Wessex Festivo

[guidocorona]

Thank you Russ for the excellent and detailed review! Unlike on your Festivo, the main tuning slide on my unit is smooth and silky but not even faintly too loose... None of my slides are too lose or too tight. THus I am wondering if I am fortunate, or perhaps you are unlucky instead *Smiles!*

I have not found particular issues with intonation... But I am just a babe in the woods on euph.

I am using alternatively my right pinky and my left index finger for the 4th piston. Using more and more 3 as an alternative to 12, and 4 as an alternative to 13. Tone is more open using the alternate fingering, and IMO intonation is not suffering.

Cross threading remains a bit of a challenge... While I had requested Wessex to select a unit for me that would not experience cross-threading, my experience with screwing piston top and bottom caps is mixed.... Sometimes there is no problem, while other times I fiddle for several minutes before I obtain a clean thread insertion.

Perhaps Jonathan can shed some light on these little issues.


Regards, Guido

[Jonathantuba]

Perhaps Jonathan can shed some light on these little issues.

This is something we have looked at extensively. Sometimes the leading edge of valve thread is rough/damaged causing issues. You can minimize the chance of problems by;

1) Pushing down on valve button to put pressure dead center
2) Turn anti-clockwise until you hear/feel click and then start screwing clockwise

We have developed a new design which solves the problems, and from last manufactured batch have started applying to production. The good news for existing owners is the solution is to change in valve cap design, so threading issues can be solved on existing instruments with replacing valve caps with our latest design. We don’t have any spare caps yet to supply (we wanted to test the solution worked first), but will during 2019. Any customers experiencing threading difficulties do contact about Easter next year and I hope we will then be in a situation to help you with replacement caps.

Whenever customers are experiencing problems, Wessex Technical expert, Chuck Nickles and I examine the production process to establish the cause of the problem, and then we work with the factory management to change the process to rectify, or at least mitigate. So Wessex gets ever better.

I am writing this as I head to China for yet another visit to the factory (5th this year).

[guidocorona]

Wow... Thank you so much Jonathan.... Your response makes me even prouder to own my wonderful Wessex Festivo!

I'll be first in line come spring to contact Wessex USA about top and bottom caps replacements... Meantime, I'll try the technique that you suggested for screwing top caps back in.


Have a Merry Christmas!

Guido

[AZRuss]

My old Conn had the same cross-treading issues. Using the valve to center works to a point as well as rotating the cap CCW until it finds the groove. Once you have cross threaded, it is nearly impossible to get it back to normal. I've found the secret is patience and a light touch. If the tread is fighting you at all, back it off and try again. I found an 85 year old guy that does horn repair out of his house. Been doing it for 23 years and has a phenomenal collection of tools, anvils, and tapered wood rods for dent removal. He messed with the horn slightly when I took it to him but found it wasn't going to be a quick fix. He stretched both tubes and made no difference in the slop. I don't know if the Nickel slides will give him grief. I measured both slide tubes well as well as the opening on the male tube. looks like the small tube has about .001 radial play (.002" overall, which is a lot). the big tube is half that. A normal press fit is .0005" The slide tubes had no taper to them, which was nice to see. (sign of good production quality). So I will take a few days off playing and will see what the tone is like after the layoff. That will be the true test.
A Merry Christmas to you all.

[AZRuss]

The Festivo is back from the repair guy and all is well. The Bach 12c showed up at the same time. That mouthpiece is such a departure from all my others, it will take some training to use. It requires so little lip movement, when I jump from a low to high note, I overshoot the note. The layoff was less than a week. The tone was still there and find it easier and easier to get the tone. Biggest issue now is hitting high G and A with accuracy. So the next hurdle is to understand the compensation. Are all Euphoniums compensated the same way. Mine has a tuning slide on the comp tubing. what is this used for. If anyone has a chart of alternate fingerings or how the compensation is supposed to be used, I would love hearing from you.

[Tom Damerell]

Willson does still make the front action compensating model. It is a custom order.

[spkissane]

Since this thread has been bumped today, it's probably a good place to mention for anyone interested that the Festivo is currently ~$500 off for black Friday and Cyber Monday on Wessex's website. The double-bell, travel, and marching euphoniums are all on sale too.

[S-euph]

“Other mouthpieces”? I assume you mean others you like better with this horn. If I’m correct, please list them with comments.
Thanks

[BDeisinger]

I guess I've missed it somewhere in the read but I'm looking at a Festivo that a friend is selling and have it on loan a few days. So far it is extremely comfortable to hold. I'm having a time to compare the sound with my other euphoniums made in Germany other than the oval. I've decided that I'm listening from a different angle with my left ear closest so I will compare with a video recording. The only thing I have a question on is the thumb ring of the right hand being adjustable or not. The left hand one does move and I'm not going to force or try to move the right hand ring until I get a definite answer. (maybe Jonathan can answer) Otherwise I'm happy with the pitch and the way I can hold it. The high B natural seems to play well and slots well.

[Jonathantuba]

I would have to see picture to know if movable thumb ring. Older Duplex were so fitted, but the latest have larger fixed ring

[Himura]

I've been looking at getting one of these as well. What's the biggest difference in playability versus a traditional 3 + 1 instrument?

The last front-4 I played was my middle school's old Connstellation. Even now, I remember it being so much more comfortabe to hold and play.

[BDeisinger]

[QUOTE=Jonathantuba;155079]I would have to see picture to know if movable thumb ring. Older Duplex were so fitted, but the latest have larger fixed ring[/QUO

Jonathan, I hope this helps, thanks. Getting to love the horn.

[daruby]

Looks adjustable to me. I would assume you loosen the knurled locking ring on the bottom, change the angle of the ring wrt to the valves section, and then tighten the ring.

Doug

[Jonathantuba]

Yes definitely adjustable as Doug correctly says

[BDeisinger]

Yes definitely adjustable as Doug correctly says

Ok but it's so tight I wanted to make sure before I applied any force.