Meinl Weston F Tuba - Travel - 4 Rotary Valves - Detachable Bell - Lacquer - 14-L

Meinl Weston F Tuba

Alan Baer about the Trolley 14:

On several occasions, tubist I've met and musicians in the New York Phil have asked me about my Trolley Tuba. Many ask, is that a "real tuba"! And many have asked me, "why would you need such and instrument"? Well, here is the response!

First of all, the New York Phil is possibly the most touring orchestra in the world. With two major tours a year as well as a residency in Vail Co, short 2-3 runs to other cities, we are busy!! With all of this travel, my on stage tubas are trucked or flown, all over the world and this leaves me with no instrument to practice. Yes, you DO need to practice after you get a gig!

The Trolley tuba allows me to ALWAYS have a tuba with me! The instrument will fit in the overhead on the planes, trains and even on the back of my motorcycle very easily! This allows me to do my daily routine when ever I want so I'm not working around the loading crews schedule! I use the provided mute in the hotel rooms and have NEVER had a complaint! In fact it's so quiet, I also use it while watching TV with my 11 year old daughter! We as musicians have a difficult schedule as it is. When you add outside interests, a family, AND the job... Do you really want to be tied down to the load schedule, or the sleeping schedule of your family or neighbors?

This little tuba has allowed me to enjoy the freedom of enjoying a city park, or even my back yard while strolling around practicing. More importantly, it's allowed me to spend more time with my family because I'm not tied to a schedule! Another way I've recently been using this horn is as a cimbasso! Although the horn was not designed for this, it has a wonderful sound and fits great! My music director was very skeptical at first, but after hearing it in the section, he loves it! Plan on seeing more of the Trolley tuba in the NYP! The last and very important use for my Trolley is for retaining my sound concept! As an orchestral tubist the job can do so much for us, but it also does a lot TO us!

Buy using the Trolly tuba on a regular basis, I am forced to remind myself of air pressure, and keeping the embrouchure from diffusing! This is a great tool for this! Since there is more back pressure when playing the Trolley with the mute, It's like swinging two bats before you up in baseball! It gives you a nice relaxed methodical swing! Isn't this relaxed approach what we're looking for on the tuba? A win, win situation! So, if you want to buy a Trolley tuba because it's cute and small and its LIKE a toy, better think again. The Trolley tuba IS a useful tool in the arsenal!

Alan Baer
Principle Tubist
New York Philharmonic

- F-Travel tuba, includes practice mute and cabin size case
- 4 rotary valves
- Bore: 15,5mm / 0.610"
- Detachable bell ⌀: 22cm / 8.7"
- Height: 51,5cm / 20.3"
- Weight: 7,9kg
- Yellow brass
- Clear lacquered