Older Besson 700 series or JP374 Sterling?

[heimat]

Hello guys,

I deal with such a smaller dilemma.

I currently own an older Besson 700 Euphonium made in year 1987 (I think). So I suppose it is the instrument of the time when Besson made quality products in the UK. Personally, I like this instrument and I am quite happy with it. But a little more problematic is the tuning. It would be not disastrous, but a few notes in the higher position just are not in tune.

So now I try to find a new instrument at an affordable price. I do not need instrument with an compensating system, I do not play in the lower position very often. I'm thinking about Sterling JP374. Do you think that'll help? It will be a better choice?

Thank you very much for your comments and opinions. :-] And sorry for my bad english, I am from Czech republic.


Regards


Jan Vundr

[davewerden]

Jan,

Welcome to the forum. I have a couple of comments for you.

The Sterling JP is a nice middle-level euphonium. But I don't know if you will find a lot of improvement in the upper range intonation. I have not had a chance to compare intonation on the Besson 700 or JP Sterlings. The JP's I have tried are sharp in the 6th partial, which covers the notes (concert pitch) of E-flat, E, and F above the bass clef staff. But even the Besson Prestige is sharp on those notes, so most players need to use the Prestige's trigger to keep them in tune. I don't think the JP has a trigger, so you would still have to deal with sharp notes. They MAY not be as sharp as your 700.

Have you tried alternate fingerings for those notes? When I played a Besson New Standard and later a Besson Sovereign, I used the following fingerings for the notes mentioned above:

E-flat: 13
E: 24
F: 4

It takes a while to get used to doing that, but it made the notes easier to tune.

[Superingoer]

Thanks Dave

JP374S with trigger version has been launched for a while, I did see you checked with their Facebook. Just wonder whether you will try this one soon ? As you are the live-dictionary, it is a good reference for us.

As I checked with your intonation comparison, I found it quiet close to the prestige. Now the JP sterling has the trigger version, whether it can improve the sharp notes?

Let me have your thoughts, thanks