York Cornet?

Bulgakov · Regular Member Joined: 03 Oct 2017 Posts: 61

I think I had this in the wrong forum, so have reposted here.

I came across this on our local version of Ebay/Craigslist in NZ. The seller does not know much (it was listed as a trumpet), but he says it has York written on it, and it looks like it has a serial # 119146.

Any ideas? From what I have seen from other threads and Horn-U-Copia, York made some nice horns. Does anyone who knows about these things reckon their is something worthwhile here, or is it more likely junk? I thought I would ask on the off chance this is something worth having a closer look at.

I'm a relative beginner playing cornet (not my own) in a local brass band (in addition to trumpet in a community orchestra), so I am in the market. Not a whole lot of viable options come available here, so I don't mind putting a little money into it if the original horn was good to begin with.

See the link:

https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1497260356

mike ansberry · Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2017 7:03 pm Post subject:

In their early years York made some fine instruments. The ones I've seen from their later years were pretty bad. I'm not sure what era this is from, but it looks like it's from the later years.
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Bulgakov · Regular Member Joined: 03 Oct 2017 Posts: 61

GordonH · Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2017 4:13 am Post subject:

The York brand IP ended up belonging to Keilwerth. Keilwerth made the parts for the Boosey and Hawks range of cornets. When Boosey and Hawkes went bust they started assembling the Boosey and Hawkes models themselves and put the York name on them. This cornet you have seen is not one of those but it might be a Keilwerth by the shape of the finger buttons. Does it say Germany or Foreign anywhere on it?
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Robert Rowe · Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2017 7:07 am Post subject:

Hmmmm ...

Hard to say.

I have an exceedingly rare York AirFlow Cornet, in silver ... s/n 120854 ... which I acquired from the late Lou van Koevering ("OLDLOU", here on this site). According to Lou, date of manufacture was pre-war (WWII) ... likely 1938 or 1939.

It is a superlative instrument ... with a definitive, almost "angelic" tone.

The AirFlow horns look nothing like any other ... so, I cannot compare to the horn you are considering there in NZ.
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Robert Rowe · Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2017 7:09 am Post subject:

BTW -- "OLDLOU" was employed at the York works in Grand Rapids, and was an authority of all-things "York".
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Bulgakov · Regular Member Joined: 03 Oct 2017 Posts: 61

Bulgakov · Regular Member Joined: 03 Oct 2017 Posts: 61

Robert Rowe · Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2017 4:02 pm Post subject:

Bulgakov · Regular Member Joined: 03 Oct 2017 Posts: 61

I've been trying to look around and see if there are any pictures of a similar horn, but most of the York Cornets I see are 1900s era. I think I found a picture of a later horn, but the wrap is different. This horn does not look like any of them. However, I came across this reference:

https://sites.google.com/site/oddcornets/tunable-bell/amati

indicating that Amati and Musica produced student model horns for York. So I wonder if this is one of those?

Flugelnut · Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 6:56 am Post subject:

About 5 years ago I briefly owned a Boosey & Hawkes "York" flugelhorn which turned out to be built by Kühnl & Hoyer of Germany. I gave them the serial number and asked them to date the flugel for me, which they did.
I think the horn was from the 1970's but don't recall exactly.
It may be worth a message to K&H.
The flugel was no jewel by the way.

Flugelnut · Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 8:09 am Post subject:

PS: I did find that my York flugel had serial 110197 and was built in 1983.
Hope this helps.

Bulgakov · Regular Member Joined: 03 Oct 2017 Posts: 61

Flugelnut · Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 11:03 am Post subject:

The flugel had "B&H York" etched (not stamped) on the side of the bell.
A genuine US-made vintage York would probably have stampings saying"ÜSA" and "Grand Rapids" somewhere.