Double Bell Euphoniums - Best of the Best??

[Shinn]

Which DBE (manufacturer, model, and year) is considered the best and why?

Which DBE configuration (4/5 valves, bells up/forward, valves up/front) is considered the best and why?

All answers will inherently be subjective and biased by the owners/players - so I anticipate there will be many answers and none of them will be wrong!

[davewerden]

If there are definitive answers to your questions, I don't know them. Certain Conn is the most iconic, partly because Mantia played one. And they are good, although I can't say if there are better than the other top brands you see, like King, Holton, York, and others.

If someone offered to gift me a DBE and fully restore it first, I'd pick a short-action Conn with 2 curved bells.

• My own use would have been happier with a 4 valve model, because it is lighter and because I really didn't need to use the main 4th valve for low notes. Still, I might have been afraid to pass up having the main 4th valve, so I'm on the fence about that.
• With a straight main bell it can be difficult to get good balance for the audience, and even more difficult for recordings. Having both bells pointing roughly the same direction could make balance easier.
• Because most of us would not be playing a DBE full time as their primary horn, the valves will feel different from one's primary horn. Because I generally use a DBE for novelty, it has been difficult to work up finger technique on valves that feel so different. Short-action valves would make it easier to perform impressive technique.

BUT, condition is important. If choosing between a Conn that was in rough shape and had worn valves, and any other respected brand that was in top shape, I'd pass up the Conn.

[davewerden]

A Conn with 5 short-action valves and 2 curved bells has just come up on eBay:

http://www.dwerden.com/forum/showthr...-Action-Valves

[Shinn]

Literally just looking at it…seems to meet your criteria for a DBE.

[iMav]

I’ve considering buying the Wessex double bell to have some fun with.

Not in the discussion of historical “best” of course. But appears to be a nice, affordable option if someone wanted a new one.

[daruby]

My belief is that Conn made the best DB's and continued to do so until shortly after WWII. This is based on the knowledge that the Conn DB's were pretty much exclusively used in the military bands until Harold Brasch started the process of convincing the DC bands to switch to English style Bessons. IMO the best Conn's were 5 valve (short throw 30I or long throw 60I) front/front (ca. 1920s to 1940s)with the short leadpipe that connected directly into the valve block. These horns would have two sets of tuning slides whereas the earlier horns with the tuning loop in the leadpipe could potentially get by with one tuning slide. My experience playing this style horn was that played very much like a Conn 24i Connstellation, had a nice tone, good response, and the main section played well in tune.

I also have experience with the Holton DB (like Dave's and my own) and found it more difficult to play, had generally variable intonation, and more awkward to hold. It was great for TubaChristmas, but not too much else. Mine was a 1941 edition in top condition, so it wasn't the build quality of the horn, but more likely its design that was the issue.

King continued to make DBs even longer than Conn. The model 1160/1161 was manufactured from the early 1930s to at least 1963. The single bell version of this (2266) continues to be manufactured and is used exclusively in the Ohio State Marching Band. I suspect the King DBs were probably pretty decent but have never played one.

Doug

[highpitch]

I played a Buescher DB 4-V as a high school freshman. It was a terribly stuffy old horn, but it was probably that way when new.

The Wessex DB looks very odd to me, as the small bell is way too large. Looks different in the lit, but in real life...

[iMav]

The Wessex DB looks very odd to me, as the small bell is way too large. Looks different in the lit, but in real life...

It does look a little big in this pic. (I’m mostly ignorant of DBs…so not sure if the small bell would play significantly different than it “should” based on the geometry.)

[Shinn]

Thank you very much Dave and Doug!

[davewerden]

From the C.G. Conn ads of yore: