Wessex Starts Making hand-made instruments

[Jonathantuba]

Editorial in the May-July 2018 The Brass Herald

[davewerden]

That's exciting (and interesting) news! You folks have really stepped out of the "Chinese clone" mold in a creative way.

[sirendude2015]

That was an exciting read to kick-start my morning! Wait a minute... did my eyes read that a hand-made compensated euphonium is coming? If this is true, will it be a completely new design or something based on the Dolce/Festivo?

[davewerden]

... did my eyes read that a hand-made compensated euphonium is coming? If this is true, will it be a completely new design or something based on the Dolce/Festivo?

I had the same question running through my mind!

[Jonathantuba]

I had the same question running through my mind!

It is a completely new design by Chuck Nickles, all hand-hammered and therefore lightweight. Will share no parts with the Dolce, or Festivo euphoniums. It will be made in the new high-grade department where the Wessex Chicago 6/4 CC tubas are being made, where the quality is comparible to hand-made instruments from Europe.

I can tell you it will be the usual 3+1 compensated configuration and will probibly have tuning trigger - unless intonation is so good that a trigger would be of no benefit.

We hope to have prototype in time to show at the Midwest in December.

[JakeGuilbo]

Jonathan - do you have a sound concept in mind for how the hand-made Euph will sound? If you had a scale from "Core" to "Singing" in terms of mfg you might go Willson->Yamaha->Besson with other mfg fitting around there. The Dolce I'd put right in between Yamaha/Besson. I'm just curious if you guys are targeting a specific market (Military bands? Concert Bands? Brass Bands?), etc?

[jkircoff]

The market is likely bigger for wind bands and it would be my guess the design of the hand-made euphonium will produce a sound that’s deemed ideal for that environment.

[highpitch]

Maybe on the hand-made euph being designed/marketed for wind bands here in the US, but there are far more brass band euph players in just the UK and Europe.

But I'm sure going to try one of those babies when they hit the shore here!

Dennis

[JakeGuilbo]

When Shires announced that they are currently designing a Euphonium they also said they are working with DC military pro's on the design of it - it's probably a pretty safe bet the Shires horn will be similar to a Willson or Yamaha. I was just curious if Wessex had a similar concept in mind.

[58mark]

wow, adams making trombones now, and Shires making Euphoniums....

[JakeGuilbo]

More info: http://www.dwerden.com/forum/showthr...ires-Euphonium

Euph talk starts at the 39:30 point and is very brief.