Contemplating 1st purchase for our student son (Intermediate+ level player)

[EyeInSky]

Interesting news about the Wessex EP600. It definitely sounds like an exciting option for others in the near future. I think I may have seen a recent YouTube upload of Matoniz at a trade show performing one. Assuming the price is in the mid-$3,000’s, it’s unfortunately out of contention for me. I’m really pushing it by just considering the JP374.

ChristianSparkle - Did you encounter any issues with the tuning on the 1st valve on your JP274?

How does one acquire a nicer mouthpiece? Is there some kind of measuring method (like sizing one’s shoes)? Or do you just take a leap of faith and buy an expensive mouthpiece and see how it goes?

[ChristianeSparkle]

Interesting news about the Wessex EP600. It definitely sounds like an exciting option for others in the near future. I think I may have seen a recent YouTube upload of Matoniz at a trade show performing one. Assuming the price is in the mid-$3,000’s, it’s unfortunately out of contention for me. I’m really pushing it by just considering the JP374.

ChristianSparkle - Did you encounter any issues with the tuning on the 1st valve on your JP274?

How does one acquire a nicer mouthpiece? Is there some kind of measuring method (like sizing one’s shoes)? Or do you just take a leap of faith and buy an expensive mouthpiece and see how it goes?

Yeah, the EP600 seems interesting. Definitely will be paying attention to it.


On my JP274, I tune each individual slides and have the 1st and 3rd slides a little out. Though I don't think I have much issues with the 1st valve being too out of tune. I know my Eb above the staff with the 1st valve is too sharp, so I have to use 1 + 3 fingering for it. The Ab and A at the bottom of the staff were like 20 cents little flat for me, so those are the notes that I have to actively be aware and compensate for. My other notes with the 1st valve are relatively in tune.

For mouthpiece, go and try them out instead of buying blind. Too risky since it all depends on your son's lips

[EyeInSky]

For mouthpiece, go and try them out instead of buying blind. Too risky since it all depends on your son's lips

So music stores will allow people to do this? I would have thought they wouldn't allow it for hygienic reasons (or, let's say a person has TB or something like that).

[ChristianeSparkle]

Yes, they generally do allow people to test out mouthpieces. I think many music stores have demo mouthpieces too, but I may be wrong. I was able to test some mouthpieces when I visited one some time ago.

[EyeInSky]

Hi again everyone,

In case anyone was curious, the Euphonium we ended up purchasing was the $2900 JP374S Sterling.
We were fortunate enough to be able to pick up the same exact instrument that was tested, and it looks & sounds great.
Most importantly, our son seems to be really happy with it. Perhaps we have just gotten super lucky with the instrument's achievement with intonation.
Only way we could know for sure is if we are able to test a different JP374S Sterling in the future.
The first "S" means silver plated, but it's the "Sterling" name that made it about $1300 more than I would have preferred to pay.
This is not the model with the trigger... that one is denoted with a "T" in the model number: JP374ST Sterling.

We opted to put the bulk of the purchase on a 6 month interest free credit option. I hope the investment proves to be worth it.

Best Wishes, and thanks again for all of your help!
~ Sheldon

[ChristianeSparkle]

Congratulations on the purchase! Hope it will serve your son well for a long time!

Perhaps you did get lucky to find an instrument with very decent intonation! I kinda still wish I went for the Sterling JP374T, but too late for that now!

Do tell us how your son finds it after an extended time on it!

[EyeInSky]

Congratulations on the purchase! Hope it will serve your son well for a long time!

Perhaps you did get lucky to find an instrument with very decent intonation! I kinda still wish I went for the Sterling JP374T, but too late for that now!

Do tell us how your son finds it after an extended time on it!

Hi Christian,

I sure will. I will most likely continue being a "lurker" on this site.
Everyone's posts were so helpful, and there's a lot of fun reads and other useful information on here.

I certainly thought about springing for the "T" model. It would have only been several hundred dollars more, but I was $1300 or so ABOVE budget already.
Having the trigger could have brought the instrument even closer to a Willson / Besson / Adams / Miraphone / Sterling Virtuoso, etc... but it did seem we may have gotten lucky enough with the intonation on this "base" model.

If there were intonation issues on the 374S, I believe we would have ended up purchasing the Wessex Dolce and calling it a day rather than spending more for the 374ST.

It will be very interesting to see what happens with this new Wessex model on the horizon! Sounds like it will be a major competitor to the JP Sterling series.

Best,
Sheldon

[Acemorgan]

I was a vocal performance major in college, so euphonium was not my first, second, or third instrument.

Something I learned as a recorder player: when you get a new instrument, there is a "break-in" period. However, you are not breaking in the instrument, but rather breaking in yourself to the instrument. You are gradually adjusting yourself to its subtleties and ideosyncracies.

So when we find an instrument that "fits," it is less the quality of materials, workmanship, or nation of origin that are the issues, but rather our own predisposition to that particular collection of factors at that particular time.

[scubaeuph]

OK, My questions are a little different. Is he going to study in college? If not fine. If so with who? And what are their recommendations?