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Thread: Besson Prestige (Gold Lacquer) review/experience

  1. #41
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Orlando, Florida
    Posts
    178
    i have been in and out this forum with the same basic problem. I have a Besson Prestige 2052 silver horn maybe about 4 years old (bought it new a little over 2 years ago). as i have said, the last time i had played a horn was back in the early 1970s, the last time with a band in 1969. I started again a little over 2 years ago on this horn. After 2 years, i still am extremely sharp on high notes, so sharp that even using the trigger to extend the slide, i am not getting in tune. I had thought that continue to practice would help. Last night i played with a band for the first time since 1969 and it was a disaster in that i could tell i was still extremely sharp compare to the other Euphonium. I do not know if it is the horn, the mouthpiece, or more likely just me. I have not figured out how to solve this problem. Not having someone local i can talk to about this and they observe my embouchure, i am at a loss of how to solve this. I tried playing a Bach Trumpet i have with a tuner and i am much closer to being in tune and i think i am much closer with the Conn Constellation Euphonium i have, although i am not sure because i sent it out to have some work done on it.

    Has anyone any suggestions?

    I know i am going to try some other brands of horns to see how they and i get along.

  2. #42
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Orlando, Florida
    Posts
    178
    i should have said i tried a Bach Bass Trumpet and i was pretty much in tune. left out a word

  3. #43
    Quote Originally Posted by rgorscak View Post
    After 2 years, i still am extremely sharp on high notes, so sharp that even using the trigger to extend the slide, i am not getting in tune.
    Well, there is no doubt that many people play the Prestige with great success, but there is some sharpness. Here is my graph for the 2051:



    Does that line up with your experience?

    Tuning a horn is a combination of learning its tendencies and how best to work with them. The trigger is a tool for sure, but sometimes we need to learn how to blow so that we are cooperating with the horn. I find that I can easily make my own horn flat or sharp on notes that are neither! In the new recording I did of Czardas, the upper F concert in the slow section turned out to be a problem for ME. Something about that phrase made me want to hear it higher, I guess. But regardless of why, my chops pushed a note that is well in tune and made it around 20 cents sharp. Worse, I could not detect what my chops were doing exactly. Obviously it was no particular effort for them! Yet, I'm also able to play the note flat in some contexts (again, without meaning to).

    In MY case, I believe this is due to way too much basement time (especially lately) and not enough ensemble time. I'm trying to get my chops back in the habit of playing what my ear/brain says the note should sound like, and that works pretty well. But in MY case I'm undoing a long period of slipping habits.

    None of this may apply to you, but I'm throwing it out as food for thought.

    My best guess is that you would be better in tune on the Conn because of its smaller bore. A larger bore makes it easier to lose the center.
    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

  4. #44
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Orlando, Florida
    Posts
    178
    Thank you for your response Dave; I am working on it

  5. #45
    Sadly, this horn is going back to Thomann. The issue with the 1st valve casing seems to be creating drag on the valve, and I’m told it would basically require a new casing to fix it.

    Pretty shocking that Besson’s QC would have let it through, as you can see in the posted photo it’s very obvious.

    So, I’m on the lookout for another, though they are hard to find currently.
    Mike Taylor

    Illinois Brass Band
    Fox Valley Brass Band

  6. Hello Mike,

    I was a little sad to see that you have had to return this instrument did Thomann give any other verdict in regards to this instrument?

    I am a huge fan of my Besson Prestige 2052-2 Euphonium and I honestly have never played a more reliable or consistent instrument. I have had my new instrument since October 2020 and I would recommend them to anyone.

    Best Wishes,

    Micah Dominic Parsons

  7. #47
    Thomann did not have another, so it had to simply be returned rather than replaced. There were 2 in stock at the Buffet Crampon warehouse in the USA, so I worked with Matt Walters at Dillon and Declan Lynch at Buffet to secure one of those horns and have Declan thoroughly look it over before it was sent to me.

    Obviously the valves will need to break in. The horn plays very well so far.

    The whole experience makes me wary of Besson’s quality control. I know every manufacturer has their issues, but this one is pretty rough. There is positively no way the person responsible for honing the valve cluster and the pistons didn’t see the issue. I doubt very much that Steve Mead would be happy to see a horn with such an obvious defect get out the door with his name on it.

    Quote Originally Posted by Micah.Dominic.Parsons View Post
    Hello Mike,

    I was a little sad to see that you have had to return this instrument did Thomann give any other verdict in regards to this instrument?

    I am a huge fan of my Besson Prestige 2052-2 Euphonium and I honestly have never played a more reliable or consistent instrument. I have had my new instrument since October 2020 and I would recommend them to anyone.

    Best Wishes,

    Micah Dominic Parsons
    Mike Taylor

    Illinois Brass Band
    Fox Valley Brass Band

  8. #48
    Besson are the Jaguar Land Rover of the euphonium world. If you get a good one it excels all others, otherwise you’ll end up with something that’s charming and luxurious but you’ll never quite know when it will go wrong, or how catastrophically.

    (I can’t comment about the newest ones but my experience of new Besson Prestiges circa 2008-12 wasn’t good and led to me abandoning new hooters and going back to old ones, which is a stance I’ve not changed yet, although I am considering a new gold lacquer Prestige).

    Anyway sorry to hear you’ve had such an issue.

  9. Hello Mike,

    It was a real shame to read this news. I was wondering what you were planning on doing next in regards to getting your hands on a new Besson Prestige 2052-2 Euphonium?

    I hope that we will be able to catch up soon.

    Best Wishes,

    Micah Dominic Parsons

  10. #50
    Hi Micah,

    I have a new horn in my possession. I worked with matt Walters at dillon and Declan Lynch at Buffet to get a good horn in my hands.

    Quote Originally Posted by Micah.Dominic.Parsons View Post
    Hello Mike,

    It was a real shame to read this news. I was wondering what you were planning on doing next in regards to getting your hands on a new Besson Prestige 2052-2 Euphonium?

    I hope that we will be able to catch up soon.

    Best Wishes,

    Micah Dominic Parsons
    Mike Taylor

    Illinois Brass Band
    Fox Valley Brass Band

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