Eastman Piston F

[JC2]

Hey Everyone,

Just wondering if anyone knows when the Eastman Piston F might be released?

I'm hoping to try this model before I decide on my next piston F tuba.

Many thanks !

[BuddyRogersMusic]

I know, we've all been hearing "almost ready," but Chuck Kerrigan says it really is almost ready. Still haven't heard a definitive timeline but there may be some details at MidWest BOC. Lots of players have been looking forward to its release which puts even more pressure on the company to get it right the first time.

[tabert]

While waiting for it's release, I've been on the hunt for pictures. Seems like there are different prototype designs.

[JC2]

The pictures are interesting. It looks like they have made two different prototypes using the 853 Eb and 864 F branches.
The 5th valve slide at the top seems like it would make manipulating the 1st and 4th slides a bit awkward.

If its as good as the 836 they'll have a complete winner!

[LargeTuba]

I'm pretty sure its at the Midwest Convention. If so, Ill try it out and give you all a amateur report.

I really hope they make a non-compensating piston Eb at some point.

[Doc]

I played one iteration of it in July, and I thought it was a really nice tuba. Chuck said it needed some very minor tweaking. When they finally put it out, I'm sure it will definitely be worth testing.

[BuddyRogersMusic]

A customer of mine had the chance to play the new F at Mid-West and he said it's a home run! Now I really want to play it.

[Doug]

I think Chuck said early 2022 release on Facebook. I'm looking forward to trying it at SERTEC.

[cjk]

The picture above is approximately how I have imagined the way to make a piston B&S F tuba "work". Most things in the past seem to have been made by pasting and shortening a CC valve section from the corporate parts bin with the rotor after the 4th valve slide. The 5th valve in this picture is above the pistons just like a rotor B&S. With some head scratching and slide re-routing (shortening the 3rd and 4th upper slides and correspondingly lengthening the 3rd and 4th bottom slides), it could allow for a 4 piston 2 rotor instrument with the two rotors above the pistons. Hopefully they are using something close to the B&S Symphonie graduated bore profile. I'm intrigued if this is a picture of the prototype being considered for production.

[tabert]

Another sighting on the Eastman Winds FB page

[bloke]

same frame as the rotary...??
...sort of a B&S PT10P thing?

[Billy M.]

The valve cluster looks like it was pulled from a Miraphone Petrushka with a PT10 5th valve attached at the top.

[Sousaswag]

Pretty ugly looking tuba, IMO. Odd slide layout. I think bloke’s right. Reminds me of what the original Pt-10P was.

[bloke]

I don’t mind selling the JP piston 2250-alike, and it’s remarkably well built and plays just like a 2250…but personally I’ve just never played a piston F tuba that was easy enough to play in tune (for me).

Probably, the most accessible one – as far as tuning is concerned - is the very first one, which was the Yamaha 621.

bloke “spoiled, due to hitting a home run blindly buying a particular rotary F tuba - 40 years ago. It is a handmade sheet metal six valve instrument, and - adjusted for inflation – I guess I paid about $7000 in 2022 money.”

[matt g]

The 2250 and the JP have a similar cluster layout.

The plumbing around the fifth valve looks a bit tortured. I’m guessing the dogleg into the piston block is to clear the second valve slide?

The YFB-621 is also known for being extremely free blowing in the low register with lots of valves in play. It only has a 0.689” bore.

It would be interesting to see someone take the cluster from one of the Eastman CC tubas of similar size, cut it down to F, and try that. Maybe the cluster here is that bore size? Be nice to know.

[MikeMason]

I put the larger jinbao bell from mack and a very low tech tuning slide stick on main slide of my yfb621. It has a nice long,straight verticals mts which is perfect for a stick. Took a while to learn and every note must be adjusted because it’s not spring loaded. Took about 6 weeks to learn but I’m there now. It plays every note I need on demand with low/no drama. Yes I wish it sounded like a b&s rotary but I can’t play those. I may be tempted by the Eastman when it lands. I sell Eastman products ,among others, for a living, and like to play what I sell. I do sell Yamaha products also, but not much brass lately. the Yamaha faux-Bo is a really reliable ,functional instrument that everyone in my playing world is quite pleased with(to the extent they even care or notice what I play, which is low). It sounds better recorded than it does to my ear behind the bell.

[LargeTuba]

.
It would be interesting to see someone take the cluster from one of the Eastman CC tubas of similar size, cut it down to F, and try that.

I think this prototype is comprised of exactly that.