Posted by bloke on December 25, 2003 at 00:36:53:
Several years ago...or for you guys in your 20's "Quite a few years ago"...I took a 3V front-action "monster" size York Eb and converted it to an A=440 4-piston front-action Eb with a 5th rotor PAST the main tuning slide - similar in appearance an configuration to the CSO York CC - except that it was an Eb. I put a new satin-silver finish on it. The 4th piston (and tubing) came from a small-bore York sousa, and I went to great pains to try to make everything on this instrument appear as it it could have been "original". I even custom-made some Yorkie "dished in" ferrules to connect the larger bore fifth valve slide parts.
I believe that the person I sold it to (an old gentleman in Columbus, Ohio) told me that he had it LACQUERED (over the satin silver) right after he bought it from me.
When I sold it to the gentleman in Columbus, it was in just about perfect condition. The 5th valve thumb lever had rollers - to avoid friction against the skin on the thumb. All of the waterkeys matched, and it even had an old-fashioned looking very functional lyre that I made look "possibly original".
I asked once before (at the unnoticable end of a thread), but I wonder if anyone knows the whereabouts of this tuba... Is the old gentleman still alive? ' still playing it? ' sold to someone else? If so, who? Do YOU have this tuba? If so, what do you think of it?
' just curious. Thanks.