Budget 5/4 BBb tuba

[MartyNeilan]

Talk to Wessex about the new XL tuba. Everything good about their Hirsbrunner copy, plus a whole lot more.

[MartyNeilan]

Talk to Wessex about the new XL tuba. Everything good about their Hirsbrunner copy, plus a whole lot more.

5/4 ?

(fit's in the same MTS case as the "new-style" King case, and Hb bell diameter is smaller than King...bore size is the same as Mira-186)

.

Nope, similar body but vertical instead of horizontal tuning slide and a whole lot more bell (and whatever required adjustments)

[bort]

If it's called the "XL", it has to be 5/4. Otherwise it would just be "L", and a 4/4.

Or, maybe that's just a small person. Somewhere around here, I have a picture of my wife holding my Miraphone 1291 many years ago. It makes it look like a 6/4!

[Bob Kolada]

That's a big horn! For some reason I thought it'd be more BAT-like than Fafner with an upright bell...

[williamp]

I second Jay's earlier comment that if you're looking for a 5/4 on a budget, you can get a lot of tuba from an old Cerveny. Some of those are so responsive for the size and are hard to beat for value. I bought one for $600 once that I ended up using on a CD recording with a pretty decent group.

[bort]

that looks like Don Little in that pic... I wonder if it is

I think it's someone else, I've seen his photo on the Wessex site before.

[soyezu]

It looks like The Tuba Exchange has a B-stock Miraphone 191 clone for under $3000 right now. I seem to remember there were positive feelings about these tubas in the not-to-distant past.

http://www.tubaexchange.com/used/te-1914-fl

[pittbassdaddy]

It looks like The Tuba Exchange has a B-stock Miraphone 191 clone for under $3000 right now. I seem to remember there were positive feelings about these tubas in the not-to-distant past.

I've had the 5 valve (top heavy) version of that horn and it plays well. Shoot me a PM if you would like some more detailed info.

[Wyvern]

If it's called the "XL", it has to be 5/4. Otherwise it would just be "L", and a 4/4.

The new Wessex XL is a large 5/4 BBb tuba and is supplied with both upright and forward facing bells (19" and 21" respectively). Although it is based on our Luzern tuba, it feels and sounds bigger (we did a side by side comparison), probably due to the larger bell and less smaller tubing.

That is indeed Jim Langley who is trying the XL in Wessex new UK warehouse.

Incidentally to give you an idea of size, the bell collar is similar size as Martin Mammoth 6/4.

The XL will be on website (with some other new models) as soon as I have processed back-orders after 40' container of new stock arriving.

[TheGoyWonder]

Good ideas all. What is the Sonora based on, I've seen it and just assumed it was junk because of the made-up name. Could be a sleeper, good to know about it because there haven't been any steals on e'Bay. Holy Tuba Bubble is more like it.

St Pete is out, I had one in high school and slightly smashed it up despite being a model student. It's got bore for the dollar, but it would not last even in adult community band.

China's Finest is an option, but it is a crapshot. I've tried the Schiller version of the Wessex Luzern and it was a real dud. They don't have model names so it's hard to tell...the $1700 one. Short with largish bell throat, I'm pretty sure it was the same base product. Very slow rotors and very flat and weak 2nd partial.

Conn 24j is a bad idea? I was thinking with a Tuba tamer to hold it, and the bell pointed aside to avoid direct blast, and maybe sitting out the softest parts, it would be a good band ax.

[bort]

Sonora was a stencil name for B&S (that is, this is a B&S-made tuba, that is engraved with a different name). There are many stencil names for older B&S tubas. It's similar to how Jinbao makes tubas, and then they get engraved with a bunch of different names on them. Except the German communists made nicer tubas than the Chinese communists do.

General rule of thumb -- if it's a German BBb tuba with an angled leadpipe entry into the 1st valve and angled exit out of the 4th valve, it's probably a pretty good tuba.

[iiipopes]

I'm not going to read four pages of junk. "5/4" and "budget" are oxymorons.

[bigtubby]

I'm not going to read four pages of junk. "5/4" and "budget" are oxymorons.

Well ... the U.S. military does have a budget you know.

[Wyvern]

I've tried the Schiller version of the Wessex Luzern and it was a real dud.

There is not a Schiller version of the Wessex Lucern. They may be based on the same original design, but are different in design detail, build and valves.

I have lost count of the number of times people trying a Wessex on various different horns have said "this is so much better than a Schiller" (or some other brand) - So do try for yourself and don't assume the same looking at web pictures. All Wessex are customised (improved), or completely different designs.

[TheGoyWonder]

Sorry Neptune, I did assume based on web info that the Wessex Lucern was of the Jinbao 210 lineage, as are Mack x210, M&M x210, and Schiller no-name $1700 hirsbrunner look-alike. That could be altogether false, or it could be irrelevant if there is a lot of deviation within this family. It wasn't fair to connect the two brands.

I do like the concept of Wessex and will schedule a visit to the MI warehouse some day.

[Heavy_Metal]

What is the Sonora based on, I've seen it and just assumed it was junk because of the made-up name. Could be a sleeper, good to know about it because there haven't been any steals on e'Bay. Holy Tuba Bubble is more like it.

It's the B&S (a.k.a. VMI) model 101. The various stencil names were how importers got them past American customs agents. My understanding is that after German re-unification, B&S stopped making the 101 as it was too much like the Alexander 163 and 164 models.

Here is a thread containing a list of known stencil names for these tubas. Keep in mind that these names were sometimes used on tubas from different suppliers, so if you're not sure, post a pic here and we should be able to help you out:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=53607" target="_blank

The Sonora on eBay is up to $556.00:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sonora-BBb-Tuba ... 1c501757a6" target="_blank

Conn 24j is a bad idea? I was thinking with a Tuba tamer to hold it, and the bell pointed aside to avoid direct blast, and maybe sitting out the softest parts, it would be a good band ax.

I happen to like these big old Conns, though some would disagree. And you can play these things softly. For concert band, try to find the upright-bell version- the 4-valve version is the 25J and the 3-valve is the 21J. Some directors hate bell-front tubas.

[bort]

Some directors hate bell-front tubas*.

*played indoors.