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I've frickin' HAD it with piston valves. Doesn't ANYBODY make a tuba that has that large York sound, with rotary valves?

MRP CC? Neptune?

Yeah, the MRP may be as close as you get. It’s the largest readily-available rotor C, apart from maybe the Rudy?

“York-ish” sound? IDK. I sound like me. Maybe a Bb would be more like that type of sound?

MRP, Neptune and similar tubas are hybrid/crossover tubas. They don't really sound like large York tubas....

Noone makes a large York tuba with rotors. You are gonna have to frankentuba one, or have one made.

Big bell, big bell flare, American vs. German, that's my guess. I haven't the faintest idea myself, but note that the ad copy for the MRP claims a German sound.

You have way more experience than me, but if the MRP/Neptune aren't it, maybe the new Lind tubas? I seem to remember something about a larger CC option (not sure if it is a viable option, I haven't played it yet, just a thought).

Tony, if the pistons are hanging, go to an experienced tech and see what he has to say. In my experience, the causes are either filth in the horn (doesn't take much), or mechanical problems (torquing of the valveset somewhere, etc.). Worth checking out before you needlessly flee to rotors.

Martin has made rotary tubas from the factory. Heck they even made a 6/4 top action rotary for someone back in the day too...

Baltimore Brass had a 6/4 rotary Conn BBb. The valves where worn though. If B.B. still has it then it definitely needs a valve job. I'm sure it would be a fine tuba once the valves have been addressed.

Marzan slant rotor would be close and easier to find than what I mentioned above.

Maybe a Hirsbrunner 192 (or it's Chinese copy), Miraphone 98 Siegfried (it's bell is identical to a Holton bell), a Rotary Wilson, or a King 1291 Rotary Monster BBb tuba. Outside of slapping a rotary valve section on a "York like" body and bell.

He's a professional, so he'll be looking for a C instrument only.

Amateurs and Germans play B-flat tubas.

Not all piston valves are created equal.

Of course, neither are technicians. That broad, catch-all descriptor can mean so many things…

Back when there were some California made tubas, a full-time player brought their instruments to me along with a friend's California instrument. One of the pistons was hanging up, and I really couldn't repair it because it was curved and the tapping trick didn't work. It didn't appear to be dropped, but actually manufactured slightly curved. Someone with the skills of Dave Secrist could have trued and plated it and all that stuff if the tuba was deemed to be worth it.

It would be really easy to label me as a based on the following, but the only piston valve section made in China that I would consider using on a personal instrument would be one from the factory that makes the JP instruments. I've looked at the Wiseman pistons lately, as I've seen some of the Chinese B&S instruments that are made there, and they're better than they used to be (compared to the model 900 - PT6P cooy era).

The best - as far as European made pistons - are probably Bauerfeind and Meinlschmidt.

If I found some tuba body that I really liked and wanted to put a 3/4 inch bore front action piston valve section on it with a slightly larger fourth and a slightly larger fifth rotor. I'd be perfectly happy with the JP valve section.
Even when Young Scholars tear the crap out of JP sousaphones, the never-or-rarely-oiled pistons continue to feel sublime, at least under my fingers. Visually, I'm consistently impressed with the porting on those pistons and the way that the brass articulates the stainless steel surfaces, as well as the stainless steel surfaces themselves which indicate by their wear marks that they articulate completely, as opposed to mostly.

Coming from my usual reasonably intelligent but non-pro and not-very-experienced viewpoint, what about MAW valves, and yup even I vote for the "just give a BBb a try and you may surprise not only yourself but those around you." But I play rotors for ergonomic reasons, and I wouldn't be able to pick a York sound out of a lineup.

MAW pistons are made by Meinlschmidt. They're a little bit on the delicate side (which I've learned from fitting them into casings), but they are delightfully lightweight - particularly when I stick some of my old wafer thin stainless steel buttons on them. The lightweight feature - to me - is their most salient one.

The crappiest Asian pistons - as well as the finest European pistons - are all going to stick, if they have hard lime deposits on them.

It seems as though rotors are less prone to sticking when they are horribly coated hard lime deposits.

bloke wrote: ↑Sun Sep 15, 2024 9:26 pm He's a professional, so he'll be looking for a C instrument only.

Amateurs and Germans play B-flat tubas.

Well... Outside of a Wilson CC Rotary everyone else already mentioned the alternatives... He could always give a B&S 4097 (pt20) a whirl. Buffet-Crampon USA has a lacquered one that was made at the same time as my sliver was. Can probably find it at a conference near you etc.

I don't think they sound quite like the York/Kanstul or the modern King 2341/Eastman 534 but the bell profile and the short lead pipe (at least the CC version has a "short" lead pipe) is York like...

Once I get my King Pit Tuba back I'll share photos of the 4097 I have. The Pit tuba is definitely going to be used for scale

I was sort of making a little joke...

... but if I just had some of that "York metal" that those Californians had, I could really make me some tubas

bloke wrote: ↑Mon Sep 16, 2024 9:49 pm I was sort of making a little joke...

I figured but then I was like "aw, snap! He's right though!!" so I had to come up with something quick!!

So the wrap up I'm getting here is, if you want a rotary valve tuba kind of along the lines of the York clones, let's think about grafting another piston valve set onto one? Whoopee! Rotary valves go home!

Why not just stick a set of those Jinbao 186 copy rotors onto a Yamayork?

This was found on Lee Stofer's website TubaMeister.com. Link is at the bottom. I'd suggest contacting Mr. Stofer or sending a PM through this forum too.

1910’s vintage Martin Mammoth CC tuba, pre-owned, 4 rotor, owned and played extensively by Jay McAllister. Will be a quite good player, with added provenance of a restored “McAllister” mouthpiece, call for price.

https://tubameister.com/instruments-in-process/

https://tubameister.com/contact/

Edit: unless MartinMan already owns this tuba... Then nevermind