Question about tuba factories

Captain Sousie · Post by **Captain Sousie** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 12:12 am

Please excuse any ignorance in the following post as I am trying to correct it by asking questions that display the ignorance.

I am going to be making a trip to Europe this summer (should be early June to early July). The countries that I will tour are Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, and Italy. During that tour I am sort of hoping to be able to visit a tuba manufacturer/factory or two. Now my ignorance shows through. I have no idea of how this works or if the factories even allow anybody to go through.

So I guess my questions are:

1) Is this even a possibility or should I give up on this right now?

2) Which places would you recommend I visit?

3) How do I arrange these visits and to whom do I talk to make this happen?

4) Will the language barrier cause too many problems for me and make it not a positive experience? To explain this one, I am mostly mono-lingual. By that I mean that I know just enough German, French, and Italian to get myself where I need to go, while being polite, count, and not much else. Oh yeah, I know enough of these languages to politely ask for food

Thanks,
Sou

Edit: Replies in PM or E-mail are welcome.

Art Hovey · Post by **Art Hovey** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 12:24 am

I have not been there lately, but back in 1962 I was in Germany with a college band and went to Mainz to visit the Alexander factory. I just knocked on the door, told them I was a tuba player, and got the grand tour, in English. They were very cordial. As I was getting ready to leave I asked if they could duplicate my mouthpiece. The boss called in a machinist who took measurements and made a sort of a rubber casting. They mailed the finished product to me in the US for a total cost of roughly $5.

Captain Sousie · Post by **Captain Sousie** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 12:32 am

That sounds like an awesome experience and I hope I can have a similarly good one.

Thanks for the input,
Sou

djwesp · Post by **djwesp** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 12:49 am

Keep me posted on all of this, sounds really exciting.

Play the mini-star eflat if you get the chance and tell me all about it!

Wyvern · Post by **Wyvern** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 4:11 am

I believe this is possible. I want to visit Meinl-Weston the next time I am in Germany - see http://www.meinl-weston.com/tour.htm.

I would suggest that you look at the manufacturers websites, see which are in the areas you are visiting and then contact them in advance to try to arrange visit.

Out of politeness, I would not turn up at the reception unannounced.

In my experience, a lot of the Germans speak quite good English, so you should have little language problems.

I hope you enjoy - do report back to us!

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 8:41 am

I'm sure most places would be glad to have visitors if you introduced yourself by letter and asked about a convenient date for them in your itenerary.

It's easier now than it used to be because most factories now have websites with their mailing addresses online.

Just don't expect them now to duplicate your mouthpiece for $5!

Captain Sousie · Post by **Captain Sousie** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 6:19 pm

Great suggestions, thanks. I'll post about the results when I get back or visit an internet cafe over there.

I know it is a long shot, but does anybody know about the Willson or Hirsbrunner facilities and whether they are available for a tour?

I am basically finding out about as many tuba factories as I can and planning my itinerary around them. (and my wife of course, can't get too tuba besotted and forget about her).

iiipopes wrote:Just don't expect them now to duplicate your mouthpiece for $5!

Dash my dreams why don't ya

Thanks,
Sou

UDELBR · Post by **UDELBR** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 6:36 pm

If you visit Geretsried (just south of Munich) you can hit Meinl-Weston and Nirschl. Then go northeast about 70k and you'll find Miraphone in Waldkraiburg. A polite request in advance will get you into all of these factories.

thedeep42 · Post by **thedeep42** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 9:48 pm

1. Don't give up. I was planning to do this last year and contacted people. All the factories would be happy to have a visitor. People (nationals and foreigners) do this all the time. I found language not to be a problem. Generally, I find many of the european countries to have linguistic educational systems that make ours look positively vegetative. Anyone who does much in overseas business speaks at least two (english being one). Don't worry.

2. Get in touch with Bob Tucci (Perantucci) in Eichenau south of Munich. He travels regularly between the different instrument makers down there. He is a gracious host and can help you meet and see many of the instrument makers in the area. He's the man and it's a great opportunity to try out Perantucci stuff. B&S and Melton (meinl weston) products are made in this region (though the main B&S place is a bit of a drive away), as well as Walter Nirschl. A train over to Nurenberg area will get you to Rudolf Meinl's place... Hirsbrunner was welcoming when I wrote to him, I never contacted wilson. I didn't have money to tubatour switzerland or to buy a hirsbrunner

3. Find them online, email them or write to them. email worked well. Plan your trip, I'd say they'd be polite even if you just showed up... But it's much easier and friendlier to call them, and to find out the best way to get there!

4. see number 1. NO PROBLEM. the only area we had a really hard time finding english speakers was in the former east germany. However, Leipsig rocks. Go there.

MichaelDenney · Post by **MichaelDenney** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:11 pm

Sounds like a load of fun. Be sure and check on when the factories will be closed for summer vacation. Many European factories--and virtually whole countries for that matter--shut down for a month in summer. In some it is July and in others August.