Re: York Sousaphone


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Posted by Joe Sellmansberger on May 31, 1999 at 20:01:34:

In Reply to: York Sousaphone posted by Frank on May 31, 1999 at 18:56:22:

There is no definitive serial # list for York & Sons. The Getzens at Allied Supply Corporation (800)558-3226 created a serial # list with different sets of POSSIBLE manufacturing dates based on different possible productions curves (quantities of instuments produced per year, which is unknown). Occasionally, there will be a clue as to this with some original dated receipt found in the case of an old York instrument. The Allied "guess chart" appears in the back of their band instrument parts catalog, which you will find in the back room of most any brass and woodwinds store/repair shop in the U.S.

One last comment: I did, utilizing some York sousa parts, enhance a 3-valve York Eb tuba to four (matching) pistons and a rotor. The serial # on it was in the 12000 range, if I recall correctly, and had a low pitch/high pitch switcheroo slide. That slide gadget had a patent date on it, individually, of 1912, I think. The man that I sold it to in Columbus, Ohio, a Mr. Francis Sibley, could correct my errors on this info. That is the ONLY direct link that I have PERSONALLY come across of a York serial # to a York production date.

If your sousa is the typical skinny-looking York sousa, the bore size is probably .655". You can measure this with a $15 Chinese-made dial calipers. I hope this helps a little.

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I own an atypical York Eb sousa with the name PIONEER engraved on the bell. It does say Grand Rapids and all of the braces, valve casings, etc. are "signature" York in appearance. In spite of the fact that mine is an Eb, it has a slightly larger bore than the commonly-found York sousas. The bore on mine is about .690" or so. Mine is the only York-made sousa with this particular larger bore size (still fairly small) that I have come across.




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