JP274S, Wessex, or Schiller Elite IV?

[davewerden]

John,

It seems like you don't need to worry about the word "sterile" in this context. I THINK I know what a person would mean in describing a tone that way, but words mean different things to different people. I can only say for sure that I know what I mean by "sterile tone" (and there is a sliding scale involved here). What matters in your choice of a horn is whether is satisfies (or even enhances) your own concept of tone. If you're happy with the Mack's tone, if it sounds like you think a euphonium should sound, then life is good!

[John the Theologian]

Thanks, Dave. Actually I wasn't really worrying about the term, just trying to understand it. As I said sometimes it's comparing apples and oranges. I've played my Mack in my home office where I practice in our basement with my current mp-- UMI 5G. I played the old compensating Besson in the practice room of a local school using the Schilke 51D that was stuck in he horn-- literally. It's hard to actually compare, but I didn't find the Besson really superior to my ear. My main comparison is to the old Yammie and that really was a difference to me, but, again, the mp is different-- bigger and deeper-- as well. So many variable obviously go into tone. Both the Mack and my old Yamaha have a couple of high notes that don't slot as well as I'd like, as I've mentioned elsewhere on this forum, but I really believe that it's just the difference between the euph and the trombones that I also play and slot so much better on those notes.