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Thread: Stepping Up

  1. #1

    Stepping Up

    I am a sophomore in high school, and I am going to study music in college. I am currently playing on an accent amateur euphonium (3 Valve) and am in great need of an upgrade in the near future. I was wondering if I should invest in a full on professional horn like a Besson or Adams and hope it lasts through the rest of my schooling, or take a "stepping stone" somewhere in the middle with something like a JP Sterling or King 2280. Or is something like a Wessex or Mack Brass a good option for a student?

    As you all can tell I have no experience with any instrument other than my own, so I can use all the help I can get.

    Thanks for the help!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
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    3,853
    I'm pretty sure you'll get different recommendations from different forum members. I might suggest that you consider what you call a 'stepping stone' upgrade. If you get a King 2280, JP Sterling or Wessex, it would serve you well through high school and the start of college. Then when you're in college and think you need a better horn (or your professor thinks so), you could get a top level horn and sell that 'step up' horn. Just my 2 cents worth.
    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
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Summerfield, Florida Sturgis, SD (summers)
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    1,867
    I pretty much agree with Rick. I do think I would tend to opt for a compensating horn, so that might make your choice a Wessex or JP Sterling. I think the Wessex would be the most bang for the buck.
    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)

  4. #4
    Two other things to consider:

    One, you don't know where you're going to go to college yet. If you're going to be studying Euphonium in college, I'd wait until you get there and consult with your professor before shelling out for a top of the line instrument.

    Two, do you really want to subject a $7000-9000 instrument to life in a high school band room? As conscientious as you may be, there are others who will play and roughhouse around the instruments. Personally, I'd feel a lot less bad about dinging a $1300 Wessex than an $8000 Besson.
    Adrian L. Quince
    Composer, Conductor, Euphoniumist
    www.adrianquince.com

    Kanstul 976 - SM4U

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Farmington Hills, MI
    Posts
    472
    Quote Originally Posted by adrian_quince View Post
    Two other things to consider:

    One, you don't know where you're going to go to college yet. If you're going to be studying Euphonium in college, I'd wait until you get there and consult with your professor before shelling out for a top of the line instrument.

    Two, do you really want to subject a $7000-9000 instrument to life in a high school band room? As conscientious as you may be, there are others who will play and roughhouse around the instruments. Personally, I'd feel a lot less bad about dinging a $1300 Wessex than an $8000 Besson.
    Excellent point. No matter how careful a high schooler is with their horn, the potential for damage is high.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by adrian_quince View Post
    Two, do you really want to subject a $7000-9000 instrument to life in a high school band room? As conscientious as you may be, there are others who will play and roughhouse around the instruments. Personally, I'd feel a lot less bad about dinging a $1300 Wessex than an $8000 Besson.
    Quoting for solid advice! My band instructor let me use his Besson my senior year of high school, but only I played it and it spent all of it's non-playing life in his office. Luckily, no damage was done, but the treat was always there.

    I'd also second the compensating advice. Ideally, this horn would serve your for the next 2-3 years until you moved on to a 'top of the line' horn once you're in college and certain this is your career path. With that in mind, the compensating 3+1 valve horns will serve you best. There's no reason the add your pinky into the mix if you're already use to just 3 up top, and then switching to the 4th valve on your left hand in college as you're preparing recital pieces. Also, give yourself time to settle in to your new horns. Even if you're stepping into the perfect Euph, you'll always sound better after a month or so of learning the instrument's tendencies than you do on days 1-7. Don't buy your new horn and play it the week you're auditioning or playing a solo. *face palms*

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