Posted by Patrick Sheridan on January 30, 2001 at 11:31:49:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Besson CC Tuba posted by Rick Denney on January 30, 2001 at 10:52:59:
Yes, Boosey & Hawkes will be coming out with a new Besson CC Tuba. It will go into production sometime this spring with delivery in April/May 2001. It is a design from Walter Nirschl with play testing done by myself and Jan Jansen, principal tuba of the Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
The valve section of the instrument is identical to the York "Copy" that Walter makes. It is 19mm bore through the first three valves, 20mm in the 4th and 21mm in the 5th rotary. The bugle of the instrument (leadpipe, bell, bottom bow, 1st - 3rd branches) is very close to the 4/4 - 5/4 (depending on which argument you want to believe) that Nirschl previously made. The leadpipe is a wrap-around type unlike the "York style" angle on other designs.
It will be marketed as a 4/4. Is it big enough to be a 5/4? That will have to be done by individual players based on their ability and mouthpiece choice. Most of you know my stance on the whole "quarter" issue. It was a marketing scheme developed years ago which American players bought into and use to determine whether it is a professional instrument or not. This is a whole tuba. Not 1.5 tubas. The bore through the instrument is big! This instrument will produce big tones while remaining quite nimble and efficient, the hallmark of a Nirschl design.
I will provide more up to date delivery information as the "tooling up" process nears completion for production.
I don't know the reason B&H doesn't use the York name if they own it...I will look into it.
Best regards,
Pat