Meinl-Weston and NY Phil's Alan Bear create the new F-Tuba 6460 "Kodiak"
News
The
think-tank Meinl-Weston, Gerhard A. Meinl and Alan Baer continues
to be creative:After presenting the successful 6/4 CC-Tuba 6450 "Baer" this year the new F-tuba 6460 "Kodiak" will arrive at Frankfurt. Starting point for this instrument was Alan's sound - dream and playing abilities. From there, they created a big and free blowing instrument, just in the tradition of the "Bear" CC Tuba.
The name "Kodiak" also comes from a bear: it is one of the biggest bears still existent today. Gerhard A. Meinl traveled more than once to the Avery Fisher Hall in New York to achieve improvements with Alan. To meet the demand for grand and exclusive sound, the tuba was checked by Alan in rehearsals with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra while Gerhard was listening.
In the end, the Kodiak is an instrument clearly from the Meinl-Weston family, with six rotary valves and an extra big bore.
As Alan comments: "Nothing in the world sounds bigger than this horn."
All experts are invited to take a closer look at Frankfurter Musikmesse (exhibition hall 1.1 D26).
Here are some
more technical details:
6460 "Kodiak"
6/4 size
model Alan Baer
6 rotary valves
bore: 1st and 2nd valve 19.5mm (0.796"); 3rd - 6th valves (0.846") (Big Valve)
bell diameter: 420mm (16.535")
right hand thumb activated 5th valve / long whole step
left hand index finger activated 6th valve / long halftone
halftone trigger (left hand middle finger operated)
always silver plated
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