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Thread: Contrasting Shires Q40 vs Q41

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
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    Summerville (SC)
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    Thank you Fuji, that was a really fascinating video... Amongst all other things, it looks like the Shires custom euphonium series might be based on Q41 rather than on Q40.

    Really lov the tone and nimbleness of those prototypes.

    Regards, Guido
    M5050L - DC2&3, SM2&4U, BT16, Carbonaria Heavy & New
    Wessex EP104 Festivo - available
    Carolbrass CCR7772 Bb cornet - Available

  2. I got to spend some time with both the q41 and q40 at my state MEA conference in February 2020.

    The Q41 has many of the qualities of a good Willson 2900. It’s focused and direct but with a more flexible sound than the 2900. Intonation was solid and very workable. The Q41 would be a great choice for wind band playing.

    The Q40 has many of the qualities of the 41 but with a wider sound. The Q40 leans more towards the large bell Besson Sovereign. This horn would work in wind band but it seems more suited for a brass band.

    I did not take the horns apart to check QC and build quality but on the outside fit and finish seemed fine.


    Both horns I tested were large shank.
    Last edited by Euphdude967; 06-11-2021 at 08:57 PM.

  3. #13
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    Summerville (SC)
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    Thank you so much EuphDude for sharing your comparative experience.... You confirm my impression from the demo by Shires's own Alexis Smith that Q40 features a broader and perhaps more Bessonian tone than Q41.

    Now listening to Brandon Jones and Hiram Diaz playing the Schostakovich prelude on the prototypes of the upcoming Custom Series euphoniums performed during the Q&A linked a couple posts above, I am having the impression that the Custom Series may be heading further along the Q41 soloist focused tone, or perhaps symphonic route.

    Truly fascinating.... Looking forward to learning more about them!

    Regards, Guido
    M5050L - DC2&3, SM2&4U, BT16, Carbonaria Heavy & New
    Wessex EP104 Festivo - available
    Carolbrass CCR7772 Bb cornet - Available

  4. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by guidocorona View Post
    Thank you so much Andrew for posting all this excellent information!

    Sadly, Flimsy threading seems to be systemic on euphoniums from Mainland China, or euphos featuring valve blocks from the People's Republic.... My quasi-entry-level priced priced Wessex Festivo is a case in point.

    But Q41 is a professional horn -- hardly entry-level. I am befuddled that Shires -- with its stellar reputation -- let such glaring flaw pass their Q.A. process. Have you tried to contact Alexis Smith at Shires about it? They might be able to address it.

    Concerning medium vs large receiver, when I chatted with Alexis a couple years ago, she seemed to have experienced little difference between the two receivers on Q euphoniums.

    BTW, have you heard any scuttlebutt about timeline/features of the future Shires custom euphonium series?

    Lastly, which mouthpiece are you using on Q41?

    Regards, Guido

    The valves certainly aren't a deal breaker for me - just something to be careful about. I've been spoiled by multiple Yamahas and a Willson over the years that were very well built. The other elements of in a fit and finish sense are head and shoulders above other entry level compensators I've seen over the years and are more in line with the other pro offerings.

    I don't know a thing about when a custom series horn might be coming, other than it will be exciting to see. I'm going to be buying new horns for my army unit sometime over the next few years and they will get consideration based on my Q41.

    I'm using a BB1 with the Q41. That piece isn't for everyone (there are aspects of it that I really don't care for myself) but it works so well in a wind band setting doing what I need a euphonium to do in terms of blending. I recently bought a Giddings Kadja to see how that might work. That piece really made my old Yamaha 641 come to life, though it wasn't a stellar pairing with the Yamaha Neo I was issued for awhile. I've tried not to fiddle too much with mouthpieces as that's an expensive venture when you've never had a euro shank horn before, but my impression would be that it's pretty mouthpiece friendly.
    Andrew Easley
    Principal Euphonium, 35th Infantry Division Band of the Kansas Army National Guard

  5. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by guidocorona View Post
    BTW, have you heard any scuttlebutt about timeline/features of the future Shires custom euphonium series?
    I recently had a meeting with some reps from Eastman to plan a tuba/euph day at my shop in Jan/Feb of 2022 and was told that the custom series would likely be ready by then.
    Sean Kissane
    Low Brass Specialist, Paige's Music
    Principal Euphonium, Indianapolis Brass Choir
    Principal Euphonium, Crossroads Brass Band

  6. #16
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    Jun 2018
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    Summerville (SC)
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    Hi Andrew, I agree with you that marginal threading is not a deal breaker on a euphonium where everything else checks fine.... Just a bit annoying.... And I am sure that Shires will get their factory in mainland China to address the issue.

    Hey Sean, delighted to hear that things might be moving on the Custom Series front, and that production perhaps might have started by February 2022.

    Regards, Guido
    M5050L - DC2&3, SM2&4U, BT16, Carbonaria Heavy & New
    Wessex EP104 Festivo - available
    Carolbrass CCR7772 Bb cornet - Available

  7. #17
    Hey all!

    Just came across this thread and thought I would weigh in with my observations, having spent a lot of time with both the Q41 and the Q40. I had originally purchased a Q40, but found that it played quite flat across the board, even with the tuning slide all the way in. So I switched to a Q41 for the time being and Shires has been making some adjustments to the Q40 to address the issue.

    I just got a new Q40 sent to me a few weeks ago and can happily say that the horn plays really well now! I've got a brass band concert tomorrow (10/3) that I'll be playing it on. I played the Q41 and the Q40 side by side in a rehearsal and the Q40 is really a great fit for me and what I do (brass band/solo work and doubling on tuba a lot). If anyone has any questions about Q40 vs Q41 feel free to ask! I was a die-hard Besson Prestige player until I picked up a Shires horn, and I feel that the Q40 gets a great Besson-like sound with a bit more core and evenness, and the upper register is drastically easier to play and more projecting than the Prestige was. People talk about the Besson valves being great, and I think the Shires valves are even better!
    Steven Vaughn, D.M.A.
    Professor of Tuba & Euphonium, University of Northern Colorado

    Principal Tuba - Fort Collins Symphony
    Euphonium - Fountain City Brass Band

    Eastman 836 CC Tuba
    Meinl Weston 2182W F Tuba
    Besson 2052 Euphonium

  8. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by stevevaughn View Post
    I just got a new Q40 sent to me a few weeks ago and can happily say that the horn plays really well now!...
    I love your comments! Please keep us posted as you get more insight.

    Can you answer this? Ignoring the flatness of the earlier sample (if that is possible), do you feel Shires has improved the instrument in general from then until now? (This often happens with new products, but production line considerations necessitate careful considerations before changes are made.)
    Thanks!
    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

  9. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by davewerden View Post
    I love your comments!
    Can you answer this? Ignoring the flatness of the earlier sample (if that is possible), do you feel Shires has improved the instrument in general from then until now? (This often happens with new products, but production line considerations necessitate careful considerations before changes are made.)
    Thanks!
    Hey Dave!

    Yes, I would say that Shires has been VERY active in terms of taking feedback and continuously improving the Q series euphonium line. That has been my experience so far! To my knowledge I am the only artist playing the Q40, so my feedback on that particular model may carry more weight. The difference in how this Q40 plays vs. the earlier model is really astounding, even if not accounting for the flatness like you said! I know early on the Q41 got a lot testing with the military band players, and I don't think the Q40 went through as much testing until recently.

    Moving forward though I plan on exclusively playing the Q40 (until the custom line comes out probably, which I don't know when that will happen) so hopefully there will be more content out there showcasing the Q40 in the future!

    In the meantime I will keep an eye on this thread and answer any other questions people have about the Q40 in particular!
    Last edited by stevevaughn; 10-02-2021 at 04:31 PM.
    Steven Vaughn, D.M.A.
    Professor of Tuba & Euphonium, University of Northern Colorado

    Principal Tuba - Fort Collins Symphony
    Euphonium - Fountain City Brass Band

    Eastman 836 CC Tuba
    Meinl Weston 2182W F Tuba
    Besson 2052 Euphonium

  10. #20
    I still have a Q41 and now the Q40 at my house...So, since I saw someone requesting the Cosma earlier, here is a quick sample of the beginning of the 3rd movement; first on the Q41, and then on the Q40. Please excuse my wrong note at the end of the Q41 example , I did it in 1 take and from memory! Hope you find this helpful! Both samples were played with an SM4U.
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Last edited by stevevaughn; 10-02-2021 at 04:22 PM.
    Steven Vaughn, D.M.A.
    Professor of Tuba & Euphonium, University of Northern Colorado

    Principal Tuba - Fort Collins Symphony
    Euphonium - Fountain City Brass Band

    Eastman 836 CC Tuba
    Meinl Weston 2182W F Tuba
    Besson 2052 Euphonium

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