' remember - back in the early 70's and into the 80's - when people described Yamaha as "pretty good for the money" ?

[bloke]

I look at the small Yamaha (621) F tuba as an emergency F tuba just as I sort of look at the 321 Yamaha euphonium as an emergency euphonium. There are far worse F tubas that cost even more money, but I don't receive any joy back from those instruments when I play them. Playing through passages with those instruments reminds me a bit of folding laundry.
I view the larger Yamaha F tuba with pistons as a "what the heck am I supposed to do with this?" tuba. It's as if they bought one of those out-of-tune 4+1 European-made E-flat tubas, then shortened it to F, and then expected it to be good.

[MiBrassFS]

I’ve never done much more than toot the Yama F tubas. Saw a lot of them around. Seemed like their owners used them to good effect. I’m no critic!