Webb Sackbut

[NorthernEuph]

Has anybody out there had any experience with these instruments?

How do they compare with the higher end offerings from Meinl and Egger?

Thanks in advance.

[LeTromboniste]

I would say they are nowhere near a Meinl or Egger. Lesser build quality (all those I've seen or tried had had repairs or would have needed some), more compromised towards modern trombone. They are heavier built, and feel much more stuffy and tubby than more recent and higher end sackbuts, with a darker sound, hard to color.

That being said, I thought they were significantly better than a lot of the stuff that calls itself or pretends to be a sackbut (old Boehm und Meinl/Giardinelli, older Finke and Glassl instruments, Wessex, most hackbuts, etc), and with a proper mouthpiece from Egger or Van der Heyde I think something can be done with a Webb (although not without considerable effort). I think many of the problems they have are attributable in good part to what instrument they were based on - I don't know which original it was but I suspect it might have been a bass sackbut cut down to Bb. The Meinl so-called large bore Hainlein tenors, especially older ones, share many of the same issues, and so does to a certain extent the Egger large bore tenor/small bass model.

I'd say most of the tenor playing I do, I couldn't do on a Webb, but if I had a gig playing high bass or low tenor parts and needed an instrument in a pinch if mine was broken or something, a Webb would be good enough to do the job.


In short, among the commonly found cheaper options for a sackbut, a Webb or maybe a Tomes are probably the only ones I would consider, if the price is good. But be prepared to add $150 to the price for a proper mouthpiece, or it's not worth it.

[Basbasun]

The John Webb sackbuts are very inconsistenc. As John was himself. Sometimes good sometimes not so good. The best ones is not as good as Egger of course. I have heard som beautiful playing on a Giardinelli bass, tough it is not realy a sackbut. For a good price the Webb can be ok, just try first. Anyway I think it is a good idea to not by an expencive horn if you are not used to sackbut playing, and a Webb you can sell if you dont like it

[LeTromboniste]

The John Webb sackbuts are very inconsistenc. As John was himself. Sometimes good sometimes not so good. The best ones is not as good as Egger of course. I have heard som beautiful playing on a Giardinelli bass, tough it is not realy a sackbut. For a good price the Webb can be ok, just try first. Anyway I think it is a good idea to not by an expencive horn if you are not used to sackbut playing, and a Webb you can sell if you dont like it

Yes that seems right. The ones I tried were all acceptable, but I know others have found some to be quite bad.

The Boehm und Meinl/Giardinelli bass is a remarkable exception. It plays very well and is quite flexible sound-wise, so it is indeed possible to make it sound like a proper sackbut with the right mouthpiece and the right sound concept (likewise it will sound very much like a modern bass trombone with the wrong mouthpiece or sound concept). Their tenors and altos however do not share these qualities...

[NorthernEuph]

Thank you for the responses. The instrument in question is currently for sale at Baltimore Brass for about $1200 USD. The inconvenience of living in Canada and having to ship internationally before I can even try it is leading me to look elsewhere.

[LeTromboniste]

Yikes. I wouldn't pay $1200 USD for a Webb. You can order a brand new instrument from Brad Close in California for $2500 USD and it'll be carefully built using historical techniques, and definitely worth the difference in price while staying in the relatively affordable range. Gary Nagels in Quebec is selling some of his instruments, including I believe a Meinl tenor sackbut. Not sure how much he's asking though.

[gbedinger]

Hi Stewart, check your email.

George