Re: WTP: Yamaha YFB-621 3/4 F


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Posted by Thanks, from Steve I. on January 23, 2001 at 20:10:31:

In Reply to: WTP: Yamaha YFB-621 3/4 F posted by Steve Inman on January 22, 2001 at 19:49:52:

I've received a couple of helpful responses off-BBS that I hope will lead to a playing opportunity. Thanks to all for your ideas.

I do remember reading a Tubaeuph post from someone claiming to have purchased the YFB-621 from Kelley. If he's the one at IU, then I'll contact him as a back-up plan.

I appreciate Rick Denney's reply and suggestions. Before I can go shopping in earnest, I need to find a buyer for my YEB-381. I have an interested party lined up, but I'll re-post if he decides this horn isn't what he's looking for.

Regarding the poster who suggested I try the 822 F, I'm sure this is a fine tuba, but for my needs, I believe the YFB-621 will be better. Briefly (hard to do for me), my playing is 40% quartet, 40% quintet, 20% larger ensembles. I've tried to make do with Eb tuba as a compromise for about 5 years now. My conclusion is that for MY playing needs, this is indeed a compromise, and Eb isn't the best choice. The Besson 983 works very well for quartet (nice upper register), and is good (not great) for quintet (stuffy low register). However, it's less than adequate for larger ensembles, when I have to try to get it to pretend to be a contrabass tuba. (Sorry, folks, not even with a Bach 7 megatone!) But if I switch to a larger Eb (Willson or the mythical Rudy Meinl that Lee in Atlanta is working on importing), then THIS won't work as well for my quartet, where I often cover a 2nd 'bone part, requiring I play some parts as written, especially when it's a parallel harmony part instead of a true bass part, which could be dropped the octave.

My conclusion is that I need something that's good for higher/lighter work (EITHER a Besson 983 -- i.e. no change with the bass tuba, OR something with as good of a high register but with a more open low register, I hope a YFB-621), AND something good for a strong bass line with quintet (yet with easy high register), and for larger ensemble work as well (sounds like a 3/4 Rudy Meinl CC or a Miraphone 186-5U CC). Ideally, both the bass and contrabass tubas will be sized appropriately so that they will work with quintet: the bass tuba being at least moderately acceptable for a 5-tet, and the contrabass tuba not too big for this size group. I also want some tonal differences between the two horns.

The easy-out solution is to keep the Besson 983 Eb (as it also works well with the quartet due to it's lovely, lighter upper register), and to add a 4/4 BBb (which I played for 25 years before switching to Eb). That way, I don't have to learn any new fingerings. Yet I can't help thinking that for my playing, the CC/F combination would fit best.

Stay tuned for further developments!

Steve "I told you I couldn't be brief" Inman

P.S. Glad to see M.C. making a guest appearance on tubaeuph list!


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