At the Brass Ark, I often get requests for 5-valve “tenor tubas” (sometimes more appropriately known as upright Spanish baritones or kaiser baritones) that tend to be well suited both sonically and visually for the tenor tuba orchestral repertoire. This style instrument was made popular by the late Roger Bobo, who famously introduced the Alexander 151 and "decreed" it a tenor tuba. The problem with most of the models out there is that they can be outrageously expensive, and since it's such a specialized design for only a handful of pieces, it’s hard to justify that kind of cost.
With Thomas’s project going so well and the first instruments being met with great enthusiasm, we asked Cerveny if they would collaborate with The Brass Ark on a more reasonably priced 5-valve tenor tuba built to my specs and in consultation with Thomas's guiding hand. It needed to be bigger, it needed to have 5 valves with the 5th valve as a half- or whole-step option, it needed a main tuning trigger, and it had to be high quality and handmade.
Here’s what we came up with. Hope you enjoy this first one!





