Posted by Steve Bloom on May 09, 2001 at 21:52:57:
In Reply to: YORK TUBA INFO. posted by Bubba on May 09, 2001 at 18:51:25:
As previous posters have indicated, York no longer produces musical instruments. The name "York" may have been purchased by someone but only the instruments labeled "J.W. York", "York Bros." or "J.W. York & Sons" are the originals, made in Grand Rapids MI.
The company was founded by James W. York in 1882, in Grand Rapids. After his death, the company was managed by his widow, brother, and sons until 1930 when the business was sold to a group of local investors. The York name became famous in the 1930s when the company was commissioned to design and build a "supertuba" for Philip Donatelli of the Philadelphia Orchestra. The instruments, which were designed by Bill Johnson, an engineer at York, were produced as two "special order" CC tubas with 4 front action pistons and a fifth rotor. Mr. Donatelli was not comfortable with these instruments, however, because the large 4th and 5th branches protruded too far from the rear of the horn. One of the instuments was subsequently sold to Arnold Jacobs, and the other was purchased by the Chicago Symphony very soon afterward. The CSO sold the second tuba to the University of Oklahoma, but was later bought back by Mr. Jacobs. These two instruments have since become the standard for all other 6/4 CC tubas and have been copied many times since by different manufacturers. Although York made very good tubas before, it could be said that the reputation enjoyed through this very day is due primarily to the existence of these two instruments.
In 1940 York was again sold to Carl Fischer, who transferred most of the instrument making to their New York plant. York actually ceased production at the Grand Rapids location until 1949. Subsequent names associated with York were "York" and "York Master", and many of these instruments were built on contract in Europe. The whereabouts of the original tooling from the Grand Rapids York plant are a matter of speculation, but it is widely believed that they were destroyed.
The "large bell" association with Besson is simply coincidence. Besson has made essentially the same tubas since the late 1800s, and their Imperial model EEb was the first to incorporate the larger 19" bell. It survives today as the 981 and 982, which are still the current mainstay for numerous brass bands as well as many British symphony orchestras. Other early large bell Eb tubas include Conn, King (H.N. White), and Martin, among others. York had minimal influence on these designs, although Foster Reynolds (founder of Reynolds Co.) was a possible link. Mr. Reynolds learned his trade at J.W. York's plant in the late 1800s and went to work for Henderson White in 1904. H.N. White, of course, later became King, which was named after Thomas King, a trombonist and associate of Mr. White's. Thus explains the stark similarity in early King tuba design with that of the Yorks made prior to 1904.