Hi, I am a Sophomore Music Education student at NMSU, and I am currently having major "stuffiness" issues with my 1980's Besson Sovereign 967. There is no major damages, only small scratches and dents here and there. It has supposedly been through the U.S. Army Band which explains the wear and tear. I have had the horn professionally cleaned by a local horn craftsman(Patterson Hornworks) in the last few months and still have "stuffiness" issues particularly in the upper registers. The connection seems to really falter after D above the staff(D4). Tone quality begins to go away and resistance really kicks in. I am currently having the horn leak tested and as well as looking for a potential culprit for this excessive "stuffiness." The horn plays very well other than the stated issues with the upper registers. It sings out very well and allows me to produce an amazing tone in the comfortable ranges of the horn. At what point in the repair process should I call it quits and begin my search for another horn.
On that note, I have done some looking myself on this forum as well as reviews and have really leaned myself towards several Euphoniums, but I am open to all opinions as I will be trying out the horn before purchasing to see if it really fits me as a player. My top three are the Besson Prestige 2052, Sterling Virtuoso, and Willson 2900/2950. I have heard great things about Miraphone, Adams, and Yamaha as well, but I have have had the opportunity to play on these three brands personally, hence why they are my top three. I am really looking for advice on the tendencies of each brand, valves, intonation, singing ability, projection etc.. It is also important to note that although I plan to be an educator, I plan to get my Masters in Performance as well. I do plan on being a serious performer thus why I am doing such an extensive search.
Again, all advice is welcome,
Justin