Posted by Joe S. on July 05, 2001 at 20:12:09:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: German? American? A rose by any other... posted by Rick Denney on July 03, 2001 at 10:31:02:
If you EVER convince me to categorize tubas by "national sound characteristics", I don't think that you will be able to sell me on the Yamaha-American thing.
Yamaha tubas are quite Japanese. They make enough tubas that if indeed they have this "characteristic" sound that you champion, they deserve their own country and their own nomenclature. I cannot "buy" the Schilke-Yamaha-America connection, as Schilke had very little to do with those tubas and has never been an established American tuba manufacturer. If Yamaha tubas are to be nationally categorized and the category: "Japanese" is against the rules, one could only call them "British", as their first big model, the BB321, is obviously a Besson "knockoff" and the bell taper of the 3/4 size series: various student BBb's, and "pro" BBb, CC, EEb, and F follows the same "British" profile. Actual English examples of this on a "3/4" scale are the "Regent" (later Boosey & Hawkes) student series BBb and EEb models and the (fairly rare) 1960's compensating F "Besson" model.
As to the Apollo/B&S/MW F similarities, I'm still astonished that one could "tie them together" in any sort of "like" grouping.
' still friends,
Joe