Q41 First Impressions:
My local CA dealer happened to have a Q41, Med Shank in stock and was gracious enough to let me borrow it for a week. My first impression does not remind me of a Willson, as much as I liked the Willson sound the few times I've played on one. It reminds me a lot of the Geneva Cardinal I had, with a beautifully singing, resonant and compact sound.
I've run through the gamut of horns and the last E3 I had I sold so I could buy a cornet for our new brass band. Well, the brass band is preparing for NABBA and I don't like the Neo sound (or what I make with the Neo sound) and feel my voice gets lost in the texture, a problem I never had with the Adams. People have echoed this sentiment with the Neo and I had hoped the trigger would have added enough mass to fix the issue. Based on the band recordings though, I need to be able to float on top of the 2nd Euph without straining so I'm going to try the Shires.
It's medium shank, and the only MP the dealer had that fit is a SM4U M. I like this MP and it feels to pair well with the horn. Interestingly so far don't get the tired chops I'm used to with my large shank SM4U. Brandon Jones and Bente both play the large shank model - if this horn pans out in rehearsal I may want to order one with large shank so I can use the K&G MP I love so much.
Valves are really nice, the horn is built well and feels compact in your arms. A person smaller in stature who struggles with some of the larger horns should be able to hold this horn with less of a problem. It doesn't feel like it weighs any less than my Neo although lots of people (who are used to holding featherweight Adams E1 horns) tell me the Neo is built like a tank.
Adams E3 0.6 with SS Bell
K&G 3.5D
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Founder and Solo Euphonium
San Francisco Brass Band