First impressions on my new Wessex BBb Tornister Travel tuba

[Tubacube]

Thanks for reporting, sounds like a fun little tuba!
Hope to hear you play it live at South Bay sometime!

[ken k]

where can we get these in the US?

[Wyvern]

where can we get these in the US?

http://www.wessex-tubas.com/bbb-travel-tuba/, or call 616-843-6888

Second batch which reached the US this week is nearly sold out now. Third batch will be arriving April/May.

[WoWwYnAtoR]

Any update on the time frame for the CC's possible release?

[Wyvern]

Any update on the time frame for the CC's possible release?

Not yet. I hope to have a CC production prototype to exhibit at Frankfurt Musikmesse in March

[ralphbsz]

Any update on the time frame for the CC's possible release?

Not yet. I hope to have a CC production prototype to exhibit at Frankfurt Musikmesse in March

Is there any way to get a 5th valve onto the CC version? Judging by the picture of the BBb version, there is no space for that. I'm also not sure it makes sense, since the 5th valve is most useful very low down (below the staff), and I don't know whether such a small instrument is useful in an ensemble in that low register.

[solomon]

Hi Jonathan,
ever thought to make a piston valves version of the Mighty Midget Travel Tuba?

[Jose the tuba player]

Hi Janathan,
ever thought to make a piston valves version of the Mighty Midget Travel Tuba?

+100000000000000000000000

maybe a front action with a detachable bell flare?
hell why not make the thing modular so you can have both a bell front/up and a front action/ upright and just choose how to arrange it

[WoWwYnAtoR]

Any update on the time frame for the CC's possible release?

Not yet. I hope to have a CC production prototype to exhibit at Frankfurt Musikmesse in March

Thanks!

Any update on the time frame for the CC's possible release?

Not yet. I hope to have a CC production prototype to exhibit at Frankfurt Musikmesse in March

Is there any way to get a 5th valve onto the CC version? Judging by the picture of the BBb version, there is no space for that. I'm also not sure it makes sense, since the 5th valve is most useful very low down (below the staff), and I don't know whether such a small instrument is useful in an ensemble in that low register.

Well, I can tell you that I was able to play down to the 1st and 4th, and 3rd and 4th valve combinations with this horn and my Orchesteral Grand Blokepiece with some decent volume. She only started to get edgy when I "put the pedal to the metal." Otherwise, in a smaller ensemble, I personaly think you could work with it. I'm considering one for quintet use and even as a back-up (in community band) for when I get my main ax cleaned/serviced.

I'm chompin at the bit for the CC to be released and be able to play one or two!

[Jose the tuba player]

I tested one at the Army Workshop.
With a rather normal mouthpiece, the sound tended to break up a little too quickly for me. Once I dropped in the Dr. Young mouthpiece everything seemed to play better and sound like a full size tuba.

I didn't see much use for a fourth valve on a BBb tornister, maybe on CC, but it isn't really needed on BBb.

Really?

Because of the ergonomics on the horn, I'm having a hard time picturing that the 1st or 3rd valve slide is an easy pull to make 1-3 and 1-2-3 in tune. It would be nice if there was a kicker of some sort. It would save weight for a horn that is designed to be carried while playing

Yes, really-really. With a tuba this small, you aren't going to be playing it in a larger ensemble like any standard concert tuba could handle. This tornister needs to be looked at as a travel-tuba for those gigs when you simply cannot bring your helicon/sousaphone/concert-tuba/marching-tuba. It really doesn't need the fourth valve.

I didn't have a problem with the 1-3 or 1-2-3 combinations with the Dr. Young mouthpiece - but I was able to bend the notes significantly to adjust the pitches as needed, FWIW.

Hi Janathan,
ever thought to make a piston valves version of the Mighty Midget Travel Tuba?

+100000000000000000000000

maybe a front action with a detachable bell flare?
hell why not make the thing modular so you can have both a bell front/up and a front action/ upright and just choose how to arrange it

Why would it need a detachable bell? That only increases the size of the case and reduces its use as a very small, travel-size tuba.

I asked Jonathan the same question regarding the piston valves and he only shrugged and remarked that it is certainly a possibility (given demand for one and the production costs, etc.).

Here's what you need to know - rotary valves are considerably smaller than piston valves. How many tubas do you know of that have a very small bore, front action valve block? The smallest I can think of is the King at .687" or some of the older horns at .656". As this would be marketed to tuba players - we know that most people prefer the vertical-style valve block like the CSO York, so I would expect a similar valve design on a piston tornister. With the said, I made a small BBb tuba/cimbasso using a sousaphone valve section:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=50809" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank



The bore is very small, but it's not really a tuba (not enough conical tubing). Though, best of all, the bell placement is on the "correct" side like any standard tuba.

well the forward bell so you don't go deaf in one ear and well why not use this kind of rotary valve set up? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3pEpk_4JZg" target="_blank" target="_blank

[Jose the tuba player]

Oh man... off topic, but I love the superbone in this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-6nZZrs9Xk" target="_blank" target="_blank

Yea! its awsome
imagine if he made tubas?, we'd see innovation

[The Big Ben]

well the forward bell so you don't go deaf in one ear

If you had a forward bell, I'm wondering if you could see through it. I'm thinking of one of those weird Besson BBb horns with the recording bell sticking right into where you would expecting your face to be. Years ago, I played a baritone with a forward facing bell and, if put on the Tournister, it would block everything.

[Jose the tuba player]

well the forward bell so you don't go deaf in one ear and well why not use this kind of rotary valve set up? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3pEpk_4JZg" target="_blank" target="_blank"

If you had a forward bell, I'm wondering if you could see through it. I'm thinking of one of those weird Besson BBb horns with the recording bell sticking right into where you would expecting your face to be. Years ago, I played a baritone with a forward facing bell and, if put on the Tournister, it would block everything.

well the bell is on the opposite side of the lead pipe so i doubt it would block anything, especially if its the size of a baritone bell.

[PaulTkachenko]

Glad to hear people are suggesting piston valves ...

[Wyvern]

Thank you for the suggestions guys.

Both the forward facing bell and piston valves we have considered.

The forward bell is no doubt possible, but will make the Mighty Midget more bulky and not so portable as travel tuba and I am not sure how it will be used so fitted. If the idea is to move bell away from ear, then just fitting a sousaphone bit easily enables pointing the bell away and forwards. I have played the Midget so fitted and it works fine like that.

For piston valves, I am not sure if they can even be fitted to so small a tuba. We need to investigate further.

[Jose the tuba player]

Thank you for the suggestions guys.

Both the forward facing bell and piston valves we have considered.

The forward bell is no doubt possible, but will make the Mighty Midget more bulky and not so portable as travel tuba and I am not sure how it will be used so fitted. If the idea is to move bell away from ear, then just fitting a sousaphone bit easily enables pointing the bell away and forwards. I have played the Midget so fitted and it works fine like that.

For piston valves, I am not sure if they can even be fitted to so small a tuba. We need to investigate further.

so something the size of a baritone bell will make it more bulky ?i don't think it'd be that much bigger, what brand tuning bit? can you demonstrate this?,id like to see that
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3pEpk_4JZg" target="_blank for piston valves

[Jose the tuba player]

Thank you for the suggestions guys.

Both the forward facing bell and piston valves we have considered.

The forward bell is no doubt possible, but will make the Mighty Midget more bulky and not so portable as travel tuba and I am not sure how it will be used so fitted. If the idea is to move bell away from ear, then just fitting a sousaphone bit easily enables pointing the bell away and forwards. I have played the Midget so fitted and it works fine like that.

For piston valves, I am not sure if they can even be fitted to so small a tuba. We need to investigate further.

so something the size of a baritone bell will make it more bulky ?i don't think it'd be that much bigger, what brand tuning bit? can you demonstrate this?,id like to see that
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3pEpk_4JZg" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank for piston valves

Those are ROTARY valves.

A recording bell WILL make it more bulky.

i know they are rotary but that style could work for a "PISTON" style horn

[Jose the tuba player]

Those are ROTARY valves.

A recording bell WILL make it more bulky.

i know they are rotary but that style could work for a "PISTON" style horn

Then it's not a piston valve instrument - it's still a rotary instrument. The whole idea of a "PISTON" style horn is to have PISTONS

I know ,I know but that might be the closest we can get without engineering a whole new cluster with new parts, That would cost more in R&D which i doubt neptune will want to spend.

[Oscar]

Sorry to interrupt your piston discussion, but as a few of you allready tested the Mighty Midget for some time, I'd really love to know, how its performance is when played in bigger bands or orchestras.

I'm playing as one of four or five tubas in a 30 to 50 people concert band or wind orchestra... Well, I'm not totally shure about the english classification. We do classical music as well as marching, pop musik, polkas and probably everything else.
Do you think the tornister tuba is adequate to be used here?

[Wyvern]

In the next concert with my wind orchestra (about 50 players strong) we are going to play a couple of pieces where the conductor prefers lighter bass with pair of Mighty Midgets instead of full size tubas. I will try to post recording excerpt afterwards.

I have played a Midget with a military band of about 25 strong as the only tuba and the trumpets reported they could hear me fine. I would think as part of a tuba section it would work as long as you use the right mouthpiece and do not overblow.

I do know of four Mighty Midget now being used in brass bands in the UK and a couple of players even intend to use in forthcoming national brass band contests.