Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

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thevillagetuba
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Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by thevillagetuba »

*Note: please read subject as if it were the intro to Scooby Doo. Thanks!*

Hey Johnathon or Andy,

I do not see the Wyvern listed under "CC Tubas" on your website. Overlooked or no longer being offered?
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emcallaway
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Re: Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by emcallaway »

It's still listed under "tubas" just not under "CC tubas".

https://wessex-tubas.com/collections/tu ... et="_blank

Also, it's apparently very sold out at the moment.
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Re: Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by thevillagetuba »

I see. When I went to their website last night, I wasn't seeing an option to look at all the tubas. Good to know that model wasn't suddenly scrapped.
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Re: Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by GC »

There are always glitches when websites are undergoing modification. It'll work out.

I have noticed CONSIDERABLE price jumps on some items in the new parts, like around $100 on the Champion Eb in lacquer, but over $600 in the price of the silver.
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Re: Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by Kdtuba »

GC wrote:There are always glitches when websites are undergoing modification. It'll work out.

I have noticed CONSIDERABLE price jumps on some items in the new parts, like around $100 on the Champion Eb in lacquer, but over $600 in the price of the silver.


Hmm I hope not much else jumps in price. It still may be affordable, but if much else on their stuff jumps in price it'll potentially turn me away from buying a brand new horn form them. I understand businesses need to sell, but maybe I'm wrong in assuming part of the purpose of Wessex is to provide wuality instruments at affordable to everyone prices.
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Re: Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by UDELBR »

Here's a post from wyvern re: Wessex prices and silver: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=87893&p=656509#p656 ... et="_blank
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Re: Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by Wyvern »

GC wrote:There are always glitches when websites are undergoing modification. It'll work out.

I have noticed CONSIDERABLE price jumps on some items in the new parts, like around $100 on the Champion Eb in lacquer, but over $600 in the price of the silver.
The Wyvern is there now - don’t know what happened. You can always search by name or model number if you can’t find what you are looking where you expect. No plans to discontinue - it is a superb tuba. So much so, that demand has exceeded production of recent, but another batch will be arriving early September.

For prices, doubling the polishing and doubling the silver-plating thickness of all Wessex does have a real production cost, but I think customers do want quality as well as reasonable prices. In the case of the Wyvern, its production has also been moved to the high-grade team (the most skilled craftsmen) which does also cause a slight increase in price, but produces quality very similar to European made as can be seen from the photo below. In fact while quality assuring I noted the silky smooth slide and valve action actually being better than on expensive German tubas I have personally owned in the past. Quite amazing when just a couple years ago I was fighting to get even parallel slide alignment.
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Re: Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by Kdtuba »

Wyvern wrote:
For prices, doubling the polishing and doubling the silver-plating thickness of all Wessex does have a real production cost, but I think customers do want quality as well as reasonable prices. In the case of the Wyvern, its production has also been moved to the high-grade team (the most skilled craftsmen) which does also cause a slight increase in price, but produces quality very similar to European made as can be seen from the photo below. In fact while quality assuring I noted the silky smooth slide and valve action actually being better than on expensive German tubas I have personally owned in the past. Quite amazing when just a couple years ago I was fighting to get even parallel slide alignment.

Sounds good to me. Thanks for the clarification. Does the additional silver plating alter the sound in any way? Or the weight?
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Re: Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by tubacorbin »

Wyvern wrote:In the case of the Wyvern, its production has also been moved to the high-grade team (the most skilled craftsmen) which does also cause a slight increase in price, but produces quality very similar to European made as can be seen from the photo below.
I'd be curious in knowing what other tubas the high-grade team handles?
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Re: Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by Ken Crawford »

Kdtuba wrote:Does the additional silver plating alter the sound in any way?
Oh no you didn't...
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Re: Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by Kdtuba »

Ken Crawford wrote:
Kdtuba wrote:Does the additional silver plating alter the sound in any way?
Oh no you didn't...
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Re: Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by Wyvern »

Kdtuba wrote: Sounds good to me. Thanks for the clarification. Does the additional silver plating alter the sound in any way? Or the weight?
The additional thickness of silver will not noticeably change the sound or weight, but the higher quality will mean more consistent good playing with better soldering etc.
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Re: Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by Wyvern »

tubacorbin wrote:
Wyvern wrote:In the case of the Wyvern, its production has also been moved to the high-grade team (the most skilled craftsmen) which does also cause a slight increase in price, but produces quality very similar to European made as can be seen from the photo below.
I'd be curious in knowing what other tubas the high-grade team handles?
At present the TC694 Chicago-York, TC695 Chicago-Presence, TC590 Wyvern and TC236 French C tuba. More will be added over time...
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Re: Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by WagnerRing »

It looks like the 5th valve thumb bar and the 5th valve linkage rod geometry are different on the Wyvern compared to earlier models? Can you provide any details on that? Thanks.
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Re: Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by Wyvern »

WagnerRing wrote:It looks like the 5th valve thumb bar and the 5th valve linkage rod geometry are different on the Wyvern compared to earlier models? Can you provide any details on that? Thanks.
In response to customer feedback we have redesigned to be near to the Chicago CC in 5th valve lever and linkage to make more comfortable to operate
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Re: Wessex Wyvern, Where Are You?

Post by WagnerRing »

Wyvern wrote:
WagnerRing wrote:It looks like the 5th valve thumb bar and the 5th valve linkage rod geometry are different on the Wyvern compared to earlier models? Can you provide any details on that? Thanks.
In response to customer feedback we have redesigned to be near to the Chicago CC in 5th valve lever and linkage to make more comfortable to operate
Looks great. Thanks for the info.
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