Wessex Tubby EEb - any considered opinions??

[2ba4t]

I was waiting eagerly for this to be available and have seen the responses available. Because the proportions were to be as large as possible without compromising the tuning I suppose, I expected a shape similar to the old monster EEb of the 1920s. However, we must respect Wessex's estimation of the modern market needs and present fashion of low belled instruments and compact designs. I personally love high bells, especially recording style, but am from the Jurassic.

I was also surprised that the fourth and fifth valves were not rotary and of a far wider bore (as reasonable) to really help those 'bread and butter' notes down to FFF. I have designed a widening conical fourth valve - the Patents Office accepted it. I think it is similar to the Bb 'side' of some French horns with a two-bore conical valve. However, the costs of development and but the superb smaller CC tubas around really made this rather unnecessary. Just learn new fingerings. A standard F or Eb will never have that organ-like sound down the bottom but ... now there is a truly wide bore Eb perhaps it is worth investigating how wide one can make a conical fourth valve section. Valves with differing in and out ports are not unknown, you just need to configure which sections of tubing are added or not when using them.

Any new reviews of the Tubby. Bless Wessex.