Yamaha 842S or Besson Prestige?
For me personally, if I were narrowing things down to an Yamaha 842S or a Besson Prestige. I would chose the Besson hands down. But my resasons are somewhat idiosyncratic.
Similarities:
Responsiveness - Comparable between new Prestige and 842S. The Yamaha is significantly better than the older Besson Sovereigns or Prestiges.
Build Quality - Again, when comparing the new Besson with the Yamaha, I think they are comparable.
Differences:
Intonation - Yamaha is generally better, but it does not have a trigger, and is still sharp in the 6th partial. Intonation on a Besson is not great, but if you are used to the triggerless Sovereign, then the trigger on a Prestige will help you keep things spot on.
Sound - I think the sound of the Besson is smoother and I prefer it to the 842S. In fact, I like the sound of a 642 over that of the 842S. The 842S is "brassier" and "rougher" when I play it than the 642 or a Besson Prestige or Sovereign.
Ergonomics - BIG differences! The lead pipe on the Yamaha 842 is mounted significantly lower on the bell than on the Prestige or a Yamaha 642. Also, the third valve slide is mounted much closer to the outer branch on the Yamaha 842S (even than on a 642). This means the Yamahga feels like a much "smaller" horn since the grip for the left hand is much smaller (perhaps over an inch smaller) and the distance from the bottom bow to the lead pipe is less. If you are tall and have larger hands, the Yamaha will feel small and require that you hold it up, even when in a seated position. If you are small or have short fingers, the Besson may feel awkward.
For me, the last two items (sound and ergonomics) are show stoppers. As a result, I much prefer the Prestige to the 842. In fact, I even prefer the Yamaha 642 to an 842 for the same reasons. When I have spoken with Adam Frey (842S) and Roland Froescher (642 and York 4052) they each prefer their own horns for eactly the reasons articulated above. Aside from the fact that each are performing artists for their respective instruments, Roland finds the Yamaha 842 too "small" for him compared with his earlier 642 and doesn't like the location of the lead pipe on the bell. Adam prefers the ergonmics of the 842. Roland is about 6" taller than Adam. So go figure...
Doug Ruby
Adams E3 0.60 Sterling bell - Prototype top sprung valves
Concord Band
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