Meinl-Weston 5450 "Thor" 5/4 CC Tuba....

Dylan King · Post by **Dylan King** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 9:29 pm

Hello tuba friends,

Have any of you played or heard anything about this new tuba? It is now available at the WWBW. Or so they say. It certainly looks like something I'd want to try out.

From the MW website...

06.12.05

New 5/4 CC-Tuba 5450 "Thor" introduced

Meinl-Weston / Melton CC-Tuba 5450 "Thor"The new CC-Tuba 5450 is a real all-round instrument with alot of "hammer" sound - this newly designed model features a great resonance, a solid low register and a huge sound.

So it was no surprise that Jens BjÃ¶rn-Larsen from Denmark immediately found the perfect name for the new CC-Tuba model 5450: "Thor" - in Scandinavian and Germanic mythology, Thor is the god of thunder!

CC-Tuba 5450 "Thor"
5/4 size
4 piston steel valves (big valve)
Bore: .748in (4th valve: .787in),
5th rotary valve (.807in, thumb activated)
Height: 38.5in
Bell diameter: 17.71in

MartyNeilan · Post by **MartyNeilan** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 9:34 pm

There have been a few discussions about it in these threads:
viewtopic.php?t=12884
viewtopic.php?t=12660
and most recently
viewtopic.php?t=13787

Hey MSM, thinking of trading the Yorkbrunner for one?

Dylan King · Post by **Dylan King** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 9:45 pm

Thank you Marty.

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 10:42 pm

One comment about this one, as well as all the other M-W's which use basically the same valve block: with the 4th valve straight down from the third, instead of offset, it appears to be a challenge to use the 4th valve unless you really cock your wrist sideways, and then the 1st valve may not be comfortable, either.

Anybody have any comments or points of view on this issue?

chhite · Post by **chhite** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 1:08 am

I had no problems but I also have big hands. I really like the way this horn played and sounded, and as I posted in another thread, the sound is a little too big for what I was looking for. But it will definitely be a hit once it's in full production as a great all-around horn.

tubeast · Post by **tubeast** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 3:15 am

iiipopes Posted:

One comment about this one, as well as all the other M-W's which use basically the same valve block: with the 4th valve straight down from the third, instead of offset, it appears to be a challenge to use the 4th valve unless you really cock your wrist sideways, and then the 1st valve may not be comfortable, either.

I donÂ´t think so:
When I look at the back of my hand, my middle finger extends furthest. Ring finger is second in length, index finger comes in 3rd, and pinky is the shortest. The fingers for 2nd-4th valve line up roughly in a straight line, while those for valves 1-3 will be in a curve.
Provided that three valves should be in line and only one slightly offset, itÂ´s the last three valves that should line up straight.

It sure would be a great idea to rotate the whole valveset as is counterclockwise by the amount of degrees the average player inclines the horn from the vertical.

(I donÂ´t: for reason of upper body length, I need to rest most horns on my left thigh to keep an erect posture sitting on the front end of a chair. To me, that lineup would be great as it is.)