Horns worth around 2000 dollars

[Jasoncostello77]

Hey Guys, I’m a Junior in High School and currently play on a Besson Sovereign 967 that belongs to my school. I’m looking to play Euphonium in college and I’ll need my own horn. I’ve looked into buying a wessex or a Packer but I’ll have around 2200 dollars by the time I graduate. What horns are best at this price? I’m looking for a compensating 3+1 configuration

[John Morgan]

Get a Wessex Dolce, then you will have money left over for music books, lessons, and whatever else college freshmen need starting out.

[Jasoncostello77]

Is the Dolce the best horn within the 1000-2500 range?

[highpitch]

Best of the new clones. Comes with great warranty, US representative as well.

The only thing better would be a good deal on a good used classic Besson, Yammie, Willson eTc.

D

[enhite]

There are many people who love their Wessex Dolce (especially on this forum) and some others who seem to think their John Packer was worth the extra. So it is an individual choice.
(That said, John Morgan is a retired army musician and owns both an expensive Adams euphonium and a Dolce, so he knows what he's talking about.)
Since you have some time, also keep an eye out for good used instruments, as HighPitch advised. Dave Werden regularly posts links to used euphoniums on this forum as well as others who post here when they are selling an instrument.
A trip to a music conference where vendors are demonstrating their instruments might be worth your time. I don't know your location, but there will be a conference at the end of May in Iowa for the International Tuba and Euphonium Association (ITEA) with tubas and euphoniums galore. (Many will be out of your price range, but I expect Wessex, Packer, Jupiter and others will have instruments to demonstrate.) ITEA also has regional conferences, perhaps one near you. And, once you identify a college you wish to attend, be sure you talk your prospective teacher about instruments.

[ghmerrill]

I'm trying to figure out why it's so important to spend a certain amount on the horn -- rather than, say, looking for a good instrument that fits you well and plays the way you want it to. I mean, you're not asking "What are the best horns I could get for a maximum of $2,000?" but rather "I'm going to spend $2,000. What horn should I buy for that money?" That's an odd way for a musician to think.

I mean ... I'm pretty sure that Todd Burdick of Tuba Skinny could afford a much more expensive horn than that old bell-front recording bass he plays. And I know that their cornet player, Shaye Cohn -- about the best trad jazz cornetist I've heard -- could certainly afford something more expensive than that old Yamaha student model cornet she uses. But their real goal is the music. Not the cost.

[John Lebens]

I mean ... I'm pretty sure that Todd Burdick of Tuba Skinny could afford a much more expensive horn than that old bell-front recording bass he plays. And I know that their cornet player, Shaye Cohn -- about the best trad jazz cornetist I've heard -- could certainly afford something more expensive than that old Yamaha student model cornet she uses. But their real goal is the music. Not the cost.

Right on Mr. Merrill! So many times I have seen someone take a piece of junk and make it sound like a Stradivarius! It’s all in the artist. Tuba Skinny, Absolutely Fantastic!

[Jasoncostello77]

No, I am asking whats the best horn at the maximum of that price, I must have worded my question wrong

[Jasoncostello77]

Thank you all for your help, I’ve decided to go with the wessex

[timster]

Jasoncostello77,

I recently bought a Wessex Dolce; read the recent posts from Izajmom for her observations, all of which I have encountered.
Careful with threading the valve caps (N.B. I bought an brand new Olds Mendez trumpet in 1973 and it had similar fine threads, so the issue is not particular to the Wessex - and you will get used to it; be patient).
It is a great value for the money. Had I 10K+ to spend, I would have purchased an Adams. But if wishes were horsed, beggars would ride.

Tim Kennedy

[58mark]

The packer 274 is better than the 374 (not just my opinion) and it's about the same price as the wessex.

[lzajmom]

I fully agree it's a great value for the money! I hope my observations don't scare anyone away. It's just helpful, I think, to have proper expectations about what you're getting. I guess I didn't know what to expect, and that dissonance is making it a little harder to LOVE it the way I wanted to.

Jasoncostello77,

I recently bought a Wessex Dolce; read the recent posts from Izajmom for her observations, all of which I have encountered.
Careful with threading the valve caps (N.B. I bought an brand new Olds Mendez trumpet in 1973 and it had similar fine threads, so the issue is not particular to the Wessex - and you will get used to it; be patient).
It is a great value for the money. Had I 10K+ to spend, I would have purchased an Adams. But if wishes were horsed, beggars would ride.

Tim Kennedy

[mbrown]

I'll put in a vote for the wessex festivo. I've had mine for a year and it's satisfactory in all ways for what I do. Church/community groups. The bottom is tremendous for me, being a tuba guy... The valve caps are a little tedious but not a deal breaker. The festivo has 4 front valves and the way they're set up i can play them with one hand or if I want I can work the 4th valve with the left hand.