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Thread: Weril H980S

  1. Weril H980S

    Some having a lot more experience than I have commented on Weril euphoniums in various forums. Those comments were mostly positive and they cemented my decision to try one. Here I write initial impressions about it, but be aware that its the first non-school owned horn I've ever played and I've been away from horns for a long time. I can't comment relative to other specific brands.

    I purchased the horn new from http://www.hornguys.com/ ($1,500) because based on comments I'd read, I thought they would take care of me. I stressed that I wanted a horn with good valves, no construction glitches that would affect playing it, and good intonation, but that time and flawless asthetics were a secondary matter. If a horn doesn't meet the standard, they send it back to Weril and the customer never sees it. I think I got what I asked for. They replaced the Weril valve springs with YEP321 springs to improve the action.

    The valves all work smoothly. My instructor (a DME) played it and commented that she was pleasantly surprised with it. Intonation was not perfect everywhere, but she commented that the places where it was off a little was typical of many horns. One perhaps unusual intonation feature is that it was a tad flat on G, but lipable, whereas I guess most horns are sharp on G? It doesn't have the soft-attack response of an expensive horn, but I guess that's to be expected; it is pretty stout. The main tuning slide is a bit tight but it does move. I will have that looked at and fixed locally this week. I played it outside and in my barn (I live in a rurual setting) and the sweet sound of it almost stunned me. I guess that's just me being impressed after being away for so long.

    The tubing braces are all clean with no soldering or plating flaws around them. The platting is smooth and looks good everywhere except as follows: (1) the bell end-flare on the outside surface has tiny flecks of something on the surface that can be felt but not seen. They are only on the outside of the bell, not the inside, (2) the plating is defective over the end of the mouthpiece shank for about 30 degrees of its circumference (its dark gray in those spots instead of silver). The sellers are aware of it and state that most Weril horns have been coming that way recently. They buffed it smooth and reportedly it shouldn't lead to larger problems. A horn repair guy in the local shop whom I described it to, agreed that it should not propagate, (3) the plating is thin in a tiny place near the bottom cap of one valve. Its not bare there, but it has a slight grayish hue to it, and (4) there's a shallow scrape about 3/8x1/16 in. on the outer edge of the large tubing at the bottom of the horn that looks like it was there before the plating. Some buyers could be pretty upset about that, but to me its not worth the bother of returning it and waiting for another mechanically-good specimen to arrive. The way the local horn repair guy put it, "these horns are built untouched by human hands, so don't expect perfection".

    Overall I'm pleased with having a nice-sounding and smooth-working horn to learn on for grand less than a YEP321.

    Steve

    p.s. - I forgot to say it has a nice case.

  2. Weril H980S

    Here's a follow up on the Weril H980S horn. I am on my 3rd lesson now, regaining my skills rapidly and really loving the sound of this Weril, especially since switching to a Bach 5G mouthpiece. Valves 1 & 2 began sticking despite being clean (so I thought) and adequately oiled (Blue Juice). I also noticed what I thought was excessive bouncing of the valve pistons at the top of their travel on rebound.

    Being a new-but-inexpensive horn I decided to have it ultrasonically cleaned and reassembled with Binak Pro valve oil at Carls Band Instrument Repair in Bloomington IL. They also replaced the valve cusions with their preferred dual layers of synthetic cork and a thinner but denser rubber washer, and installed their preferred valve springs. That did the trick - the valves are great!

    The shop also found the main tuning slide to be stressed. They removed and resoldered the main tuning-slide tube and one brace, and that problem too was superbly fixed.

    For a shop charge of $130 I am now very pleased with the horn. In the photos below the black things on the valve bottoms are vinyl caps - my makeshift "grime gutter" solution.

    Steve










  3. Weril H980S

    Seems to be a good quality horn from what you say. And for more than a grand less than the Yamaha 321S, it will be a great alternative intermediate horn, for people who are seeking to purchase euphoniums on that level. Although, I must say, just about every single one of the curves and bends in the tubes looks exactly the same at the Yamaha 321... the only differences seem to be the braces that were used between the tubes, and on the joints... also valves one and three have spit valves on them.. which is not available on the Yamaha 321.
    Gregory E. Lopes
    Euphonium player
    US Navy Band Great Lakes
    US Navy Music Program, 2009-Present

    Besson Prestige 2052

  4. Weril H980S

    If the valves continue to stick, it may not be because it is dirty. Usually new horns might need some break in time.
    The sticking used to happen to one of the horns I played on and no matter how much I cleaned and oiled, it still stuck.
    So give it some time and be patient! By the way, very nice looking horn!

  5. Weril H980S

    I just found out that the Weril has a large shank receiver... how is the large shank receiver on a horn like this? does it work well? I know that the yamaha 321 only has a small shank receiver... i wonder how the response of the two horns compares with different receivers.
    Gregory E. Lopes
    Euphonium player
    US Navy Band Great Lakes
    US Navy Music Program, 2009-Present

    Besson Prestige 2052

  6. Weril H980S

    Never thought about that and I'm not experienced enough to know. I'll ask my instructor who owns a YEP 321S. Tongue in cheek answer: it should be easier to put the mouthpiece in while drunk.

    About your previous response GregEuphonium, what is a split valve?

    Steve

  7. Weril H980S

    When I started to play after 20+ years of being away I bought a Weril H980 . I had some issues with the finish and the springs on the brand new horn but loved the way it played so much I keep . After a year and a half I decided to move up to a compensated horn and sold it . The Weril had some intonation issues I could not deal with . It also had the "stressed tubes" on the main slide mentioned in a previous reply .
    The horn is a terriffic intermediate model and I would have killed to have had one while in high school . It's a great,inexpensive alternative to those who cannot afford to buy a Yamaha 321 and it has a large shank reciever . This a definite advantage over the Yahmaha . Well worth it's price tag .

  8. Weril H980S

    GregEuphonium, I just realized why my "split valve" question didn't get any responses. Sorry about that - I was a careless reader.

    Steve

  9. #9

    Weril H980S

    SteveS sent me 10 of his black vinyl caps for $3. I used a paper hole punch about a 1/2 inch from the "water basin". When I slip them over the bottom of the valves, about half of this hole is open for air to released so the valves do not slow down. It was a bit of a tight fit between valves 1 & 2. I little valve oil on the sides of the vinyl caps & some elbow grease solved that problem. If you have a Yamaha 321 or Weril 980 and a desire to keep you shirts stain-free, then send SteveS an email. I'm sure he'd be happy to send you some.

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