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Thread: Adams Red Brass vs. Sterling Silver bell.

  1. I have a Sterling Virtuoso with a red brass bell, and an Adams E1 with a sterling silver bell along with an overall thinner gauge than the Sterling. I find the above descriptions describing the tonal qualities of each material to be accurate -- the sterling silver bell has a darker sound, but when you "push it" there is sparkle and resonance in the overtone series, while the red brass bell has more richness across the board.

    I'd like to know the reasoning behind Adam's assertion that a sterling silver bell requires a serious amateur or professional to play properly. Perhaps they are alluding to being aware of what each bell material has to offer in terms of tonal quality and response?
    James Kircoff
    Genesee Wind Symphony - principal euphonium (Adams E3 Custom .60mm yellow brass bell w/ K&G 3.5)
    Capital City Brass Band (2019 NABBA 2nd section champions) - 1st baritone (Besson BE956 w/ Denis Wick 6BY)

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Farmington Hills, MI
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    472
    Jim, do you have a preference for one or the other bell material?

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Sacramento, CA area
    Posts
    309
    Is that you and your Geneva in your avatar picture? It is an interesting looking horn, either way. I wish that we could see more of it. In particular, I would want to compare it to the Wessex Maly euphonium ( https://wessex-tubas.com/collections...ium-maly-er154 ). Because they both look so different from what I typically think of when I think of euphonium, or any saxhorn for that matter. That, and I would love to get more exposure to rotary valve brass.
    - Sara
    Baritone - 3 Valve, Compensating, JinBao JBBR1240

  4. #14
    No, that's just a baby Wessex (travel Euphonium?) I tried out at ITEC. I just like the photo of me 🤷*♂️😆. You can see photos of the Geneva in a thread I started about it a few months ago.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    NYC metro area
    Posts
    523
    Quote Originally Posted by spkissane View Post
    [snip] I still love my Geneva, and it's a very different feel, so I'm going to see if I can get by financially owning both horns. Everyone needs two euphoniums, right?!
    I saw a cartoon recently on Facebook, which I think is to the point: the illustration shows a woman yelling at a man, and the caption says: Another tuba?! Why can't you download porn like a normal husband?
    Dean L. Surkin
    Mack Brass MACK-EU1150S, BB1 mouthpiece
    Bach 36B trombone; Bach 6.5AL and Faxx 7C mouthpieces (pBone on loan to granddaughter)
    Steinway 1902 Model A, restored by AC Pianocraft in 1988; Kawai MP8, Yamaha KX-76
    See my avatar: Jazz (the black cockapoo; RIP) and Delilah (the cavapoo) keep me company while practicing

  6. Quote Originally Posted by MichaelSchott View Post
    Jim, do you have a preference for one or the other bell material?
    In my case there is a learning curve with the sterling silver bell, and for solo work I need to work on methods to utilize the material to take advantage of its qualities. I've been maining my red brass bell Sterling euphnonium for years, and I know how to make it "sing" the way I want to intuitively. The sterlng silver bell Adams is a more recent pickup, and I need to spend more time learning its intricacies.

    Which bell material I'd prefer likely depends on environment. For brass band, I thnk the red brass bell Sterling is a better choice at the moment, wind ensembles it's a wash, and for solo work it depends on the piece and the sound I'm looking for.
    James Kircoff
    Genesee Wind Symphony - principal euphonium (Adams E3 Custom .60mm yellow brass bell w/ K&G 3.5)
    Capital City Brass Band (2019 NABBA 2nd section champions) - 1st baritone (Besson BE956 w/ Denis Wick 6BY)

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Sacramento, CA area
    Posts
    309
    Spkissane - Aha! I thought that it looked like Wessex's "baby euphonium." Interesting looking. I found the youtube sound clips to hear what it sounded like.

    In any case, best of luck with the new Adams too. And of course we want pictures/recordings, when you can (smile).
    - Sara
    Baritone - 3 Valve, Compensating, JinBao JBBR1240

  8. #18
    I agree placing any euphonium on its bell is not a good practice and yet I see videos of Matt Tropman doing it all the time. And I believe that's with a sterling silver bell E1. Yikes. My seat mate at our tree lighting concert last night had his tuba in his lap, a slight slip allowing it to bang an adjacent chair in our very tight seating, and he got a goose-egg sized dent in his beloved tuba. One can never be too careful.
    Arnold (Arnie) Williams
    Sterling Virtuoso Euphonium with Gold Brass bell (Capitol Pops Band, Capitol Pops Tuba Euphonium Quartet)
    Yamaha YBH-831S Neo Baritone Horn (Joyous Brass, First Baritone)
    Yamaha YBH-301M Marching Baritone (Ophir Prison Marching Kazoo Band and Temperance Society LMTD)
    Yamaha YEP-830 Xeno Bass Trombone (Sacramento Concert Band)
    Euphonium: DW Heritage 4AL (main); K&G 3D (Ophir Prison Band)
    Bass Trombone: Ferguson M Series Jeff Reynolds

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