SOLD: 5450 Meinl-Weston (aka "THOR")

[bloke]

This is not going to be a very well-worded ad.

- I realize there is another one (same model) listed for sale right now.
- Mine is going to probably be more expensive than the other one that is listed.
- I’m not particularly eager to sell it.
- I’ve never played a better one of these, and doubt that a better one exists.
- I’m pretty sure it’s from the very first batch that was shipped to the United States, and it was put together particularly well, including slide alignment.
- My pricing is actually going to be just a bit higher than the Buffet showroom new pricing. I feel very confident that it’s a better instrument than would be a new one, it features special valves (extraordinarily light touch), I’ve done a few other beneficial things to it, and I will include either a top quality (California) bag or an MTS hard case. (The case is supposed to arrive here before the end of the month.)
- The original lacquer is remarkably intact.
- I bought it from the original owner, who put a couple of small dinks in it which I took care of shortly after I purchased it.
- I am not interested in any trades or any other 6/4 or 5/4 C tubas. If I am to own a C tuba, it would certainly be this one, and no other - and that would include “no 5450, other than this particular one”.

- The ease of playability of this instrument has saved me countless hours of practice time. This is not any sort of exaggeration.

- Come here to western Tennessee with your funds, spend as many hours as you like testing it out here, purchase it or not, spend the night here, we will feed you, and then head home with or without this instrument.

————
Obviously, I’ll sell it sight unseen, but not with any sort of trial. Again, the trial would be here - as outlined above. I don’t mean to be terse; I just want to be clear. Shipping is not recommended. If it is shipped, it needs to become unquestionably the property of the buyer the moment I hand it over to a shipper.
If there is any shipping damage, that will be the buyer’s issue - as I am recommending against shipping.

This is my personal instrument which I’ve owned for quite a few years. This is not some instrument that I purchased in order to flip.

- $14250

Just as with everything else, I am listing it here first - before listing it elsewhere.

[bisontuba]

Someone has become a BBb Contrabass tuba player...

[matt g]

The MAW pistons I have on my 2165 make a noticeable difference in terms of both mechanical feel and playability.

I was listening to an Italian gentleman playing the rotary version of this bugle the other day (the “Tuono”) and was reminded of how clear these things sound and the sonic “fist” they allow.

Knowing how tricky it is to find a CC that does so many things while also being agreeable to play, I’m surprised this is on the auction block.

[gnimoyw]

Beautiful horn with really cool mods!

[bloke]

If anyone knows someone who might be interested and funded, I'd be grateful for anyone sharing the link to this ad.

Something else that I did was to add bore spacer tubes below the upper #4 slide.
I'm not a 4th slide mover (other than pulling it out for 5234 "double-low" D), and never push the 4th slide in any farther than is required to play G/D in tune, and the bore spacers keep the bore consistent in the 4th circuit, add a subtle amount of resistance (preventing the bore from being opened up to the outside slide tubing bore - from the #4 slide being pulled out to pitch), and may help the low range focus (already amazing with this model) even more. This pair of tubes is not soldered in place. (I believe the model 6540 may feature something similar as a permanent feature.)

[the elephant]

This is an excellent example of the "Thor" model. I played it once and was quite impressed with the low G, which speaks as though it were an octave higher.

I am not a fan of *any* Meinl-Weston tubas. I have owned several and always sell them off. In this specific case, however, if I had the $$$$$ needed it would most certainly be mine, and it would be a long-term keeper.

Again, this is an excellent example of this model and a very solid tuba in all regards.

I want it but don't have the bread. This ad taunts me and my temporary poverty, so somebody please BUY THIS GREAT TUBA SOON, if only to save my sanity!

BUMP!

[cktuba]

The Elephant said it much more eloquently than I could.... this ad taunts me.

[bloke]

Professional symphony orchestras don't post very many of their performances at all, but church choir/orchestra directors seem to love to do this.
Via some searching, I've dug up quite a few church performances using this instrument. The audio is better on some, and - with most of them - you'll have to fish through a bunch of non-tuba music and preaching to find the good tuba licks. I believe the first two links are individual numbers, so "no fishing required". With all of these, though, the brass sections hired were quite good, so...

[bloke]

Also...an old TubeNet thread has multiple people reporting these weighing in at over 27 pounds.
These are not supposed to be "handmade/sheet-metal" instruments (and I'm not claiming this one to be), but - as a first-batch shipment instrument, I'm not getting it to register more than a scant 24-1/2 (24.45) pounds on my scale here.
------
old TubeNet thread about instrument models and weights:

http://forums.chisham.com/viewtopic.php?t=89421

[matt g]

That 27lbs for the 5450 sounds high. My 2165 is 29 and change. There’s gotta be more than 2lbs of difference from the bugle, tone ring, and extra wads of brass on the bow guards.

[bloke]

This was a challenging performance with reduced strings and epic physical spacing (during the shutdown era).
The brass were way up in two very high balconies, and we had to play way ahead of the sound we were hearing on stage, in order to come close to synchronizing. Additionally, the brass were in long straight lines in those balconies facing each other, and could really look at each others’ jestures.

That having been said, there’s an internal tuba solo that is pretty well known inside the harmony of an early brass chorale in this piece, and I played it on this instrument.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zIq48mp9c64

[tubanh84]

You must love that new BBb. You've been (seemingly appropriately) waxing poetic about this horn for years. I saw the post on Facebook and had to do a double take. I couldn't convince myself that you were selling THAT Thor.

[bloke]

Regardless of whether someone is able to take full advantage of what it has to offer or not, I'm willing to sell it.

[jtm]

Regardless of whether someone is able to take full advantage of what it has to offer or not, I'm willing to sell it.

Hey! Looks like that puts me in the running.

[bloke]

Don't be afraid to make an offer.

Someone made me an offer that I would have accepted but - due to the obscure way that they messaged me (to an alternate account on social media) I didn't see it until they had already bought something else (as they obviously had money burning a hole in their pocket). They were pretty sad, because the thing they bought was way-down-the-rung their second choice.

[AvrTuba]

Willing to drive it to Yellowknife?

I kid.

Bump for Joe!

[jtm]

If I had the time (and spare money), this would be tempting. But I'm pretty happy with my C tubas now and more interested in Joe's F.

[bloke]

If I had the time (and spare money), this would be tempting. But I'm pretty happy with my C tubas now and more interested in Joe's F.

might be funds on the way for this instrument (5450).

The F just played Mahler 1 twice…
Plenty of sound.
No slide-pulling.
Earned itself a bow.

[bloke]

sold at price...
Thanks for the interest and (actually: decent) offers.

[York-aholic]

sold at price...
Thanks for the interest and (actually: decent) offers.

Great and congrats to you both. So there are now two quite happy people out there!