Yamaha 641 BBb, $1,500 (Denton, TX/FB)

[arpthark]

https://www.facebook.com/share/1GAjGhtdYW/

[bort2.0]

What's the black tape for...?

[arpthark]

What's the black tape for...?

For letting me know that this tuba will need some significant repairs!

Busted receiver brace is my guess.

[the elephant]

The bell-to-receiver brace probably broke loose, bent the leadpipe, and some kid thought it would be okay to bend it back, causing a huge leak. Or they just broke the whole receiver off the leadpipe this same way. It means that the horn cannot be played unless you can get the leadpipe end/receiver taped on well enough to seal and to support the pressure of you playing against the shear strength of the tape.


That is the original version, which plays head and shoulders above the newer version. This has the one-piece leadpipe and the 45º entry into 1st. These were very good tubas back in the day. Of course, this one looks to be in crappy condition, and Yamaha has ceased production of most of the parts distinctive to this tuba from the later one. I owned one of these from 1983-1990. Loved it.

[arpthark]

The bell-to-receiver brace probably broke loose, bent the leadpipe, and some kid thought it would be okay to bend it back, causing a huge leak. Or they just broke the whole receiver off the leadpipe this same way. It means that the horn cannot be played unless you can get the leadpipe end/receiver taped on well enough to seal and to support the pressure of you playing against the shear strength of the tape.

Or, as the seller says, "but it can easily be repaired."

[the elephant]

It is, if you want to get it out the door. Saw the end of the leadpipe flat. Use a Conn sousaphone receiver and some tubing of the appropriate length and size, and ferrule it all together. This is what you do for a high school with limited means and with kids who are allowed to destroy stuff. You know it will be back next year, probably with the same issue; why go to the trouble and expense of fixing it correctly?

Fixing it correctly would be difficult since that leadpipe has not been available for years now. (Unless they released a follow-up batch as they do on occasion.) Regardless, I have not been able to find the one-piece 45º entry leadpipe for many years.

[catgrowlB]

Yamaha actually made a few different 'versions' of this tuba. The original YBB-641 one here, as Wade said, and the later version with the straight down into the valveset mouthpipe. But they also made the YBB-841, which has a larger bell, different bracing and whatnot. They also made the gold brass bell YBB-841. I'd love to try one of the YBB-841 models; I think I'd like it a lot

As for mouthpipes.....
MouthpieceExpress may be able to get a newer one? And I know years ago Tom @ Mack Brass stocked tuba parts and was willing to sell some. I know because I bought a couple mouthpipes from him to use on a couple tubas I have. I'm thinking you could get the mouthpipe from the Mack TU200 BBb (B&S 101 Sonora copy) to work on the old YBB-641 since they are very similar. You can fit/cut/finish it out to make it work.
That's if Tom is still in business with Mack Brass? Try calling and emailing first to check.

[MShores]

I’m assuming it would be expensive and difficult to get someone to bend/make a new, correct style leadpipe?