Wessex Sinfonico - Dave Werden Review

[davewerden]

I am now ready to share my thoughts (and videos!) regarding the Sinfonico. You can find my full review on the blog, here:

http://www.dwerden.com/forum/entry.p...nico-Euphonium

In that you will find links to 3 videos. The first is my doing A/B comparisons of the Adams (for reference) and Sinfonico. There are 12 total excerpts, counting the lead-in, and I reverse the order of instruments in each one so neither horn is always first or last. The 2nd video is just me showing some features, the bell size (I find that especially interesting), etc. And the 3rd (new) video is a closer look at the mouthpiece receiver bits that come standard with the Wessex (this one contains something you want to know if you plan to use them).

I have added the Sinfonico's measurements to the Valve Spacing Charts:

http://www.dwerden.com/forum/showthr...-Spacing-Chart

And I modified the intonations chart pages to now show the Sinfonico, replacing the original prototype. For your reference, here is the prototype and the Sinfonico overlaid:



At least some of these differences may be due to the longer tuning slide I used on the new one. That changes the nodes a bit, I suppose, and could affect more than just the overall tuning.

[davewerden]

Thanks to the forum moderators for helping me with the format of the A/B video!

Only when I had it all "put to bed" did I realize I did not include a slow-melody excerpt - sorry about that! However, I did include some pretty stuff, including the waltz theme of Beautiful Colorado, Voi Che Sapete, and the ending of the 1st movement of the Arpeggione Sonata. Otherwise I have a pretty wide variety of musical styles.

I confess that I do prefer play testing with pieces that move about and have articulations, especially with accents (either written or added for expression). That helps me determine the dynamic liveliness of the horn (how quickly and how well it responds when I emphasize a note).

I covered a range from C below the bass clef staff to a high C, and tried to cover all dynamic levels.

[Rodgeman]

Thanks for taking the time to review. I enjoy them and the details you put in.

[RickF]

What a great review Dave! Really excellent! It compares fairly well against your Adams — which is probably three times as expensive. The presence in sound or projection is better with the Adams but the Sinfonico sounds really good!

Thanks for all the time you spent in putting this review together.

[John Morgan]

Nicely done review, Dave! I think the Sinfonico has proven to be a really nice horn. I like the many samples of A/B playing on the Sinfonico and Adams, more is better in my opinion. It really gives the listener a lot of music to hear and compare. Wessex has done a fine job with this horn, and it makes an excellent and affordable choice for many players.

[MichaelSchott]

Congrats to Wessex for creating the Sinfonico which must take a fair amount of hand labor making the price an absolute bargain. My quick impressions upon hearing Dave's comparisons are the Sinfonico is a bit brighter with the Adams taking less effort to play.

[Richard III]

Splendid playing. You have convinced me that the Sinfonico is the way to go. Some of the excerpts it sounded as good as the Adams. Some I actually liked it better. Very well done review.

[euph97]

Thanks for the review.
Dave wrote in his review: "I found most notes on the horn were centered and responsive. I did have some trouble on the upper G concert, which did not seem to have a "happy place" that I could find..... "
2 years ago Matonizz experienced the same and described this note as" Stuffy".
I am also having problems with this note. However I am a hobby player.
Is that issue acceptable?
Thanks in advance.
Euph97

[davewerden]

Thanks for the review.
Dave wrote in his review: "I found most notes on the horn were centered and responsive. I did have some trouble on the upper G concert, which did not seem to have a "happy place" that I could find..... "
2 years ago Matonizz experienced the same and described this note as" Stuffy".
I am also having problems with this note. However I am a hobby player.
Is that issue acceptable?
Thanks in advance.
Euph97

I would not give it a second thought. Every horn has "things" about it. In casual playing one might not even notice the "G thing." In my playing I try to be very subtle with expression - often I will give a note the very minimum amount of attack necessary, and that can trip me up even on my Adams. But I chose to mention it because I think it is somewhat different from most notes on the horn. If you bought a Sinfonico you may not experience any problem with the G. In my case if I chose to play a Sinfonico full time, I would just practice a little more on & around that note to adjust to what it needs from me.

So if a Sinfonico (or any other horn you own/buy) seems to have a note that is a little off, very often a simple adjustment in your practice routine can help you deal with it.

[euph97]

Thanks for your reply.
Practicing definetly will help👍