What "happened" to Hirsbrunner?

[Timswisstuba]

According to Peter Hirsbrunner Jr. himself, Custom Music lost their exclusive North American rights to Hirsbrunner when CMC changed hands. Hirsbrunner is free to sell to whomever he pleases.

[tclements]

I have ordered an HB-2 (HBS-290). The dealer that Mr. Hirsbrunner sent me to is Ferguson Music of Los Angeles. I am assuming that Steve will be the contact point for Hirsbrunner. He can be reached at http://www.hornguys.com" target="_blank.

[iiipopes]

I have ordered an HB-2 (HBS-290). The dealer that Mr. Hirsbrunner sent me to is Ferguson Music of Los Angeles. I am assuming that Steve will be the contact point for Hirsbrunner. He can be reached at http://www.hornguys.com" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank.

Further proof that Hirsbrunner is INDEED still producing tubas. I now have a not so nice taste in my mouth regarding this Custom situation. Considering they were telling people they could not deliver Hirsbrunner tubas, it simply seems like they WOULDN'T deliver Hirsbrunner tubas.

RC

Actually, from the way the above comments and posts could be interpreted in inferring the actual contractural relationships among all the players, the verb, "couldn't," as in "cannot any more due to the contract terminating and HB doesn't want to do business with us anymore," is a more likely interpretation, but one that would work against Custom, hence the spin Custom put on it.

[tclements]

I cannot comment on anything other than Mr Hirsbrunner referred me to Ferguson in order to purchase a tuba.

[oedipoes]

this fits this topic:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=37639

Wim

[eupher61]

ye gods...they're callling the PT 10 an FF tuba. And it's a one tone or two tone 5th valve. Not completely accurate.

[tubalooney]

I have just had the great pleasure of meeting Peter Hirsbrunner and his colleagues at the factory in Sumiswald here in Switzerland. I was there to get my fifteen year old newly acquired HB 21 fitted with a new bell and get one or two things sorted out. They did a great job and it plays brilliantly now. Gorgeous full dark sound. They also floated the lead pipe off the bell for me and corrected the valve alignment which was way off, got rid of a few dents, the valves got a chem clean as well. Superb workmanship. If you want a hirsbrunner tuba they will build it for you. They can (and have copied) any tuba that you want. If you turn up with one they'll copy it for you. I saw the photos. The history of the family is extraordinary. In the same village from at least 1500 ad! Seven generations of instrument makers. In the little museum they have instruments with Stozel valves, Wiener style French horns, Wiener pumpen style valved tuba, keyed bugle, ophicleide, Russian cimbasso, lever actuated valved trumpet all fabricated by Hirsbrunner. An amazing heritage that includes stories of Napoleon's invasion of Switzerland and Hirsbrunner making instruments the French military band stationed in their district! He was just finishing an HB 55 a 5/4 CC tuba which isn't in their catalogue and only made to order. Here in Europe a great deal of tuba players play the HB 290 rotary which has a great shining soloistic sound. The tuba player of the Suisse Romande plays a 290 with a gold brass bell, an HB 21 and and sometimes an HB 50.
So there we are, if you want a Hirsbrunner tuba speak to Peter, get it organised, hop on a plane to Switzerland, have a holiday in a really lovely part of Europe and go home with a tuba tucked under your arm! Grüetzi!

[BridgepointMusic]

Ok, there's been a lot of rumor, speculation and maybe even some borderline misinformation floating around in this thread. Let me see if I can't clear it up. Awhile back Hirsbrunner sold their tooling to the folks at Adams, I don't know why, but I suspect they got hit extra hard by the economic problems that started in 2008 (as has been discussed previously in the thread). They did not, however, sell the company, the name, or the rights to manufacture Hirsbrunner instruments. I would imagine that having no tooling would make it hard to manufacture instruments so I'm not surprised that there was a period of re-structuring going on during which things weren't happening and that sent the rumors flying. It looks to me like everything's worked itself out by now and things are starting to happen again.

Hirsbrunner is still making Tubas, but they're not manufacturing them, not like they used to in any case. All of the parts, except for the tuning slides, are manufactured at the Adams factory and then sent out to Hirsbrunner for assembly in Switzerland. Manufacturers have been sourcing out chunks of their manufacturing for years. I've heard of it being done this way with other brass instrument manufacturers before, but in the tuba business it's usually been just valve blocks and bells as far as I know.

So, the good news is, you can still get a Hirsbrunner tuba. I do, however, recommend checking out the Adams instruments before you start booking a flight out to Switzerland. I've played on a Hirsbrunner for years and I loved it, but I like my Adams a little bit better (The Hirsbrunner's still for sale if anyone's interested btw...) I'll fully admit up front that I'm completely biased as an Adams dealer, but a plane ticket out to San Francisco (or LA apparently, I don't know what horns anyone else has in stock) to check out a significantly cheaper alternative seems like a smart move if you're in the market. (Plus San Francisco is a totally awesome town for a weekend getaway, just bring a sweater if you're going into the city anytime this summer.)

Hopefully that helps,
-James