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Thread: College music major euphonium purchase

  1. College music major euphonium purchase

    I'm going to soon be going to college to major in music on euphonium, and I need a horn. I have it narrowed down to a Yamaha YEP642ii Neo, a Miraphone 1258A or M5000, and maybe an Adams E3. I'm really leaning towards either the M5000 (my soon to be professor is a Miraphone artist) and the Yamaha, since I play a school-owned 642 in high school. What are you guys' thoughts on which to buy? Is there any other similar models I should consider? Thanks for the help.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
    Posts
    3,853
    Hi Stephen,

    Welcome to the forum. All of the models you mentioned are very good. I'm partial to the Miraphone 5050 myself and have played it for a little over 2 years. It takes a lot more air because of its larger bore (.610). The Adams E3 is a new model and from what I hear is excellent. Hopefully you get to play before you buy to know exactly how you sound on a given horn. Good luck with your search.

    Hopefully others will chime in here with their opinion.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  3. #3
    That's a good list of horns. The Miraphones will feel larger than the Neo, so one deciding point is if your personal style is more compatible with a larger instrument. I think the E3 falls into that category, too, but I have not played one yet. If the larger horns prove to not be your taste, then you would probably want to try the Adams E1/E2 as well.

    Absent from your list are two highly-regarded pro brands: Besson and Willson. Is there a reason for that?
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  4. I'd actually go with the Miraphone 5050 if you decide to get a Miraphone. I've played on one once or twice when looking for a horn, and found that I love the "feel" of the bigger horn. Although I love my Besson, the 5050 was a close second. As for Yamaha, they're good, but you can get better. Good luck!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    El Paso, Texas
    Posts
    383
    I've played just about all of these except yamaha and have found that you really cant go wrong with any of them. I probably played the 5000 but dont remember a a strikiong difference between that and the 5050. ( if a member more familiar with the miraphone models could chime in that would be great.) But my section mate owns a 5050 and its a wonderful horn with a great sound. Although it is a tank of a horn! I play an E1 and love it. It is a toss up between a E1 setup like mine and a 5050, although the 5050 is large and open it felt to present ever so slightly more "resistance" to the face than my free blowing E1. I played the E3 at TMEA and was very impressed by it overall. If I were to get one myself it would need to have the sterling silver bell. Every horn I'v played of Adams is really phenomenal, but my taste in tone truly lies in what I get from a sterling silver bell. E2 is a close second to the E1 sterling silver setup in my opinion.

    I agree with Dave in the additional consideration of Besson and Wilson. I personally liked a new Wilson over a new Besson just as far as preference goes, but both have great horns. If i got a Besson though i would rather have a Sovereign 967 over a Prestige any day. I think they sing more for me. Plus now you can order one with a tuning trigger!!!
    Adams E1 SS, Gold Brass Body .6mm DE Euph N103 Jcup, J9 shank
    Meinl Weston 2141 Eb Tuba PT 84

  6. The main reason I left some of those out was cost. The 5050 and Bessons and Wilsons are really nice, they just cost more. What are some dealers/websites that will ship me some to try out? I live rural and there's not a large music store anywhere around. Also thanks for the suggestions!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Summerfield, Florida Sturgis, SD (summers)
    Posts
    1,868
    I wish dealers would ship horns on approval, but alas, I am afraid you will not find any or hardly any that will do that, especially with top brand horns. The Wessex is a notable exception in that it comes with a return policy where you have 14 days to decide if you like it; if not, you can send it back and only pay shipping costs. But you have to buy it first, and then if you don't like it, get your money back. There are no top brand (Besson, Willson, Adams, Yamaha, Hirsbrunner, etc.) horn sellers that I know of that offer such a generous return policy. In fact, many (most) music stores don't even have any top end horns, especially euphoniums, in stock for you to try out (when you go to the store). You have to find a major music store or go to a major conference/convention (where instrument manufacturers show up) to be able to really test out several major top brand horns all in one place. That is what I would strongly advise you to do. There is the ITEC in Knoxville coming up the end of May - an excellent place to try them all, albeit everyone and their brother/sister will be doing that as well.
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
    Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
    1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 Baritone
    Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
    Year Round Except Summer:
    Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)
    KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
    Summer Only:
    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
    Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
    Posts
    3,853
    Not sure there are any dealers willing to ship a horn for you to try out. Might I suggest maybe you look into attending ITEC in Knoxville, TN starting May 30th. They will have many vendors with horns to try out. Here's a link:
    http://www.iteaonline.org/conferences/ITEC2016/
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Anderson, Indiana
    Posts
    270
    My local music instrument store (Muncie Music, Indiana) was wonderful in getting in both a Yamaha YEP642ii Neo and a Yamaha 842S for me to try out. To me, the Neo played like a lesser version of the 842S. (Perhaps my opinion is in the minority, but I was able to compare them side by side for an extended period. I posted a review of that experience on this site in 2014.) I ended up buying an Adams E2 because I liked the sound better. I don't know where you live, but check to see if your local music store will get in a couple of instruments for you to try out.
    Regarding ITEC: At the 2014 ITEC, I was able to persuade both the Adams and Besson vendors to allow me to take an instrument to a nearby practice room where I could listen without the din of other nearby players. That experience was very useful. Also, when you are "auditioning" instruments, have a musical friend listen to you. He or she can often pick up on things you might miss.

  10. #10
    I think the Wessex is the ideal euphonium for a high school student who will be entering college but is not sure of the best euph to buy. It plays so well and sounds so good in the hands of a good player that it just has to be considered. Once you get in college and are working with a pro, it will be much easier to decide which euphonium you might want to have -- and the cost of switching will be minimal.

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