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Meinl Weston Unveils Three New Tubas

Last Updated (Monday, 19 May 2008 08:09)
Written by Administrator
Thursday, 01 June 2006 09:45

News - Tuba/Euphonium News

Meinl-Weston recently unveiled three new instruments developed in cooperation with jazz tuba legend Howard Johnson and principal tuba player Alan Baer from the New York philharmonic. A third instrument was designed to the specifications of Jens-Björn Larsen, professor for tuba at the University of Hannover, with his new "Thor" tuba. All instruments were unveiled at the 2006 Frankfurt Music Fair!

Just recently Mr Johnson played with his new "Gravity" tuba on stage together with the outstanding George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band at Bayerischer Hof's Jazz Club in Munich and Mr. Baer spent time in Geretsried for more Research & Development work on his second Meinl-Weston tuba model, just before starting a tour with the NYPO in Italy.

Read on to learn about the development and view specifications of these instruments.

Howard Johnson's "Heritage Gravity" | Jens-Björn Larsen's "Thor" | Alan Baer's "Baer"

4/4 BBb-Tuba series 2011 "Heritage Howard Johnson Gravity"

The new Meinl-Weston tuba model series 4/4 BBb tuba 2011 "Heritage Howard Johnson Gravity" has already been unveiled in New York on March 4th 2006 and will now be introduced to all international dealers in Frankfurt.

This Heritage Gravity model was developed with Howard Johnson based on his Belgian Mahillon tuba of the 1960's while at that time the Wenzel Meinl company also supplied the meantime closed Mahillon factory with tuba body parts.

Mr. Johnson's widely varied career in jazz includes playing tuba with Gil Evans and Charles Mingus and playing the baritone sax and bass clarinet chair of North German Radio's NDR Big Band. Johnson's jazz tuba band, begun in 1968 and now called GRAVITY, was the first all-tuba ensemble. This format has often been copied, but never duplicated.

The original model of the "Heritage Howard Johnson Gravity" series is the top action version 2011 TA which has 4 stainless steel piston valves with a 0.669" bore, a 17.3" bell diameter and a 35.8" height. The relatively small bore of 0.669" compared to the big body gives a true turbo effect to its sound and improves the response.

The Wenzel Meinl Company will complete the "Heritage Howard Johnson Gravity" series with a front action BBb-Tuba, model 2011 FA, with piston valves and an additional rotary action model 2011 RA in order to establish new standards on the field of compact Bb tubas.


Specifications for the HERITAGE GRAVITY BBb-TUBA 2011 TA

• 4/4 size

• 4 stainless steel piston valves

• bore .669in (17 mm)

• bell diameter 17.3in (44cm)

• height 35.8in (91cm)




Jens Björn Larsen's 5/4 CC-Tuba "THOR"

Prior to the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference in Denver the new Melton/ Meinl-Weston tuba model 5/4 CC-Tuba "THOR" will be first introduced to all international dealers in Frankfurt during Musikmesse 2006.

The new CC-Tuba 5450 was developed in close cooperation with Jens Björn-Larsen who is a renowned clinician throughout Europe. Currently, he is professor for tuba at the Hannover University after being principal tuba player in the Radio Symphony Orchestra Kopenhagen from 1986 until 2005.

The new "THOR" is a real all-round instrument with a lot of "hammer" sound - this newly designed model features a great resonance, a solid low register and a huge sound. So it was no surprise that Jens Björn-Larsen from Denmark immediately found the perfect name for the new CC-Tuba model 5450: "Thor" - in Scandinavian and Germanic mythology, Thor is the god of thunder! On the engraving you can see the Japanese sign for it as an exceptional graphic signature.

The Meinl-Weston 5450 has 4 stainless steel piston valves with a 0.748 inch bore and a 4th valve graduated bore of 0.787 inch. The 5th thumb activated valve bore comes to 0.807 inch. The height of the instrument amounts to 38,6in. Slim shaped but still very compact, the 2nd branch still enables you to pull with comfort and easiness all valve slides with the left hand for an improved intonation. A characteristic to which the master craftsmen of the Wenzel Meinl factory always attached much importance. Finally the bell has a diameter of 17.7 inch.


Specifications for the "THOR" 5/4 CC-Tuba 5450
• 5/4 size

• 4 piston steel valves (big valve)

• bore .748in (4th valve: .787in)

• 5th rotary valve .807in (thumb activated)

• bell diameter 17.71in

• height 38.6in


Alan Baer's 6/4 CC-Tuba "BAER"

The new orchestral Melton/ Meinl-Weston 6/4 CC-Tuba 6450 "BAER" was developed together with Alan Baer, the tubist with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

During his last European tour with the concert of the New York Philharmonic in Dresden’s Frauenkirche the impetus was given to the new Meinl-Weston 6450 as Mr Baer still needed a large orchestral CC-Tuba that would exhibit the flexibility to create an immense amount of sound without sacrificing core or clarity. While on tour with the New York Philharmonic, Meinl-Weston brought Mr Baer’s ideas to reality and created this new model together with him. Days after rehearsals and concerts while "test driving" the prototype 6450 "Baer" he was proud to demonstrate an excellent intonation and foundation for the brass section to ride upon. His final judgement was: "At this point in my career, I discovered there was no tuba available to meet all my musical needs. With the "Baer" we have designed and created an instrument that meets and exceeds all my demands and expectations."

The 6450 "Baer" will also be produced in a light handmade version (6450/2) that follows the concept of our famous BBb-Tuba model 195/2 "Fafner" which can be heard with prestigious ensembles such as the Vienna Philharmonic, The World Peace Orchestra, or the London Symphony, just to name a few.

The new Meinl-Weston has as well 4 stainless steel valves with a graduated bore from 0.748 to 0.787 inch in the 4th valve in which the slide is conical, as well as a 5th right hand thumb activated rotary valve of 0.846 inch, being on the wide side of the tuning slide. The height comes to 37.2 inch and the bell diameter to 18.9 inch.



Specifications for the "BAER" 6/4 CC-TUBA 6450

• 6/4 size

• 4 piston steel valves (big valve)

• bore .748in (4th valve slide conical: .787in)

• 5th rotary valve .846in (thumb activated,
on the wide side of the tuning slide)

• bell diameter: 18.9in

• height 37.2in