A New Wessex is Born!

[Wyvern]

Wessex genius tuba designer, Chuck Nickles has today put together new 6-valve rotary F tuba based on the Berg which will be Wessex new TF436 ‘Linz’. The 5th valve is a flat step and 6th valve flat half step. Obviously the prototype needs finishing with left hand rotor levers, but we can already say it plays as well as its 5-valve brother.

[Steve Marcus]

[ren]

awesome!

[binlove]

Boy, Chuck looks happy with how this one turned out!

[Doc]

I’m looking forward to testing it.

[tofu]

Is that Kyle Schwarber of the Cubs? ;-)

[bloke]

a very nice picture of Chuck, and (to me/opinion) the appearance of the 6-valve version is a lot more handsome than the 5-valve.

[ren]

Is this due in 2019? Ill take the one Chuck is holding right there.

[DouglasJB]

I can't wait for a chance to order one of these

[Doc]

Jonathan,
Any idea when one will be available for public testing?
Thanks!

[Wyvern]

Jonathan,
Any idea when one will be available for public testing?
Thanks!

Wessex will be exhibiting at, Music Austria in October, Midwest in December, Washington Army Conference in Jan/Feb (not sure of date yet), TMEA in February and ITEC in June. First sales batch will likely be about March 2019.

To wet your appetite now, here is video of Will Druiett play testing prototype at the factory this week

[tubaport]

Sounds great! Jonathan, ideas on the price range you'll plan for this one?

[Wyvern]

Sounds great! Jonathan, ideas on the price range you'll plan for this one?

About $4,500 gold brass bell lacquered, or $6,000 silver-plated - that is handmade in our new high-grade department with triple thickness silver-plating

[dasanchezr]

does this one have a bigger bell than the Berg? It kind of looks like it on the picture

[Wyvern]

does this one have a bigger bell than the Berg? It kind of looks like it on the picture

Not a bigger bell, but unlike the Berg, the new F tuba will be fully hand-hammered like the Chicago C-tuba. We expect to have availble Spring 2019

[Mark]

Will you be able to swap the fifth and sixth slides to change the order of the paddles? There seems to be no standard for the order of the fifth and sixth paddles on the left and it can be confusing switching from one manufacturer to another.

[Wyvern]

Will you be able to swap the fifth and sixth slides to change the order of the paddles? There seems to be no standard for the order of the fifth and sixth paddles on the left and it can be confusing switching from one manufacturer to another.

Unfortunately no, they will be 5th (on top) and 6th on left hand