Posted by Yeah... on March 09, 2004 at 01:54:38:
In Reply to: Re: Sotto Voce/Mike Forbes/York Tuba posted by Frank Ortega on March 07, 2004 at 11:19:20:
as an owner of a Rusk-cut 1915 York CC, an uncut Martin BBb and quite a few canibalized York Monster Eb, I can agree with you. The York Monster Eb seem to have a very nice bell and bottom bow that can improve the sound of many tuba "front ends". Sam's Gnageyphones are a good example of this. OTOH, the big old 6/4 Yorks and Holtons seem to be best as complete units, save the valve section--when you've got a good one, it'll stay good through a cut.
I haven't seen very many successfully cut Martins, which indicates to me that they're probably best kept as BBb.
BTW, the old pre-WWII 6/4 Yorks and Holtons are basically the same instrument; I've had a York and a Holton BBb sitting next to each other and, aside from minor differences like ferrules and braces and valves, they're identical.