Posted by Rick Denney on July 10, 2002 at 11:34:00:
In Reply to: Re: York tubas posted by Alex C on July 09, 2002 at 20:38:43:
The Hirsbrunner Grand Orchestral (first version) was a direct copy of one of the Yorks, made based on detailed measurements taken by Peter Hirsbrunner himself. The Nirschl is a direct copy of the other York, based on measurements made by Floyd Cooley.
The original York underwent changes. The valves have been replaced. The leadpipe in one of them was replaced with a standard leadpipe from another tuba, to the dismay of Mr. Jacobs. It has been overhauled several times, once because it was damaged in shipment to Hirsbrunner for measurement. All of these have changed the instrument from what it was when Bill Johnson shipped it out of Grand Rapids. Yet it is still The York. For what people claim is such a narrow target for the modern copies, the original seems to sit in a pretty wide space and it has moved around in it a lot over the years.
Rick "who thinks the copies are good copies" Denney