hard case is included, and I am located in suburban Chicago. I'm open to shipping at buyers expense, and am willing to drive to facilitate a sale.

This particular horn has been through a lot! It started life as a sliver, 4 valve Eb tuba. Before the horn came into my possession, two things were done to it, but in what order I cannot say. First the bad: this horn was dented up pretty significantly. These were straightened out some, but cosmetically, there are definitely imperfections that I've tried to capture in the images at the end of this post. Luckily, the valves seem to have been spared, as the compression is very good, but the slide alignment for the third and second slides are not great, and they require a ton of force to move. Onto the good: a previous owner converted this into a Yamaha 381 using original parts (a long half step dependent rotor). Once the horn came into my possession, I had the instrument cleaned and had my repairman (at the time, John Thomas in Santa Cruz) add length to the fifth valve slide to make it a long whole step, which make this instrument fully chromatic.

As far as playing characteristics are concerned, this is a really fun Eb tuba! Intonation is really good. I use 1+2, 2+3, and 1+3 for G, Gb, and F at the top of the staff, and for whatever reason, 3 works better than 1+2 for bottom line G. I use no other alternate fingerings with this instrument. Tone quality is pretty typical for these English style instruments, a really nice, round, tubby sound. This has a 15 inch bell as opposed to a modern Besson / Jinbao Eb's 19 inch bell. The small bell give you the ability to add a bit of "Fist" to the sound when the occasion calls for it. But don't be fooled, the projection and sheer loudness of these tubas is no joke! I don't feel outgunned in a orchestra using this for louder pieces.

Since people usually ask about mouthpieces, the Sellmansberger Imperial is an AWESOME match, and a Helleberg 7b is pretty good too. However, this horn is truly awful when played with a small bowl shaped mouthpiece like a PT 64, be forewarned!

I can be contacted on this board, or at daktx2 at gmail dot com. Pics below, thanks for reading!

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Last edited by daktx2 on Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:58 pm, edited 4 times in total.
These users thanked the author daktx2 for the post (total 2):
arpthark (Tue Oct 10, 2023 6:51 am) • bloke (Mon Nov 13, 2023 8:00 pm)


Weltklang B&S Symphonie F tuba
Bohm and Meinl 5520 C tuba (for sale)
Kalison DS C tuba
User avatar
arpthark
Posts: 3243
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:25 pm
Location: Southeastern Connecticut
Has thanked: 736 times
Been thanked: 886 times

Re: Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $3000 or Trade

Post by arpthark »

Great price for a regular YEB-321, and adding in the proper long whole step fifth valve makes this a screaming deal. I love these tubas. Good luck with the sale!
These users thanked the author arpthark for the post:
daktx2 (Tue Oct 10, 2023 11:35 am)
Blake
TheHatTuba
Posts: 122
Joined: Sat Aug 26, 2023 5:44 pm
Has thanked: 12 times
Been thanked: 28 times

Re: Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $3000 or Trade

Post by TheHatTuba »

Good time to be an Eb player. 3 killer Ebs in 3 flavors in this forum alone :bugeyes:
These users thanked the author TheHatTuba for the post:
daktx2 (Tue Oct 10, 2023 11:35 am)
daktx2
Posts: 54
Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2020 10:03 am
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 17 times

Re: Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $3000 or Trade

Post by daktx2 »

TheHatTuba wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2023 11:26 am Good time to be an Eb player. 3 killer Ebs in 3 flavors in this forum alone :bugeyes:
I'm going to go Neapolitan, with the Yamaha as Strawberry, the York as Chocolate, and the Miraphone as Vanilla, but other interpretations are welcome.
:tuba: :tuba: :tuba:
These users thanked the author daktx2 for the post:
TheHatTuba (Tue Oct 10, 2023 11:39 am)
Weltklang B&S Symphonie F tuba
Bohm and Meinl 5520 C tuba (for sale)
Kalison DS C tuba
York-aholic
Posts: 1311
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 10:39 pm
Location: SoCal
Has thanked: 1355 times
Been thanked: 412 times

Re: Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $3000 or Trade

Post by York-aholic »

@daktx2

Where are you/the tuba located?
Some old Yorks, Martins, and perhaps a King rotary valved CC
TheHatTuba
Posts: 122
Joined: Sat Aug 26, 2023 5:44 pm
Has thanked: 12 times
Been thanked: 28 times

Re: Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $3000 or Trade

Post by TheHatTuba »

suburban Chicago
When is/are:
- Greyhound going to get their act together (rhetorical question)
- More cool horns (like this one) going to show up out west
daktx2
Posts: 54
Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2020 10:03 am
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 17 times

Re: Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $3000 or Trade

Post by daktx2 »

Shipping is certainly something I'd entertain, and I'd do my best to pack it the Norm Pearson way (http://forums.chisham.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=31654), but as everyone here knows, it's a real crapshoot.

I can think of 2 tubas listed for sale as of today out West that I'd either be buying at asking price or sending lowball offers on if they were within a day's drive.
Weltklang B&S Symphonie F tuba
Bohm and Meinl 5520 C tuba (for sale)
Kalison DS C tuba
User avatar
bloke
Mid South Music
Posts: 17658
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
Has thanked: 3447 times
Been thanked: 3751 times

Re: Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $3000 or Trade

Post by bloke »

pretty cool... :smilie8: :thumbsup:
York-aholic
Posts: 1311
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 10:39 pm
Location: SoCal
Has thanked: 1355 times
Been thanked: 412 times

Re: Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $3000 or Trade

Post by York-aholic »

TheHatTuba wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2023 1:39 pm
suburban Chicago
And to think I teach kids to read, and comprehend what they read. :facepalm2:

Sorry!
Some old Yorks, Martins, and perhaps a King rotary valved CC
TheHatTuba
Posts: 122
Joined: Sat Aug 26, 2023 5:44 pm
Has thanked: 12 times
Been thanked: 28 times

Re: Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $3000 or Trade

Post by TheHatTuba »

Was pretty interested myself knowing where it is... :red:
daktx2
Posts: 54
Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2020 10:03 am
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 17 times

Re: Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $3000 or Trade

Post by daktx2 »

@bloke, you might recognize the fifth valve layout, my repairman used the modification you made to the 381 you sold a while back as a template. Maybe we need to pay you royalties...

And @TheHatTuba and @York-aholic, if you decide you really want it and fly in, I can put you up for a night (diner's on me). I'd recommend you obtain a gig bag and buy a seat for it though. You can then check the case empty and hope it survives well enough to be useful (or just have me throw it away).

I actually got the hard case free (via Greyhound) from a 321 owner in Utah. He had checked it and had it damaged by an airline, cracking it in several places. His 321 survived and the airline bought him a brand new case. He sent me the old damaged one to free up garage space.
Weltklang B&S Symphonie F tuba
Bohm and Meinl 5520 C tuba (for sale)
Kalison DS C tuba
User avatar
bloke
Mid South Music
Posts: 17658
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
Has thanked: 3447 times
Been thanked: 3751 times

Re: Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $3000 or Trade

Post by bloke »

I don't remember anything about the layout. I was only concerned with making it long enough so that it would sell, rather than that goofy original length that it was originally.
daktx2
Posts: 54
Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2020 10:03 am
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 17 times

Re: Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $3000 or Trade

Post by daktx2 »

I just got done playing a good friend's ~80 year old 15 inch bell Besson compensating Eb, with a fresh Dan Oberloh valve job (which was worth every penny!). Since the Yamaha is basically a copy, I thought I'd give a comparison (and a natural bump).

In the middle-upper register, these two instruments play very similarly. The Yamaha might have 3% less sweet a sound, but is able to be pushed harder / louder without breaking up. In the low register, there's a big difference. The Yamaha is a significantly easier / C tuba like blow, likely because you don't have to go through the compensating loop.

I'd probably prefer the Besson in something like an old time jazz group, first part in a tuba quartet, etc., but I think I'd take the Yamaha in an orchestra or for general purpose brass quintet use.

Feel free to make me an offer!
Weltklang B&S Symphonie F tuba
Bohm and Meinl 5520 C tuba (for sale)
Kalison DS C tuba
daktx2
Posts: 54
Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2020 10:03 am
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 17 times

Re: Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $3000 or Trade

Post by daktx2 »

November bump / price drop!
Weltklang B&S Symphonie F tuba
Bohm and Meinl 5520 C tuba (for sale)
Kalison DS C tuba
User avatar
bloke
Mid South Music
Posts: 17658
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
Has thanked: 3447 times
Been thanked: 3751 times

Re: Yamaha 321 Eb Tuba, Aftermarket 1 step 5th Valve: $2800 or Trade

Post by bloke »

This is usually a pretty good price for a regular four valve.
These users thanked the author bloke for the post:
arpthark (Mon Nov 13, 2023 8:17 pm)
Post Reply