Hi All,

As I sit on Christmas Eve printing a GIFT CERTIFICATE for a new Euphonium for my high school student to open tomorrow morning,I realize I cannot even put a brand on the picture. I have been diligently reading this forum for 6 months, trying to learn everything I could about the Euphonium so that I could make an intelligent decision that would make a positive impact on her. Armed with the information from over a decade of postings on this site I have to admit to being overwhelmed. I don’t know if an INTERMEDIATE or a PROFESSIONAL euphonium is the best choice for her. She is expecting to continue in college, making music her career (performance or education still TBD). She desperately wants a Besson because that is what Steven Mead plays. She met him at a Battle Creek performance last May where he fueled her passion for the instrument and is convinced that what he plays must be THE BEST. Ahhh, sometimes so mature and other times still such a teenager! I am a firm believer in USED instruments as a first choice, pricing, the horn’s actual attributes are already revealed and an instrument with a history is always a good choice. Of course that limits me to availability, helps on pricing but leaves me open to possibly making a poor purchase. I am very lucky to have a fantastic Brass Repair person near my home in suburban Chicago, he has cared for our other instruments (trumpet, trombone, french horn, occasional missteps with our school’s mellophones and marching baritones) so USED doesn’t scare me, Dana can handle anything. The school does own two Bessons, one intermediate (my kid hates this one – very USED and limited maintenance) and one passed down from director to director (kids say it is from the 70s – you know ANTIQUE) cared for privately and plays beautifully. Sadly, neither are available to her. Her private teacher and director want her to UPGRADE ASAP, both are frustrated with her inability to perform as they expect based on her skill level. Of course neither wants to tell me what to do or how to do it or where to buy it or what is the BEST because it is such a big investment and every horn is different. They do both agree I need to find a 4 valve compensating horn. It does not need to be a Besson, apparently everyone of you has a favorite horn and Besson doesn’t appear to be right for all, with so many choices and manufacturers I am at a loss. She will be happy with anything that all the valves work and tuning is a possibility.

Can someone out there be more definitive? Searching ebay, craigslist and store websites is difficult without specifics. Do you know someone trying to unload a horn? Does someone have the RIGHT EUPHONIUM sitting at your house looking to be loved by a promising musician I will be grateful for any clear direction. While my kid may be DESPERATE to upgrade, I would much rather make a good choice than a fast purchase. She will some how survive playing on a student Holton (former rental) for as long as it takes.

Thank you for any advice,
Lucy’s very overwhelmed Mom