Tuba Tuesday: J. W. York & Sons BBb/F double tuba,

[bisontuba]

This Tuba Tuesday, the Museum feature’s one of our most unusual instruments: a J. W. York & Sons BBb/F double tuba, shown below.

This instrument is one of only two double tubas in the Collection. The bell engraving indicates the maker as J.W. York & Sons, but after purchasing this instrument from another collector in 1988, the most famous York tuba artist at that time, Arnold Jacobs, was asked if he had ever known of a double tuba made by J.W. York. Mr. Jacobs said he had never heard of any York double tuba, which meant most likely that the creator of this instrument probably used a J.W. York BBb tuba, circa 1918, to create this unique BBb/F double tuba.

This unique instrument is an example of what is known as a “full” double instrument. This means that the airstream travels through the F-side tubing when the tuba is in normal use. Upon activating the change valves, the airstream is diverted to a completely different second set of playing valve loops. As the airstream only passes though the playing valve set once, this provides a freer blowing air-path through the instrument. The disadvantage of a full double is that the instrument must possess full-length BBb-side slides in addition to the full-length F-side slides. All this extra tubing creates a heavier instrument to carry around.

The 4 piston valves ( shown below) are each almost nine inches long, which makes them the longest piston valves in the collection. The extremely large rotary valve (also shown below) has a diameter of almost 3.5 inches, making it the largest rotary valve in the Collection.

[url=[img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54892854484_1445


https://simonettitubacollection.com/ins ... uble-tuba/

[humBell]

In the immortal word of Keanu Reeves: "Woah!"

So... how many tuning slides? Water keys?

Do you have to operate the rotary valves individually to switch tunings?

[bloke]

' have seen the pics before...' fascinating...

appears to be an actual sincere attempt at a functional double tuba...

...rather than one with way to much cylindrical tubing, and another one with just about the right taper, but with way-too-slow valves.

[Three Valves]

I’ve seen some psycho tubas in my day, but that one is the winner!!

[York-aholic]

I believe I read a tiny bit about this York double on Robb Stewart's page. Let me go have a look:

Over the years, Tommy Johnson would occasionally mention that he would like to have built a modern version of his Carl Lehmann double tuba from the 1930s (photos below). This was built in F with change to BBb, but later modified for CC. I told him that Larry Minick had worked on his own double tuba project for years and I would occasionally talk to him about it.

Larry tried a number of configurations using a Conn 4/4 bell from the 1920s. It was only a few years before he died that he told me that he had finally come up with a design that he considered very playable and he was happy with it. This was very similar in concept and a big improvement on the famous York (also built here in Southern California) that now resides in the Simonetti collection.

So I suppose if you want to know who built/converted/designed it, a call to Robb Stewart is in order...

https://www.robbstewart.com/double-tuba

[bisontuba]

Some highlights of the Tuba Museum will be the Tuba Tuesday feature for a bit...

[arpthark]

My vote is for this to be a featured collection:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn3sJ8 ... 948Jwebjiw

https://www.humblehouseofhorns.com/

@humBell

But I don't know if many things are cataloged or online at this point...

[bisontuba]

I have planned to talk to Robert after the move. Just saw him last week….

[humBell]

Sorry for the slow response. Just got out of a concert... (well, last night when i started typing this.

I don't get as many chances where i should at least pretend to behave like a responsible adult as i should avail myself of...

Are there other collections that merit consideration? ( I am always taken by Daniel Ridder's posts of playing all the parts on different cool instruments. And i have been blessed with a glance at Mike Lynch's collection, but don't remember as many details as i wished.

And while the Simonettes had sold tuba exchange before this thread started, meaning it was unequivocally for the love of the instruments, the above collection is connected with a store, and that connection is only going to get more probounced in the foreseeable future. I forget if Steve Dillon's collection has many of the lower instruments in it.

And of course Dave Detwiler's work always is worth following, even if not focused on a specific instrument.

So yeah... Once the all the moving pieces settle into a place, sure! Full speed a head and damn the torpedoes! Or was that torpedo the dams? But in the meantime please see if there are other smaller collections worth highlighting? You are both folk i go out of my way to say hi to, and so also are more familiar with the collection than the average bear. So thanks!

Anyway, if you do intend to give it similar treatment, get everyone else a chance first... I'd hate for anyone to have to wait until that collection to run its course here before someone gets their turn in the spot light.

Wow! That was a long post!

[arpthark]

This Tuba Tuesday, the Museum feature’s one of our most unusual instruments: a J. W. York & Sons BBb/F double tuba, shown below.

This instrument is one of only two double tubas in the Collection. The bell engraving indicates the maker as J.W. York & Sons, but after purchasing this instrument from another collector in 1988, the most famous York tuba artist at that time, Arnold Jacobs, was asked if he had ever known of a double tuba made by J.W. York. Mr. Jacobs said he had never heard of any York double tuba, which meant most likely that the creator of this instrument probably used a J.W. York BBb tuba, circa 1918, to create this unique BBb/F double tuba.

This unique instrument is an example of what is known as a “full” double instrument. This means that the airstream travels through the F-side tubing when the tuba is in normal use. Upon activating the change valves, the airstream is diverted to a completely different second set of playing valve loops. As the airstream only passes though the playing valve set once, this provides a freer blowing air-path through the instrument. The disadvantage of a full double is that the instrument must possess full-length BBb-side slides in addition to the full-length F-side slides. All this extra tubing creates a heavier instrument to carry around.

The 4 piston valves ( shown below) are each almost nine inches long, which makes them the longest piston valves in the collection. The extremely large rotary valve (also shown below) has a diameter of almost 3.5 inches, making it the largest rotary valve in the Collection.

[url=[img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54892854484_1445


https://simonettitubacollection.com/ins ... uble-tuba/

I wonder if this was designed and built by Larry Minick.

[bisontuba]

I doubt it...not a York