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4/4 BBb tubas: York vs Holton

Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2021 11:51 pm
by York-aholic
I recently bought an old 4/4 Holton BBb with no valves (well, there was a Bundy sousaphone set hideously grafted on).
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Being curious as to the similarities between this and the similar York model 33, I pulled mine (1906) out of the case (King valves less hideously grafted on).

Both side by side with bells against the back of the sofa to line them up.
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While quite similar (maybe even the same bugle taper), many of the bends (top bow) and the joints (ferrules) are in different spots to be sure.

Re: 4/4 BBb tubas: York vs Holton

Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:15 am
by Yorkboy
Bells and bottom bows are interchangeable, that’s about all - even though the taper is very similar.

I think it’s accurate to say that at best one inspired the other.

Re: 4/4 BBb tubas: York vs Holton

Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:42 am
by bloke
I have to believe that those “Phillips” tubas - from a couple of decades ago - were fabricated from recycled Holton molds, rather than “the first tuba ever designed by a computer”.

Re: 4/4 BBb tubas: York vs Holton

Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 5:13 pm
by Yorkboy
bloke wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:42 am I have to believe that those “Phillips” tubas - from a couple of decades ago - were fabricated from recycled Holton molds, rather than “the first tuba ever designed by a computer”.
I tend to agree. The cost to retool for a new model tuba would have prohibitive, especially in light of the fact they already had tooling in-house that would do the same thing.