Wessex goes to China and agrees big quality advance!

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Wyvern
Wessex Tubas
Wessex Tubas
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Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 7:00 pm
Location: Hampshire, England when not travelling around the world on Wessex business
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Wessex goes to China and agrees big quality advance!

Post by Wyvern »

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This last week Chip Hoehler (Wessex trombone consultant) and I went to China to visit the factory where we get most of our instruments manufactured with the view to putting yet more exciting models into production and measures to raise quality still further.

While there we took a comprehensive tour of the factory (which we noted manufactures for a number of leading brands) and were absolutely amazed at the enormous size of the operation (the brass factory must easily be the biggest in the world), the advanced equipment used (much made in-house) and the huge commitment and enthusiasm of the workforce who have a real 'can-do-anything' attitude with nothing too much trouble. They even put together a completely new design tenor trombone exclusive for Wessex in only two day!

I test played our new bell-front large BBb tuba (new model XL) and Eb 4-valve Sousaphone (new model 28) and the sound and response from both were impressive to say the least - Will be great for outdoor gigs! Chip tried and approved new alto, tenor and bass Sackbuts (the predecessor of the trombone) which will also be out later this year.

The samples for the new Excelsior compensated BBb bass (which is only slightly larger than a compensated Eb), a new compact 4-valve compensated Eb tuba (not much bigger than euphonium, but with big sound) and new tenor and bass trombones were all delivered for the factory to develop. These will be part of a new Wessex 'Premier' range built to the very highest standards.

New quality measures were put in place, so all Wessex instrument will be professionally play tested, inspected and approved by Wessex from UK, or USA before leaving the factory. The play testing will check for both tone and intonation, while the physical inspection will include finish, valves, compression, slides and soldering. Every inspected instrument will have signed certificate in case. Any instruments found lacking will be returned to production to correct issue even if it means stripping the lacquer/silver and completely redoing.

This will mean that nothing will be shipped with anything but perfect finish, construction and performance, so we can guarantee 100% quality every single time.

For your interest we found out some facts about the metal used. The yellow brass is 68% copper and the gold brass 84% copper. The brass sheeting used is either 0.5mm, or 0.8mm

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Tuba bell being turned
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Tuba being assembled
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Compression and leak testing of cimbasso
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Wessex exclusive Bell front BBb tuba 'XL' (to be available in fall/autumn)
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Wessex exclusive Eb sousaphone '28' under construction (to be available in fall/autumn)
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