TubaForum.net

Anyone own and play a Wessex EEB champion?

how does it compare to the 981/982 Sov's ?

I purchased a used Wessex Champion(manufactured in 2018), in hopes of finding a comparable EEb tuba to the Besson 982 that my work provided. Overall, it's a nice tuba, very similar in playability (response, intonation, etc). However, I noticed, as well as my colleagues, "for me", the sound wasn't as resonant or as full sounding as the Besson 982. I also experienced issues with the valves sticking on a few gigs, so I eventually sold it. Like I said, overall it's a nice tuba, and I could "make do" with it, however I don't like to have to fool around with mechanical issues on the job.

I did purchase a new Wessex XL in October and have used it on a bunch of gigs, and it's been great. The valves, slides are excellent.

Here's a link to some short demo videos that I made with the Wessex Champion:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... 8xeN3IPTGh

Another I would encourage you to consider:

I owned a Wessex Champion for about 8 months. I thought it was just okay. Stuffy low register and bland sound.

Not my bag.

Valves sticking seems to be a recurring theme, also comments on sound not being as resonant/ full

I have a 982 from 2004, sadly no comparison to my old 981 from 1997 (how I wish I still had that) other option is the Sterling EEb

The JP377 is the only 3+1 compensating EEb tuba that I have played that is comparable to the new Bessons.

The 377 is the Sterling, made in the UK by those who made the Sov’s

Vegasbound wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:50 pm The 377 is the Sterling, made in the UK by those who made the Sov’s

I'm not entirely sure where they are manufactured, but they are really nice playing tubas.

Vegasbound wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:50 pm The 377 is the Sterling, made in the UK by those who made the Sov’s

Designed by Brits, manufactured in China, but it's not Jinbao junk. Very well-built and plays great. No fit/finish issues. No valve issues. Solid instruments through and through. If they were not excellent, @bloke or @LeMark or Dan (among others here) wouldn't own or promote Packer instruments. I wouldn't either. Many others here can speak to the reputation of the company and their products. I also have a 274 euphonium that is also a superb instrument.

Joe will correct me if I am wrong: the 377 has the 80:20 alloy bell and leadpipe, whereas the 277 has a regular yellow brass bell and leadpipe (costs less as a result).

I agree that packer quality elevated it to being a worthy consideration.

Here's the deal with the 277, and the reason I don't own one. The leadpipe comes straight across, and hits me in the lower neck, so I would struggle to play it comfortably. the 377 has a bent leadpipe, and is more comfortable.

If you're a fan of the fletcher leadpipe, get the 277 and save some serious money

The mouthpipe config is different, as Mark points out, and the 277 is yellow brass.

Were it that the 277 mouthpipe didn't hit me in the neck or chin, I would like to explore that model further.

Doc wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 2:08 pm

Vegasbound wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:50 pm The 377 is the Sterling, made in the UK by those who made the Sov’s

Designed by Brits, manufactured in China, but it's not Jinbao junk. Very well-built and plays great. No fit/finish issues. No valve issues. Solid instruments through and through. If they were not excellent, @bloke or @LeMark or Dan (among others here) wouldn't own or promote Packer instruments. I wouldn't either. Many others here can speak to the reputation of the company and their products. I also have a 274 euphonium that is also a superb instrument.

Joe will correct me if I am wrong: the 377 has the 80:20 alloy bell and leadpipe, whereas the 277 has a regular yellow brass bell and leadpipe (costs less as a result).

I am seriously looking at the UK made Sterling

https://sites.google.com/site/sterlingb ... omingsoon/

The JP377 is the Packer/Sterling instrument. It is not made by Sterling, it is made in China. Sterling is a separate company best known for top-level euphoniums, and they have made Eb tubas in the past. The mouthpipe and some other elements were designed by Paul Riggett of Sterling, and some of their other instruments had design input from big names in those instruments' areas.

Packer's web site has changed the wording for some of their instrument names not too long ago. What was the Packer/Sterling JP377 is now the Packer JP377 Sterling. This does not mean it was manufactured in England by Sterling unless their manufacturing situation has changed radically. I admit that I don't keep up with everything that's been going on.

For Each family of instruments, Packer teams up with a mainstream UK manufacture to design their 300 series

Smith Watkins /fluglehorns and trumpets
Rath / French horns and trombones
Sterling / tubas and euphoniums

Michael Rath himself told me that the Packer /rath trombones are build in the same factory that his Rath r100/r400/r900 trombones are. He trusts the quality enough to allow them to put his name on an instrument made in China. That's good enough for me

Thanks for the input, I am trying to avoid if possible chinese made, although it is becoming harder to do I am uneasy due to their human rights/modern slavery/Uighar muslim treatment and "re-education camps

Not making any political statement, just my personal feeling

In that case you will also want to steer clear of Yamaha, or so it appears to me.

donn wrote: ↑Thu Jan 20, 2022 10:25 am In that case you will also want to steer clear of Yamaha, or so it appears to me.

The Yamaha pro models are still made in Japan