David Bjornstad
1923 Conn New Wonder 86I, Bach 6 1/2 AL
2018 Wessex EP100 Dolce, Denis Wick 4ABL
2013 Jinbao JBEP-1111L, Denis Wick 4AM
2015 Jinbao JBBR-1240, Denis Wick clone mouthpiece of unknown designation
Cullman (AL) Community Band (Euph Section Leader)
Brass Band of Huntsville (2nd Bari)
Martin... how dare you... kidding. I miss you bro! Glad to hear you’re doing well. We need to figure out a hang soon.
Martin is right. While equipment does make a difference, it will vary player to player. I find that the 2900/51D/BB1 combination locks you into a specific type of sound, but different players can still sound different even on that setup, as Martin said. The thing is to get what suits what you’re looking for the most. Concessions will still have to be made, as there is no perfect horn or perfect mouthpiece.
I don’t have your number anymore, send me an email at mceuph75@gmail.com would love to catch up.
Martin Cochran
Adams Performing Artist
mceuph75@gmail.com
Done.
I had a 2900 for a while, and I bought it because it was considered by the people around me to be the gold standard for euphoniums at the time. I can see what the argument would be about it being inflexible...
What is a really good example of a top-notch, well-respected euphonium that is also very sonically flexible?
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 BaritoneAdams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
Year Round Except Summer:
Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)Summer Only:
KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)
Interesting take on this.
Playing a 'sonically flexible' euph is like driving a McClaren formula car: One had better be up to it.
I'll stick to my 'Mack truck' New Standard for now.
DG
Maybe I'm dense or partially deaf, but I've never heard anything that I would consider "sonically flexible"from a euphonium. I've listened to a good many players over the years playing on different horns, and sure they have different sounds, but they generally maintain the same timbre whether playing loud soft, etc. I've never heard a euphonium sound gain intensity and the just open like what can achieved on a cello or have a great deal of variability between a brighter and darker sound. That is, each horn seems to have its sound and it stays within that sound with a small degree of variability. So, maybe someone could point out a good example of a euphonium being played in a "sonically flexible" manner. I would love to hear it.
Mike
Mike - I tend to agree with you. I am not even quite sure what sonically flexible is in relating to a euphonium sound. My response above was tongue in cheek. My horn and mouthpiece and me together make a certain sound on my Adams. I like it. I can probably shade the tone or sound somewhat. I can also make it brighter or darker with different mouthpieces. But the overall sound of this combination of horn, mouthpiece and me stays pretty much consistent.
There are some folks who say they can make their horn sound like "this" for classical playing and sound like "this" for jazzier playing and maybe sound like "this" for something in between that. I would say that unless you are changing equipment, the horn will sound pretty much the same for all varieties of music you play. What is different is your air, your phrasing, your articulations, your vibrato or not, your dynamics, your rhythm, your sense of style, your tonguing, your interpretation, etc. By making changes to some or all of these things, you can perhaps sound a little different, but the underlying sound you make with your horn and equipment I think remains pretty constant.
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 BaritoneAdams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
Year Round Except Summer:
Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)Summer Only:
KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)
Maybe being "sonically flexible" means something like I read from jazz cornetist, Warren Vache. He plays a longer style cornet-- the kind that resembles an Olds Ambassdor, etc that was standard for beginning cornetists when I grew up-- not the short model used in British brass bands. Yet I read him claiming that if he played a shallower mouthpiece and tuned his horn slightly sharp, he could play lead trumpet in any big band on his horn.