Hello! I am an experienced tuba player, Jonathan Hodgetts living in Andover, Hampshire who in 2010 married a beautiful Chinese woman called Mei. I have a number of professional tuba friends around the world who have found that the Chinese made tubas have now reached a standard to make a quality, cheaper alternative to the traditional German manufactured instruments.
They have been selling well in the USA with many satisfied buyers, but the best quality ones have not before Wessex Tubas been readily available in Europe. I therefore decided to start business with my lovely wife to import the very best asian-made tubas (and other brass) into the UK to sell at prices that are much more affordable – typically a third to a quarter of the price of branded instruments available elsewhere.
Each model of tuba I am selling is extensively trialled by myself with one of my ensembles (e.g. Hampshire Police Band, Salisbury Symphony Orchestra…) to ensure it plays in tune and works well, so you can be sure you are purchasing a nice playing tuba. For other brass I get one of my experienced friends who plays to thoroughly test. We then often customise and refine specifically for Wessex Tubas so the instrument you get is up to professional standards. In fact after more than one year in business, a number of professionals are using Wessex – they really are that good!
We are not a music shop with large overheads, but instead sell over the web, through specialised brass publications and arenas, so can offer the lowest possible prices to buyers in the UK, mainland Europe and beyond (for USA customers we have distribution center in Michigan). It is important to us that customers are fully satisfied with their new instrument, so although not a shop, serious buyers are very welcome to visit us by prior appointment to test play and inspect instruments before purchase. If you are too far away to visit us, but really want to try before purchase then drop us an email. We frequently undertake road-tours around the the UK (and even venture into Europe), so might be able to fit in to visit you, or your band on our way to play-test before purchase.
If you cannot try yourself before purchase, we will ALWAYS inspect and test play each instrument before despatch and will not sell any we would not be happy playing ourselves. So unlike brass sold from overseas on eBay and such like, you can be completely confident you will receive a good instrument which will give you years of satisfaction.
So before you spend thousands on an expensive new branded instrument, give ours a try and save yourself a lot of money!
PS And to give you yet more options we are now retailers for some of the best German and American made tubas – so have something to suit whatever is your budget.