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Thread: ACB Doubler - Series 4, Episode 3 - Ergonomics, intonation, response, tone, summary

  1. ACB Doubler - Series 4, Episode 3 - Ergonomics, intonation, response, tone, summary

    Hi all,

    I have been very pleased to be the last person on the list to evaluate the ACB Doubler euphonium. In episode 1 you got a very thorough mechanical overview and in episode 2 a 12 minute impromptu sound clip of the Christmas carols I performed for my neighborhood on Christmas Eve from my living room. Before I go on, I want to add that my recording in Episode 2 doesn't do complete justice to the horn as I was having breathing problems at the time.

    In this episode, I will provide my analytic evaluation of actually playing the horn for around 10+ hours over the last week.

    Ergonomics

    The Doubler is a very substantial instrument. At 10 lbs even, it weighs 11 oz more than my Adams E3 and just 8 oz less than my Sterling Virtuoso with heavy bell, trigger, belly pan, and weighted 4th valve cap. The appearance of the horn and the substantial heft is absolutely different than some other Chinese manufactured horns I have evaluated in the past.

    The valve action and location is really very good. Smooth and no issues due to any residue from manufacture (remember it received a very thorough cleaning when I received it). I could use Blue Juice and that seemed to last for at least 2 practice sessions of 1-2 hrs each. The springs were just a bit stiff for my taste, but still well within a normal range. Given how smooth the valves are, I think the horn could definitely benefit from lighter springs, but that is a matter of personal preference. I want to also add that the valve caps were easy to thread and unthread for service.

    Overall positioning of the 3rd valve wrap, 4th valve, and outer branch made holding the horn with the left hand VERY natural and typical for a high quality (dare I say professional) euphonium. No surprises. Perhaps the most difficult issue for me in getting used to the horn, but not an issue I fault it for, is the wrap of the lead pipe. It is mounted a little lower than those on the Sterling or Adams and wraps further around the bell (slightly). This may make the horn easier to manipulate for a person of smaller stature or a less ample girth than I, but it took me some time to retrain my right arm to hold the horn closer to my body and an additional rolled up lap towel to bring the Doubler's leadpipe up to the perfect position for me. If this were my every day horn I would easily adjust to it.

    Intonation

    I spent a complete practice session with my Korg and smartphone tuners checking out intonation. Generally pretty good. I am attaching a complete chart that goes from Bb1 to Db5. My tuners stop registering accurately below Ab1 (pedal Ab), but the low pedal range is very good. The only problem ranges were:

    Db3 to E3 (3rd partial)
    • Db3 (23) - 12 cents flat
    • D3 (12) - 15 cents flat
    • Eb3 (1) - 12 cents flat
    • E3 (2) - 10 cents flat

    Ab3 and A3 (4th partial)

    • Ab3 (1) - 5 cents flat
    • A (2) - 10 cents flat

    Db4 to D4 (5th partial)
    • Db4 (2) - 5 cents sharp
    • D4 (open) - 10 cents sharp

    Eb4 to F4 (6th partial)
    • Eb4 (1) - 25 cents sharp, played (13) 10 cents sharp
    • E4 (2) - 20 cents sharp
    • F4 (open) - 10 cents sharp, played (13) 20 cents sharp, played (12) 5 cents flat.


    2 octave chart (Bb2 to Bb4)
    Click image for larger version. 

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    3 octave chart Bb1 to Db5
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Response

    Overall the Doubler has a good response. All of the notes (even high B natural) have good centers. I didn't find any "bad" notes in terms of response. My daily routine includes low range flexibility with 8th note lip slurs starting at Bb2-A2 and descending to full octave Bb2-Bb1 at a metronome of 132. It then repeats the entire pedal range ending at Bb1 to B0. Also I do 16th note lips slurs at 90 bpm across 5th intervals ascending and descending chromatically down as low Bb1-F2 and as high as Gb4-Db5. I found the Doubler particularly responsive in the low range. I could pop the 8th note slurs at 132 bpm down in the pedal range quite nicely. Even the Bb1-B0!!

    Perhaps the biggest difference between the Doubler and either of my horns costing 4X-5X more is in overall response (ease of playing difficult passages and playing dynamics, etc.) I found myself working harder to get the Doubler to do what I could do easier on a different horn. I must say that my age (nearing 70) definitely has something to do with this. In a regular community band setting or with a younger strong player this would not be an issue.

    Tone

    Another pleasant surprise for me. While I never played the horn in a large acoustic space, the sound of the horn (with or without the bell cover) was warm and pleasant. With its 300mm bell, it is more focused than my Adams, more nearly comparable to my Sterling. I will say that the tone is perhaps a bit more granular (rougher? not as smooth?) than my professional horns. I was very careful to use the exact same Wick 4AL when comparing the Sterling and Doubler. From a purely esoteric point of view, it didn't have quite as much "British" in it as the others, but still capable of producing a fine sound as you all heard from Dave Werden, John Morgan and Jim Williams.

    Summary

    A good effort here! The ACB Doubler is a well built, substantial instrument. None of the more typical complaints about sloppy valve action or terrible valve threads I have experienced in other horns in this price range. I was particularly impressed with the smoothness of the valves, the overall ergonomics, slightly biased towards a younger or smaller stature player. The pitch characteristics were mostly pretty good and alternate fingerings in a couple of cases can help quite a bit. The tone is robust and capable of standing out in a full ensemble or sounding good in a solo setting. While there were a couple of mechanical things (lyre box, 4th valve lock, and 1st valve compensating slide) that need looking in to, this is a nice horn.
    Last edited by daruby; 12-28-2020 at 11:51 PM. Reason: Add tuning charts
    Adams E3 0.60 Sterling bell - Prototype top sprung valves
    Concord Band
    Winchendon Winds
    Townsend Military Band

  2. #2
    Great review, Doug, in all its parts! So far the feedback has been pretty consistent, with just the differences you would expect from different individuals.

    But... I don't see the tuning graph!
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Summerfield, Florida Sturgis, SD (summers)
    Posts
    1,867
    Yes, ditto, great review Doug. I just got asked in a PM today if I would choose the ACB Doubler or the Wessex Dolce if I had to choose between the two. This person is planning to buy a euphonium, and appears to be considering these two horns, almost equally priced with an ACB 10% reduction bringing the price of both very close to each other. I own a Wessex (for 3 plus years now) and of course I tested the ACB Doubler. I did not make any comparisons between the two, just reported on the Doubler.

    So, after letting this fellow know my thoughts on both horns, I really couldn't give him a solid answer one way or the other. One is fashioned after a Yamaha, one after a Besson, or at least that is what it seems to me. One is a tad brighter than the other. Both are pretty darn good horns. I think in the end that either one of these horns would be entirely suitable for most any playing situation and either one could delight the owner.

    Yes, Doug, it seems the chart you spoke about is either invisible or it did not make it in your post above.

    By the way, my preference for the Doubler, of the three samples ACB had, would be the satin finish. I was hoping to test that one, but alas, the lacquered version arrived. No big deal, but I like the brushed finish on my Adams, and I think the satin finish on the Doubler would be Jim dandy.

    One thing is for sure, there are many euphoniums to choose from now, from top of the line horns costing north of $10K down to very inexpensive, quite good samples under $2K. This is a good thing, though it can be confusing and somewhat overwhelming, but to have this many good choices is indeed a very good thing in the long run.
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
    Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
    1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 Baritone
    Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
    Year Round Except Summer:
    Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)
    KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
    Summer Only:
    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
    Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by John Morgan View Post
    One thing is for sure, there are many euphoniums to choose from now, from top of the line horns costing north of $10K down to very inexpensive, quite good samples under $2K. This is a good thing, though it can be confusing and somewhat overwhelming, but to have this many good choices is indeed a very good thing in the long run.
    Amen, brother! And I'd mention that both Wessex and ACB are serious about producing good instruments and standing behind them. They are run by musicians, too! There is "heart" in both companies.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  5. Quote Originally Posted by davewerden View Post
    Great review, Doug, in all its parts! So far the feedback has been pretty consistent, with just the differences you would expect from different individuals. But... I don't see the tuning graph!
    I have now included the tuning graphs. First a 2 octave chart that is the same as the ones you do, Dave. My results are very similar to yours. I also have a 3+ octave chart from pedal Bb1 to Db5.

    I found myself using 3rd valve instead of 12 for middle D and G and 13 instead of 1 for 6th partial Eb.

    I also agree with John Morgan, I would have preferred the brushed finish horn.

    Doug
    Adams E3 0.60 Sterling bell - Prototype top sprung valves
    Concord Band
    Winchendon Winds
    Townsend Military Band

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Indianapolis area
    Posts
    1,003
    Doug...
    A perfect conclusion to the testing series!
    Thanks for your insights.

    Jim
    Jim Williams N9EJR (love 10 meter CW)
    Formerly Principal Euphonium in a whole
    bunch of groups, now just a schlub.
    Shires Q41, Yamaha 321, 621 Baritone
    Wick 4AL, Wessex 4Y, or whatever I grab.
    Conn 50H trombone, Blue P-bone
    www.soundcloud.com/jweuph

  7. Doug,

    Thank you so much for your fabulous review. I came into this experiment not really knowing what to expect (although I am confident with our doublers I don't play euphonium at any real level to be worthy to truly review it!) and you all have greatly exceeded my expectations. I am already in touch with the factory for some modifications and also we're going to include extra goodies (like guides etc) for the new orders. I'm excited to see the horn back in the shop and check it out after it's cross country trips.

    Again please accept my sincere thanks for all the constructive input! You all are truly amazing and I appreciate it beyond words.

    Best regards,

    Trent
    Trent Austin
    Owner
    Austin Custom Brass
    www.austincustombrass.biz
    I started on Baritone BTW in 3rd grade band

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