Question about the future of Willson tubas

[Sousaswag]

I'm wondering why they were acquired by Eastman. Financial turmoil? Were they about to fold? Did they just want or need help marketing here? Questions, questions!

[bort2.0]

I'm wondering why they were acquired by Eastman. Financial turmoil? Were they about to fold? Did they just want or need help marketing here? Questions, questions!

I'm totally guessing...

...but I think we may just be seeing the effects of successful companies outliving the founders of the company.

The name "Willson" comes from Willi Kurath (senior) and son (Willi Kurath Jr, who leads the company today). Willson started in 1950, so I'm guessing that more-or-less, Willi Jr. was born somewhere around that time. My guess is that WKJ is ready to retire, has no immediate family members with an interest in running the company (else that would have been transferred a while ago), and had been looking for a while to find a buyer to continue the company/name/legacy.

Perhaps sort of like how Glenn Cronkhite sold the company to Torpedo Bags? Or how Laskey mouthpieces are still produced, following Scott's untimely passing? The difference here is that I'm imagining that WKJ is still involved and will be for some time to come... just not like he was before.

[bloke]

...and "Herr" Gerhard having no "heirs"...etc...

[graybach]

http://www.dwerden.com/forum/showthread ... 44-Willson

Pretty good discussion on this topic at David Werden’s forum.

[bloke]

Dave mentions them being tank like, but - although I liked the one that I had very much and figured out the trick to playing it in tune, which was to tune the tuning notes (B-flat and A) flat, the two slides that Willson installed (as the rest of them were included with the valvesets) - which were the main slide in the fourth slide - were not aligned very well at all. I'm pretty sure I would use the word "bad" to describe their alignment. Had to spend some serious time on each one of those slides to get them properly aligned. I could chalk this up to previous abuse - since I did buy it used, but I bought it with no denting and no repairs.

I did find it much more useful once I put a large shank receiver on it. Some seem sort of superstitious about this, but I found that having hundreds of mouthpieces available to try with it was more desirable than a dozen or so - in addition to "special order". For whatever reason, I never particularly enjoyed the 2950. It seemed like lifting weights.

I'm thinking that these instruments were designed prior to those computer programs being developed which calculate the best intonation compromises for a tapered tube and a valve section of a certain bore size placed wherever. It seems to me that these instruments could benefit from that program, and maybe the tuning notes could be raised a little bit without messing up other stuff. Seriously, when I tuned the tuning notes flat, everything else was flexible enough so as all I had to do was listen and play, when I owned that instrument. Those who make the mistake of viewing top of the staff B-flat and A is "the center of the universe" are going to struggle with these instruments needlessly.

For that matter, with ANY instrument whereas the fourth partial pitches are not aligned very well with the rest of the instrument, it's pretty silly to use those as the empirical reference pitches.

...Otherwise, the Marty Erickson E-flat is a nice instrument, as long as it's played by a younger man who's hearty enough to carry it around. I haven't found much value in any of the rest of the line. To each his own. Matt Walters correctly and continuously points out that every tuba has someone's name on it.

The other Swiss maker of instruments had a reputation for building sturdy instruments as well... I could never get particularly excited about any of the models (of TUBAS) made by either of the Swiss companies.
- I borrowed a C of one make for just a bit, and was glad to hand it back.
- I bought a C of the other make, and was delighted to sell it less than a year later, fortunately, for more than I paid - due to the sustained advertising hype, at that time.

"Let me introduce you to my wife's friend; she's quite sturdy."

[bort2.0]

For as much as you make that "sturdy" joke, I'm starting to think that whatever "sturdy" friend you were set up with long ago was actually just a jackass.

[bloke]

That's funny, but truth be told - I just use it as an analogy. I never went on a blind date, and I never dated any "sturdy" peeps.

I guess I could toss in a couple of humorous remarks and expressions used back in the 1950's through 1970's, but a small percentage of people would probably use them as fodder. You'll have to PM me, if you want to read them.

[Bob Kolada]

My very first tuba was almost a small Willson F. I just remember tooting on it, found that it was playable for me as a horn player, and was going to buy it but it had already been commissioned to an ebay seller and they would not give it back to the owner. It sold on ebay for more than I would have paid, but pretty sure the owner got less than that out of it.

I played a Willson (French) horn once and did not like it at all.

I don't remember if I played the small F but the small Eb was really a charming instrument to play, it still sounded like a smaller version of the big Eb though. I saw Marty play an Eb scale on the big one (2nd to 4th partial) without using any valves.

[JRaymo]

DEG was pretty good (ok?) at representing them. Getzen has been disappointing, imo. Never could get anything out of them. Maybe others had better luck? Had they had been a bit better represented as of late, I wonder if they’d still be independent.

However, I have to say, Willi Jr. was always pretty good at answering questions that I posed about parts, etc.

I hope they keep the big Eb as is.

Totally agree,

DEG was great for me. Was able to take a trip to lake Geneva WI, try everything I wanted and at the time they had quite a bit in stock. I think I was able to play 5 or 6 of the 3400 when I bought mine. Same with the 3050.

I should weigh my 3400 just to see the actual weight. I know this is talked about so much but it wonder how much it actually weighs compared to a similar tuba. On the 3050 I had a T handle installed on the third valve slide which is the only slide I needed to really move but that one mod fixed any issues with it feeling hard to hold comfortably.


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[jonesbrass]

On the 3050 I had a T handle installed on the third valve slide which is the only slide I needed to really move but that one mod fixed any issues with it feeling hard to hold comfortably.

That T handle is still on there . . . And always receives nice comments from the repair guys when the 3050 gets cleaned!

[JRaymo]

On the 3050 I had a T handle installed on the third valve slide which is the only slide I needed to really move but that one mod fixed any issues with it feeling hard to hold comfortably.

That T handle is still on there . . . And always receives nice comments from the repair guys when the 3050 gets cleaned!

I lived in the same town as Kevin Powers who was the repair tech at custom music for 30 years. I got to be friends with him and worked in his shop with him a few times when I was laid off from my previous employer. He did really great work for a French horn player! Glad you still have it Btw. I wish I had purchased one of those hard cases for my Eb. They were pretty nice and are no longer available. I think I may have purchased that instrument and case through Bloke. I kind of regret selling it but I didn’t have a need for it at the time and I really don’t have a need for it now.


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[Mary Ann]

My very first tuba was almost a small Willson F. I just remember tooting on it, found that it was playable for me as a horn player, and was going to buy it but it had already been commissioned to an ebay seller and they would not give it back to the owner. It sold on ebay for more than I would have paid, but pretty sure the owner got less than that out of it.

I played a Willson (French) horn once and did not like it at all.

I don't remember if I played the small F but the small Eb was really a charming instrument to play, it still sounded like a smaller version of the big Eb though. I saw Marty play an Eb scale on the big one (2nd to 4th partial) without using any valves.

And he did that without having his hand in the bell? Sound like that tuba had your basic "low C on a rotary F" all the way up the scale -- you make it play what you want because it doesn't actually WANT to play ANY note.

[Bob Kolada]

My very first tuba was almost a small Willson F. I just remember tooting on it, found that it was playable for me as a horn player, and was going to buy it but it had already been commissioned to an ebay seller and they would not give it back to the owner. It sold on ebay for more than I would have paid, but pretty sure the owner got less than that out of it.

I played a Willson (French) horn once and did not like it at all.

I don't remember if I played the small F but the small Eb was really a charming instrument to play, it still sounded like a smaller version of the big Eb though. I saw Marty play an Eb scale on the big one (2nd to 4th partial) without using any valves.

And he did that without having his hand in the bell? Sound like that tuba had your basic "low C on a rotary F" all the way up the scale -- you make it play what you want because it doesn't actually WANT to play ANY note.

It was incredible, he just played the notes he wanted to play, valves be damned.
I used to know an Army Reserve band commander who played saxophone in the Navy band. He told me he'd practice playing quick scales, his best time was 8 seconds for all of them. C up, C# down,... all the way up and then back down I think. It's amazing how skilled these guys are.

[JRaymo]

I don't remember if I played the small F but the small Eb was really a charming instrument to play, it still sounded like a smaller version of the big Eb though. I saw Marty play an Eb scale on the big one (2nd to 4th partial) without using any valves.

And he did that without having his hand in the bell? Sound like that tuba had your basic "low C on a rotary F" all the way up the scale -- you make it play what you want because it doesn't actually WANT to play ANY note.

It was incredible, he just played the notes he wanted to play, valves be damned.
I used to know an Army Reserve band commander who played saxophone in the Navy band. He told me he'd practice playing quick scales, his best time was 8 seconds for all of them. C up, C# down,... all the way up and then back down I think. It's amazing how skilled these guys are.

He’s also one of the newest people you’d ever meet. I finally ran into him at the low brass conference here in Minnesota several years ago.


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[cjk]

...and "Herr" Gerhard having no "heirs"...etc...

I'm fortunate to have "heirs" but no "hairs".

[JRaymo]

And he did that without having his hand in the bell? Sound like that tuba had your basic "low C on a rotary F" all the way up the scale -- you make it play what you want because it doesn't actually WANT to play ANY note.

It was incredible, he just played the notes he wanted to play, valves be damned.
I used to know an Army Reserve band commander who played saxophone in the Navy band. He told me he'd practice playing quick scales, his best time was 8 seconds for all of them. C up, C# down,... all the way up and then back down I think. It's amazing how skilled these guys are.

He’s also one of the newest people you’d ever meet. I finally ran into him at the low brass conference here in Minnesota several years ago.


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Meant to say nicest. I don’t know how my phone came up with “newest”


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[Mary Ann]

About the saxophone guy who could do lickety-split scales, that is a woodwind for you (although the thing isn't wood.) Even with an oboe, you can just blow and move your fingers and it plays; and the faster the notes go by, the less it matters how in tune they are. It's not like you have to form every single note with your chops the way you do on a brass. So if you have finger facility, you barely need chop facility compared to a brass. There are brass players who can go really fast, but they are really top players. You don't have to be "as" good to do that on a woodwind.

I did see a trombone jazz guy once, many years ago, and it probably was on TV. He was improvising, I guess, and real notes were coming out with minimal slide movement, with the slide moving around in "about" positions 2-4. I figured he had a combo of where a LOT of slots were plus pretty wide slots to choose from, but he did not go at "woodwind speed" either.

[Inkin]

Thought this might be interesting for some of you.