In search of Wessex Tubby

[BlueRidgeTeacher]

Hello! I am in search of a Wessex Tubby Eb tuba. Budget is around 4-5K. If you’re looking to sell yours, let me know!

[UncleBeer]

Nice horns!

[noel.uri@gmail.com]

Terrible instrument. Ghastly intonation, difficult to hold, lead pipe much too low unless you are a midget. Look elsewhere. I kept mine for exactly 27 days.

[Lch3]

Opinions are usually based on experience and can - usually do - vary from person to person. Here’s my opinion based on my experience with the Wessex Tubby Eb, primarily given for the OP:

Tubby is a great playing tuba, frequently bringing me compliments from other players, conductors, and audience members. The intonation is great, it is easy to hold, and I have no problem with the lead pipe position - and I am 6’2” tall.

I have been playing the Tubby Eb as my primary tuba since 2022 and highly recommend it.

[Lch3]

Terrible instrument. Ghastly intonation, difficult to hold, lead pipe much too low unless you are a midget. Look elsewhere. I kept mine for exactly 27 days.

I'm tempted to delete this as a troll post, but instead I'll counter with this video. (maybe you're thinking of a different tuba, like the "stumpy")

As you can see, the leadpipe is just fine. At 6 foot 8, I'm hardly a midget. This was one of the first ones imported, and I thought the low range was a. Little stuffy. I played another one last January, and it was much better.



https://youtu.be/t6tTNFxVEvM?si=YOtpa6x8gq8jwdj9

[UncleBeer]

Terrible instrument. Ghastly intonation, difficult to hold, lead pipe much too low unless you are a midget. Look elsewhere. I kept mine for exactly 27 days.

I'm tempted to delete this as a troll post

I had the same thought; first-time poster, going to the effort of posting a harsh review, most of which is contrary to others' experience of this model.

Here's a screenshot of an objective reading of Tubby's "ghastly intonation". Not so bad, eh?

Tubby.jpg (97.85 KiB) Viewed 2973 times

[Mary Ann]

To my ear the top Eb is a bit flat but the rest sounds ok.

[LeMark]

Yeah I heard that too. Plays better 1st valve.

[Denton Big Brass]

Talking about the one above middle C? How often do you play that note? And is your comment based on Mark's video? The BIAS graph I posted is an objective measure of tuning. Hard to argue with it.

[Mary Ann]

Who is arguing? I heard a pro, not a high school kid, play the open bugle, the top Eb sounded flat to BOTH me and the player, and I don't get why you are defensive about that. It's a human who is going to play it, not a machine. Sheesh. As an Eb player, that note IS in my repertoire. Could be fixed with a different mouthpiece, or as Mark said, by playing it first valve.

[Lew]

Don't know if you're still looking, but Wessex is having a valentine's day sale (2/14/25) and have the Tubby now in gold lacquer for around $4,800.