Posted by Rick Denney on February 03, 2004 at 11:13:59:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Forget what I said before. posted by Chuck D's? on February 03, 2004 at 09:48:44:
Naw, I don't think so. Those outer branches were in Yamaha's lineup before Schilke helped fashion them into instruments for the CB, near as I recall. I think Schilke's work was similar to the work that went into the Conn 5xJ, in that he was given a range of parts that he couuld work with, and he used those as the basis for his creation.
Plus, Schilke's creation was a four-valve CC, and not a five-valve F. The F didn't come out until 1989 or so, while Chuck was using the Schilke/Yamaha when I first saw them peform some years before that. (I tried out the CC at least as early as 1984.) That the F has a good fourth valve may stem from the instrument's roots as a contrabass, which means a faster taper design as an F.
Like the Chinese are doing today, the Japanese industries went to school on the products that seemed to be selling well. They made some changes, of course, but I see British roots in the 103/621 outer branches and taper design. It certainly doesn't look like any rotary tuba configuration I've ever seen, nor does it resemble any American-designed instrument.
Rick "who remembers discussions like this from 20 years ago" Denney