Has anyone had an experience with Wessex Kaiser Baritone (ER120)?

**sirisobhakya** · 03-04-2018, 07:50 PM

Hello. This is my first thread here. I normally play bass trombone in a semi-professional community band, but I have also played euphonium and marching baritone, albeit for quite a short time (the instruments belong to my former school band and I play them only when I visit the band as an alumni). I would like to have a euphonium (or the like) of my own. My budget is quite limited; I am just an average salaryman, I don't play or plan to play professionally, and so I don't want to dump large sum of cash into a horn.

That being said, I don't quite like the response of piston valve. I also have a bias toward rotary valve and German instruments in general, maybe partly because I was an exchange student in Germany 10 years ago. But a German-made (or at least German-style) horn is EXPENSIVE.

An additional preference is that I don't quite like switching mouthpiece (or at least the rim diameter). I am also using quite a big bad bassbone mouthpiece (Yamaha Douglas Yeo Signature Model), so switching to small shank mouthpiece would probably be problematic. I have tried a Yamaha 51B and a Bach 3G, the 3G is fine but not great, and the 51B is a disaster (not the mouthpiece itself but it is a bad match for my embrochure and my horn).

So, to sum up the requirements: low-end price, rotary valve, and large shank. A 4th valve would be great. And the Wessex Kaiser Baritone has all of that. (Not quite sure on the large shank one, I've asked but they haven't replied yet, but hopefully) The website also says they ship to all over the world, which is great for me because I am living in Japan right now.

I have searched the forum for a while, but there seems to be no thread on the horn. Has anyone had any experience about it?

**58mark** · 03-04-2018, 08:37 PM

I have played one. I thought it was marvelous. I too love the quick action of a rotary valve. Don't expect it to sound like a besson or a similar piston horn, they have their own tone

**ghmerrill** · 03-10-2018, 10:13 PM

Why in the world -- for general purposes -- would you choose an oval euphonium? If you want to play in a "German band", then that would be a different issue. Have you ever played an oval horn in an ensemble? Ever sat beside someone who has? Ever sat to his/her left? Do you have any idea how you would be welcomed into an ensemble with such an instrument?

Just some things to think about. That low price and your commitment to rotary valves would buy you a lot less horn, and a lot less versatility than a standard large bore euph. I should hope you'd be able to get one (similar to the Schiller or Mack Brass) in Japan for the same price as the Wessex "Kaiser". But if you have to have the rotary valves and can't afford a real Kaiser baryton, then your choices are constrained.

And if you try to play the horn with a honking big bass trombone mouthpiece (especially the Yeo), I doubt that anyone -- including you -- will be happy with the result. Been there (on both oval and standard euphs). Not pretty.