Posted by Lee Stofer on June 12, 2003 at 06:17:06:
In Reply to: WANTED: York Sousaphone Gooseneck posted by Charlie Doell on June 10, 2003 at 16:29:58:
You should have the instrument checked out by a good brass tech, to see whether that is really your problem. Old horns like that frequently abound with leaks, which makes intonation undependable at best.
If it really needs an unconventional neck, the best way is to have one made. It is doubtful that you would ever find a York neck in usable condition. When restoring a 1911 Buescher BBb helicon last year, I found that the original tube for the neck had been erroneously replaced with one for an Olds, and although the shape was right, the bore was wrong. I bent and shaped a new leadpipe tube, cut and finished it, and soldered the neck hardware onto it, then had it silver plated. The instrument looked original and played very well in tune after I had the valves rebuilt and repaired all the dents and leaks in the instrument.
Strege-Wuttke no longer exists, but was absorbed into Badger State Repair & Case Co. Badger State carries conventional necks, and straight, pitch-filled leadpipe tubes.
Lee Stofer