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Thread: Wessex Eb Bombino Tuba - What a Great Tuba!

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Summerfield, Florida Sturgis, SD (summers)
    Posts
    1,868
    Quote Originally Posted by JakeGuilbo View Post
    John - have you tried the VW on it yet? I'm wondering how well this horn would work for solo work.
    http://petruccilibrary.ca/linkhandle...acont_part.pdf
    Jake,

    What are you playing now?? You have more strike-throughs in your signature block than a secretary/typist having a bad hair day.
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
    Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
    1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 Baritone
    Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
    Year Round Except Summer:
    Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)
    KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
    Summer Only:
    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
    Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)

  2. #12
    Geneva Cardinal! It arrived with shipping damage, which I had fixed but now the horn has buzzing problems and the valves CLANG CLANG so they are building me another horn. I promise a write-up as soon as I get the new horn - as a tease though, this horn is SWEET, I like it better than any Adams I've ever played on. It just feels right.
    Adams E3 0.6 with SS Bell
    K&G 3.5D
    ---------------------------------
    Founder and Solo Euphonium
    San Francisco Brass Band

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Summerfield, Florida Sturgis, SD (summers)
    Posts
    1,868
    I will be interested to hear all about the Geneva.
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
    Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
    1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 Baritone
    Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
    Year Round Except Summer:
    Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)
    KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
    Summer Only:
    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
    Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)

  4. #14
    I'll be bringing it to NABBA in April for people to have a blow. Hopefully the replacement will be in by then!
    Adams E3 0.6 with SS Bell
    K&G 3.5D
    ---------------------------------
    Founder and Solo Euphonium
    San Francisco Brass Band

  5. Quote Originally Posted by JakeGuilbo View Post
    promise a write-up as soon as I get the new horn - as a tease though, this horn is SWEET, I like it better than any Adams I've ever played on. It just feels right.
    I was always curious to see how the Geneva horns stacked up against the rest of the market. They don't seem to be too common
    T.J. Davis

    Wessex Dolce
    G&W Kadja

  6. #16
    We seemed to have drifted off course for this thread but so far I REALLY like how it sounds. I don't have too much experience playing Besson Prestige or Sovereigns but I can tell you this Cardinal I have plays VERY sweetly. The bell (and all tuning slides) are made of Rose Brass and the Bell Flare is made from Nickel Silver - which is different than the Adams Sterling Silver and much more akin to brass than silver - if my knowledge serves.

    Here are two videos, one from me five years ago playing Rochut #8 on Adams E1 .55 Gold Brass Bell
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtlZtI12XXw

    And here is me today on the Geneva Cardinal with SM4UX, also Rochut #8
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN_X3Q-Lnok

    For the difference in price, I actually like the way the Geneva feels, plays and sounds. I went and played a bunch of Adams horns a few weeks ago and NONE of them moved me - I played two E1 .6 with SS bell, an E1 .7 yellow brass and and E3 with Yellow Brass and was underwhelmed by all of them. I then picked up my Wessex and it sounded better than those Adams horns - it was really unfortunate.

    I have a friend who has a VERY nice Adams E2 - I played this horn a couple of years ago and I remember thinking that I would have traded him my E1 for that E2 - it was that sweet. Anyway, he went to IET last year (or maybe 2016?) and Glenn Van Looy was there with a bunch of Geneva horns. Other people in this forum have posted about it. Anyway, he had a lesson with Glenn, played his horn and immediately bought the Geneva Symphony model (their lowest model). He's now selling his Adams.

    Because of this development, my lack of enthusiasm at the Adams horns (and being a former Adams owner), I reached out to Joe at the Salvation Army and he didn't have any Symphonys left. He did have a previously play-tested Cardinal and that is this horn in the video. It is basically the GVL model with engraving and black accents but a slightly different leadpipe.

    Unfortunately this horn was damaged during shipping - I took it to my local repair guy and he did a good job but we think the bell ring is loose from the damage and ringing. And you can hear how loud the valves are. Anyway, I'll post a full review when the new horn arrives in 2 months or so. Either way I'll bring this horn (or the new horn) to NABBA for people to play on!
    Adams E3 0.6 with SS Bell
    K&G 3.5D
    ---------------------------------
    Founder and Solo Euphonium
    San Francisco Brass Band

  7. Glad I found this. I'm a trombone player, sometimes euphonium, and just got a Bombino as well. I wanted something small and manageable. I was learning the Eb fingerings with the tenor clef trick, but I keep shifting back to as-written bass clef, so I'm just learning the fingerings straight. My valve chops aren't that ingrained, as a bone player.

    I agree with John that the Bombino is easy to play, and has a very nice resonant sound. I had to order mine from UK, because the US was all sold out, so shipping was a little more. The 2nd valve hangs up a little from time to time, but that may be just due to my wonky trombone valve technique. I too am dripping all over the place with the main and 4th valve water keys. This seems like another reason to get a rotary, but with rotaries, I guess you give up the compensation, which is really great. No slide pulling, just get the right valve combos for certain notes, and it's right on. Also, if you don't get the leadpipe angle right, you can get water draining back into the mouthpiece. But that's just me getting used to something new.

    I don't have a specific purpose for this yet, I just wanted something that played bass trombone range and lower without sounding like a chainsaw. For people a little afraid of a real tuba (something with a bore over .7"), this has been fun to play, and eventually fun to perform with. I think a BBb would have been way too much for me, although the fingerings would have been easier. I tested one, and coming from the trombone, I just had a really hard time hearing the pitches with all of the crazy unfamiliar overtones.

    One of the reasons I wanted to get a tuba was because of some tendonitis in my left elbow. It's not the weight of the tbone so much as the position of the elbow while playing. The tuba is 15 lb instead of 5 lb, but the position is much better, and the horn sits on my leg most of the time. It came with a nice leather bandolier strap for marching or standing.

    I also had a Dolce, but I sold it in part to finance the Bombino. Both nice horns, Wessex is doing a nice job. They have plenty of BAT, but haven't neglected the other end of the spectrum, either.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Summerfield, Florida Sturgis, SD (summers)
    Posts
    1,868
    BAT?? Big A_ _ Tubas??

    Welcome to the forum hyperbolica!! Glad you are liking the Bombino. It is a very nice Eb tuba.
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
    Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
    1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 Baritone
    Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
    Year Round Except Summer:
    Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)
    KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
    Summer Only:
    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
    Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)

  9. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by John Morgan View Post
    BAT?? Big A_ _ Tubas??
    You got it!
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  10. Another thing I wanted to mention in relation to this thread was the other options that Wessex has that compete with the Bombino. I was looking for a small Eb, but I started being interested in the Champion. Then I started reading reviews, and the reviews steered me toward the Solo, which is I gather the same as the Champion, but with a smaller bell. The Solo seems to be so popular that it's out of stock everywhere. I was lucky to find a Bombino, as a third option. It was cheaper, and had the advantage of actually being available, although I had to contact the UK to get one in the US.

    To me, this was also a powerful tutorial on the value of reviews. As a tuba learner, I didn't really have a point of reference. The Solo would have been bigger than I wanted. I had no idea that the Bombino was the right instrument. You really do have to get your hands on an instrument to be able to evaluate it. I don't know why that surprises me every time I realize it, but it does. I started my tuba search with people recommending a Miraphone 186. A solid choice for someone who has played tuba, but not for what I was looking for (Eb euphonium, really).

    Back on topic, I was wondering if anyone had the opportunity to test the Bombino against its larger siblings, Champion and Solo, and how would you compare them? At some point I'll be able to calibrate all these opinions with some personal experience.

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