Meinl-Weston / Melton unveils new 4/4 BBb-Tuba "Heritage" series 2011: Howard Johnson Gravity"
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New 4/4 BBb-Tuba
series 2011 "Heritage Howard Johnson Gravity"These days, many Tuba players are expanding into Jazz and they deserve an affordable instrument just for Jazz playing that does not limit their abilities. With the help of Howard Johnson Meinl-Weston started an ambitious project to develop a new BBb-Tuba ideally suited for Jazz playing.
The result is the new Meinl-Weston Tuba model BBb-Tuba 2011TA "Heritage Howard Johnson Gravity". It is a rebirth of Howard Johnson's vintage Belgian Mahillon Tuba of the 1960's when the Wenzel Meinl company also supplied the (in the meantime defunct) Mahillon factory with Tuba body parts.
While developing the new instrument, many players already expressed interest in versions with front action piston valves and also in a rotary valve version which lead to the development of a whole new series of "Heritage Howard Johnson Gravity" models to set new standards on the field of compact BBb-Tubas.
Mr. Johnson's widely varied career
in jazz includes playing tuba with Gil Evans and Charles Mingus
and playing the baritone sax and bass clarinet chair of North
German Radio's NDR Big Band.
Johnson's jazz tuba band, begun in 1968 and now called GRAVITY,
was the first all-tuba ensemble. This format has often been copied,
but never duplicated.
THE HOWARD JOHNSON GRAVITY BBb-Tuba
4/4size
4 valves
bell diameter 17.32in
height 35.8in
2
011TA (in the original version)
as a top action piston model with the relatively small bore of .669 to have the true turbo effect.
This instrument is ideal for playing Jazz and as a doubling instrument for bass trombone players.
2011FA
as a front action piston model with a .669 bore that is aimed at "New Horizon" players and smaller gigs - easy to play.
2011RA
as a rotary version with the bore of .669, that comes closer to our model 18 Handy, but more advanced and refined.
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