Posted by Rick Denney on January 11, 2001 at 15:18:11:
In Reply to: Yamaha Eb? posted by DaveC on January 11, 2001 at 12:04:56:
The numbering system you are referring to has confused me. Yamaha F tubas are either 621's or 822's. Their C tubas are either 621's, 822's, or 861's. The EEb compensating tuba was (I haven't looked recently) a 632. And their top-action horns are 321's. Whence 680 and 880? Something I missed (which is likely enough)?
The horn you describe is like the 621 F tuba. It has a .689 bore, front action uncompensated pistons, and is smaller than a Willson Eb tuba, though the fifth valve is upstream from the first valve and therefore not any bigger than the other valves (that doesn't seem to hurt it, though).
Interestingly, I saw a picture in Clifford Bevan's new book of a Boosey Cavalry Tuba, which looks like a Yamaha 621 in concept. It is front action, medium bore, with moderately sized outer branches. It had three valves for the right hand, and one for the left (wrapped around the underside of the horn), but was uncompensated. You would not have to back up very far to think it was a Yamaha 621 something or other in need of polish.
The date of the Boosey was around 1890.
Rick "nothing new under the sun" Denney