"BETWEEN TUBAS and EUPHONIUMS.....JONATHAN HODGETTS"

Hello everyone. 

With the interview that I bring you today, I begin a new way of disclosure of information about our instruments, bringing them closer to the manufacture of the same, connecting directly with the owners of the factories or their main managers.

For obvious reasons the first interview is with the owner of the brand that I collaborate with as Artist and Ambassador and that is being a quality discovery in the world of wind instruments.

Without further ado, I thank you for your kind collaboration.

Let's start.

• Name and surname: 

Jonathan Hodgetts 

• Do you play or have you played any wind instrument? 

- Yes have played tuba from 12 years old

• What instrument manufacturer do you own, CEO or representative? 

- Wessex Tubas which I founded in 2011

• What instruments do you make? 

- All the brass, but concentrate on tubas and euphonium 

• What models? 

- Huge range of tubas in all keys and all types

• What type of Tubas and / or Euphoniums are manufactured in your company? Professionals, for students, beginners? 

- We manufacture at all levels from beginner to professional handmade

• Do you manufacture nozzles in your company? 

- Only to compliment our tubas

• What type of nozzles? Standard or specifically for each instrument? 

- Specific to instruments

Wessex Tubas 

Let's talk about your company:

• When it was founded? 

- 2011

• In what city or country? 

- Andover, UK

• Who was the founder? 

- Me Jonathan Hodgetts 

• Since when do you manufacture Tubas and / or Euphoniums? 

- From beginning

• What reasons or circumstances led you to manufacture Tubas and / or Euphoniums? 

- I married Chinese wife which opened up opportunity for me to develop relationship with manufactures in China

Chuck Nickles

• Who were its main designers? 

- Chuck Nickles from Oregon, USA

Regarding the vast experience of your brand in the market:

Please leave us a count of the most relevant artists in your catalog broken down as follows:

• In Orchestra and / or Band: 

Igor Martinez, Jorgen Advall, Blake Cooper, John Van Houghton, Giorgos Rarakos

• Metal Sets: 

Howard Miyazaki’s

• Soloist: 

Will Druiett, Philip Thor

• Teachers: 

Harold Hernandez, Kevin Madden, Victor Gomez

TALKING ABOUT TECHNICAL ISSUES:

• Could you give us your opinion on the different concepts of sound and what characteristics define it, according to the different types of instruments, that your brand manufactures?

Different keys of tubas and in different countries have their own distinct sound and characteristics. Wessex tries to capture those variations in our range.

• Please tell us a bit about the actual manufacture of brass instruments based on your experience? 

- There is a lot of hand work in the making of brass instruments. We have established our own workshop in China and are manufacturing in that country to higher standard than any other company

IN CONCLUSION:

• In your experience, do you think that the diversity of interpreters, instruments and training opportunities in various specialized schools is being homogenized in the interpretive centers that are already established? (Example: Russian, American, German-Austrian, English, etc.).

I fear that the American sound concept is bit by bit taking over around the world which I don’t want. I want to promote a variety of sounds and concepts to be distinctive to different countries. That is why Wessex makes such varied tubas as the British F, French C, German Kaiser and American York CC.

It is a pleasure and an honor to count on your experience and knowledge in my work as well as your sincere friendship.

Thank you very much and best wishes.

A big hug.

For more information and shop see the videos and enjoy.

An intimate look inside the Wessex factory with Chuck Nickles

The Wessex Tubas manufacturing process