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Thread: Advice for a beginner purchasing a euphonium in Singapore

  1. Advice for a beginner purchasing a euphonium in Singapore

    Hi guys, I’m a tuba player from Singapore who wants to start learning the euphonium and maybe join some community bands in the future. Looking for an intermediate euphonium within my budget and stumbled across stores selling these few models. Ideally wouldn't want to break the bank, but also don't want to face problems with the instrument 1-2 years down the road and regret not forking out a bit more for a higher quality / smooth playing one that I can comfortably bring to concerts.

    (all prices below are converted from SGD to USD)

    Models which are available brand new in a physical store in my country:
    • Yamaha YEP321S - USD$3,066
    • Yamaha YEP621S - USD$4,859

    Models which are available second hand in a physical store in my country:
    • Miraphone 1255L - USD$2,222
    • Yamaha YEP321S - USD$1,333

    After some researching on this forum, I also saw some recommendations for models I could purchase online (Ebay / Wessex):
    • Wessex Dolce - USD$2,197 (from Wessex website. inclusive of USD$365 shipping)
    • John Packer JP274 - USD$2,889 (from Ebay. inclusive of USD$400+ shipping and import charges)
    • Yamaha YEP621S - USD$3,372 (from Ebay. inclusive of USD$129 shipping)

    Would appreciate some recommendations on which to get considering their prices (Singapore has quite low demand/supply of euphoniums so the prices are pretty wacky here).

    I'm thinking of heading down to the physical stores to try the euphoniums in the first two lists just to form an opinion of my own as well. As for the online listings, I feel pretty uneasy buying such a big ticket item on Ebay without trying it first - wondering if any of you have similar experiences / advice regarding this (eg. how's the quality control of the JP and Yamaha listings on Ebay, euphoniums from the Wessex site etc.)

    Thank you! Really looking forward to play but pretty bummed out with all these choices, high prices and QC concerns
    Last edited by wolfinkpaper; 02-26-2023 at 07:31 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Valley City, North Dakota, USA
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    I mentioned this on Reddit but figured I’d share it here too.

    Definitely reach out to these guys…at the very least, they are the official resellers of John Packer instruments in Singapore.

    http://www.musicthreesixty.com/about+contact.html
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    Larry Herzog Jr.

    All things EUPHONIUM! Guilded server

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
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    Hi and welcome to the forum!

    You said you're a 'tuba player' looking for an 'intermediate euphonium that won't break the bank' and 'won't give you trouble in 1-2 years down the road'. Since you're a tuba player I assume you're comfortable using your small finger or pinky in fingering the notes. For that reason and the fact that you're looking for a good and reliable euphonium I would suggest you try the Yamaha 321. It has 4 inline valves with decent intonation and very reliable.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  4. How does the JP274 compare to a second-hand YEP321S?
    Last edited by wolfinkpaper; 02-26-2023 at 09:06 PM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Sacramento, CA area
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    See if you can look up ChristianeSparkle on this forum. She has experience with both JP and Yamaha horns. And if I remember right, she is also in Singapore. She might be willing to share her experiences of horn buying with you. Hers would probably be the most relevant to the challenges you face.

    - Sara
    Baritone - 3 Valve, Compensating, JinBao JBBR1240

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    NYC metro area
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    523
    Quote Originally Posted by wolfinkpaper View Post
    How does the JP274 compare to a second-hand YEP231S?
    Did you mean the YEP-321S? That's a non-compensating instrument, four in-line pistons, and small shank mouthpiece receiver. The JP274 is a compensating horn, three vertical pistons and one side mounted (for left hand), and a large shank receiver. The instruments sound different, and if you are looking to blend into a section, the JP274 may be a better choice. On this forum, iMav has contributed a lot of detailed posts about the John Packer euphoniums.
    Dean L. Surkin
    Mack Brass MACK-EU1150S, BB1 mouthpiece
    Bach 36B trombone; Bach 6.5AL and Faxx 7C mouthpieces (pBone on loan to granddaughter)
    Steinway 1902 Model A, restored by AC Pianocraft in 1988; Kawai MP8, Yamaha KX-76
    See my avatar: Jazz (the black cockapoo; RIP) and Delilah (the cavapoo) keep me company while practicing

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
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    3,853
    I’ve not played th JP274 myself but it has good reviews. Mark (58Mark) who is a member of this forum AND a tuba player gives the JP274 good marks. It should have a darker or richer tone than the Yamaha 321 I mentioned earlier. Usually tuba players prefer 4-inline setup. Sorry if I misguided you.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  8. #8
    Do you have friends in a community band? What do they play? The 321 is a good instrument and it will be lighter and easier to play.

    Read up on stencil compensating euphoniums. The Wessex one is probably identical to what you'd buy on alibaba.
    Jupiter 462 & 470, XO 1270
    Stork 4.5 mouthpiece

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