List of Active Tuba Manufacturers

[MartinMan]

While there's still a far amount of brass instrument makers out there, it seems like fewer and fewer offer tubas in their catalog. What follows is a list of every factory and/or custom shop I can think of off the top of my head that's is both currently in business as of present day, and is currently making tubas. I'm only doing this because I'm sure I'm missing some and I'd love for the rest of y'all to fill in the gaps for me.

A few notes to consider:
-I'm attempting to list locations of manufacturing as apposed to locations of organizational leadership
-In cases where an entity has some manufacturing done locally and "budget" lines produced overseas, I am listing the local manufacturing under the heading of the associated brand name, and listing the Chinese makers as their own entities

Here's what I can recall:

Austria:
-Schagerl
-Brassego

Brasil:
-Weril

China:
-Eastman
-Packer
-JinBao
-Zo
-JinYin
-Haushen
-[Others that I am missing, please feel free to provide corrections or chime in with others]

Czechia:
-Josef Lidl (Lidl, Cerveny)

France:
PGM Couesnon

Germany:
-Alexander
-Buffet Group (Meinl Weston, Besson, B&S)
-Herrmann Schmidt
-Jake Kline
-Jestädt
-Klingspor (Gronitz)
-Miraphone
-MTP
-Rudolf Meinl
-Thein
-Walter Nirschl
-[Others?]

India:
-Nadir Ali
-[Additional factories in Meerut]

Japan:
-Yamaha

Netherlands:
-Adams

Ukraine (Not Russia)
-St. Petersburg

Switzerland:
-Willson

Taiwan:
-Jupiter

U.S.A:
-Conn-Selmer (Conn, King)
-Lee Stofer

Alright, who am I missing? I'm sure there are loads of factories throughout China that I'm missing as well as some boutique makers in Germany and elsewhere in mainland Europe that I've missed as well. Help me fill in the list.

[Three Valves]

"ISOs"

[DonO.]

Some thoughts:

1. Although the St.Petersburg tubas have been made in Ukraine since 2008, the company is still a Russian company. I guess you’re focusing on where they are made rather than ownership (like Jin Bao in China making instruments for a British company, Wessex. Right?)

2. Lower line Besson instruments are made in India, right? So presumably they are a cut above the “ISOs” or are they? I’ve not seen much commentary regarding India-made Bessons.

3. I am again reminded that nobody seems to want to make a comprehensive list of which Chinese factory makes which stencils. In other words, instead of “et al.”, would love to see an actual list, even if incomplete. At least the major players.

4. Not all Yamahas are made in Japan and not all Jupiters are made in Taiwan. The upper line ones are, but lower lines of both brands are now made in China.

5. Germany- Gronitz? Or are they just a stencil made by someone else?

[Three Valves]

3. I am again reminded that nobody seems to want to make a comprehensive list of which Chinese factory makes which stencils. In other words, instead of “et al.”, would love to see an actual list, even if incomplete. At least the major players.

You may as well ask how Mr. Lee gets my shirts so clean.

[hubert]

Some additions:
http://www.b-tuba.de/hersteller/

Best, Hubert

[iiipopes]

Wessex: based in UK, has a branch and warehouse in the USA, manufactured in China.
https://us.wessex-tubas.com/

[DonO.]

Are we counting Cool Winds as “brass” instruments? How about adding the Amati brand to the Czech made list? And IIRC, although the Holton brand is part of the Conn/Selmer group, the lower brass is actually a stencil made by Yamaha, in Japan AFAIK.

So, are we compiling this list to show where the instruments are actually made, where the corporate headquarters are located, or both?

[MartinMan]

Some thoughts:

1. Although the St.Petersburg tubas have been made in Ukraine since 2008, the company is still a Russian company. I guess you’re focusing on where they are made rather than ownership (like Jin Bao in China making instruments for a British company, Wessex. Right?)

2. Lower line Besson instruments are made in India, right? So presumably they are a cut above the “ISOs” or are they? I’ve not seen much commentary regarding India-made Bessons.

3. I am again reminded that nobody seems to want to make a comprehensive list of which Chinese factory makes which stencils. In other words, instead of “et al.”, would love to see an actual list, even if incomplete. At least the major players.

4. Not all Yamahas are made in Japan and not all Jupiters are made in Taiwan. The upper line ones are, but lower lines of both brands are now made in China.

5. Germany- Gronitz? Or are they just a stencil made by someone else?

Good points, a few things I should note:

-I'm trying to pinpoint the actual locations of manufacture as opposed to corporate leadership location, so perhaps "factories" would be a better term as opposed to "manufacturers"

-Virtually every company on the above list, if they have a "budget line" they import them from overseas, be it China, India, or elsewhere. For these cases, I want to identify the region of manufacture for their "main" line of instruments, and then list any Chinese makers separately in their own category

-True, Nobody seems to want to make a comprehensive list of Chinese factories, which is exactly why I'm attempting to do that here (the et.al is merely a placeholder that I hope to replace with more detailed information as more people chime in)

-I was under the impression that Gronitz was out of business since 2017, but thanks to some resources commented here, apparently a new entity has taken up the reins. I'll update the list accordingly.

Some additions:
http://www.b-tuba.de/hersteller/

Best, Hubert

Thanks! I'll add some of those to the list

Are we counting Cool Winds as “brass” instruments? How about adding the Amati brand to the Czech made list? And IIRC, although the Holton brand is part of the Conn/Selmer group, the lower brass is actually a stencil made by Yamaha, in Japan AFAIK.

So, are we compiling this list to show where the instruments are actually made, where the corporate headquarters are located, or both?

-I'd say Cool Winds counts, although I'm unsure what factory in China they are made in. As I get more information, I'll update the list.

-I think Amati was absorbed into Lidl along with Cerveny in the recent buy-out, but I'm not 100% sure

[bort2.0]

Basically, Gronitz started in Hamburg in 1933. Since 2017, they have been built in Freiburg (far SW corner of Germany, near the Swiss/French/German triple border) by Andreas Klingspor.

[LargeTuba]

Bad time to need parts from St. Pete. Their obviously dealing with much more important issues.

[Oedipoes]

Some additions

Germany:

HSM brass (Stephan Schmidt Markneukirchen)
The Berliner Tuba (Jake Kline)

Italy:
G&P wind instruments

[Oedipoes]

Austria:

Brassego

[Oedipoes]

Germany:

Bernd JESTÄDT

[Oedipoes]

France:

PGM Couesnon

[matt g]

Didn’t B.A.C. instruments just have a demo tuba at the TMEA? Are they using the Kanstul tooling? Could be USA made?

[jtm]

Is the small shop in Augsburg, Germany that made my tuba still active? The tuba is marked “Scherzer Inh. Sander”, but I believe this was not the same maker that’s known for Scherzer piccolo trumpets.

[MartinMan]

Didn’t B.A.C. instruments just have a demo tuba at the TMEA? Are they using the Kanstul tooling? Could be USA made?

Last I heard, BAC had no plans to use the Kanstul tuba tooling, so I would assume that the tuba they unveiled recently is not manufactured on-site in KC, but rather an import from whatever factory they use to source their apprentice series, or other budget lines. Which would make sense from a business stand point, since the price of a handmade American built tuba would be astronomical. I'd wager to guess that the tolling and parts may have been used to develop a prototype here stateside, but I doubt any of the production models are made here.

[MartinMan]

Is the small shop in Augsburg, Germany that made my tuba still active? The tuba is marked “Scherzer Inh. Sander”, but I believe this was not the same maker that’s known for Scherzer piccolo trumpets.

Looks like Scherzer is still active, but they only list various types of trumpets on their site at the moment.

[LargeTuba]

Didn’t B.A.C. instruments just have a demo tuba at the TMEA? Are they using the Kanstul tooling? Could be USA made?

I think they are using the same manufacturer as BMB tubas. Definitely not made in the USA.