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Any of you all have an F contra you'd be willing to part with for a reasonable price? Someone advertised a Chinese one with the valves converted to C/Db (my preference) for $1200 a while ago but they never responded to my messages.

Also interested in any reasonably-priced all-purpose tubas for this bass trombonist to double on. Eb preferred, or if there's such a thing as an F that can hold its weight in large ensembles and recording I could be interested in that too. Of course, I'll entertain BBbs and CCs as well, but they'd have to be on the smaller side.

Thanks guys for your replies.

The new Wessex coming out looks great, I've been following the updates on the prototype. I've played a few Wessex instruments and some of them blew me away, so I know they can be great. My only reservation about this particular one is that a couple professional players I know tried the prototype at NAMM and said that it was pretty terrible. Wonder if that's just an issue with the prototype.

Finetales wrote:Thanks guys for your replies.

The new Wessex coming out looks great, I've been following the updates on the prototype. I've played a few Wessex instruments and some of them blew me away, so I know they can be great. My only reservation about this particular one is that a couple professional players I know tried the prototype at NAMM and said that it was pretty terrible. Wonder if that's just an issue with the prototype.

Neither Wessex, or the prototype contrabass trombone was at NAMM - so they were obviously talking about something completely different?

The trombone should be supplied with both sets of slides. I can only say for certain if in the box when they arrive in the warehouse and I can check.

Another thing to note is I am having production of this trombone moved across from being made in the regular trombone department to the high-grade workshop where the hand-hammered Chicago CC's are made. This will ensure higher quality, like smoother slides and consistent valve alignment

Thanks for getting back to me guys. Sorry for the mix up, I had a feeling I got the conference wrong. I meant TMEA, not NAMM. The bass trombonist of the Houston Grand Opera was there and one of the people I know that tried it. I'm still very interested in the new contra, as it does look like a huge step up from Thein clones (which is saying something, as some of them play really well). It will be hard not to pick one up immediately.

I've played contras in both tunings, and I just can't get comfortable with F/D/Bb. I need the valves to be in the same proportions as a bass trombone, as I really think in F when I play it rather than "this is like playing my bass with the first valve down" as I play bass sackbut as well.

Mark Finley wrote: I played the Rath, the thein, the wessex, and the old style jinbao thein copy AT TMEA. for comfort, I would put the wessex at the top of that list, but the Rath and Thein still feel like superior instruments. If are used led to the Rath you probably won't like the wessex, but if the $15000 contras are not an option for you, you're going to love the wessex, especially because of the tuning of the valves

I've played the Rath, Thein (not the one that Jin Bao copies, but a newer model with screw bell that's achingly gorgeous), Laetzsch, and Jurgen Voigt. But I've never owned any of them so I think I would do just fine with something affordable on a mortal's budget.