According to social media posts the Willson company has been acquired by Eastman.
According to social media posts the Willson company has been acquired by Eastman.
Besson Sovereign 967
John Morgan
The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 BaritoneAdams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
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Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)Summer Only:
KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)
Funny enough, I was coming here to mention this very thing.
Will be interesting to see what comes of this. (And whether pre-acquisition Willson instruments will become more or less desirable).
Mike Taylor
Illinois Brass Band
Fox Valley Brass Band
I sincerely hope there is no difference. Eastman should keep the Willson manufacturing as it is (assuming that is possible). The Willson line is distinctive and well though of, even if they are not my personal choice. I'd hate to see a "blended" version that is mostly like a Shires. (But I'm mentally allowing for modern problems, wherein a traditional European factory operation might not be able to survive in the marketplace.)
Dave Werden (ASCAP)
Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
Adams Artist (Adams E3)
Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
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Rarely is a business bought to be left entirely alone.
Usually the acquirer has ideas in mind to make it more profitable. Different ways to do that.
We can only speculate for now but here's a fact to start with: manufacturing in Switzerland is manufacturing in one of the most expensive places in the world.
My quiet hope is to see something like a 2975 made at a reasonable price.
Maybe Willy is looking to retire. It would be nice if the 2900 could be updated to fix the inherent intonation issues.
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Larry Herzog Jr.
All things EUPHONIUM! Guilded server
FWIW, all the pro horns have their attributes. But the one thing that sets Willson apart, in my observation/experience, is they are the most tank-like in sturdiness of any brand out there. If I knew a horn were likely to take physical abuse, I'd point to the Willson. They are heavily made and very well braced. Moving construction elsewhere could compromise that, for better or worse.
That is where I think it is so good that we have choices. A .60 Adams E1 has wonderful response, and that comes about partly by not having braces everywhere and by using thinner metal. For many players, the horn would be perfect. But if it were in service at a school and handed from player to player over the years, or used in a travelling ensemble that also did outdoor gigs and worked in crowded spaces, the Adams might suffer more than a Willson. (All these assumptions are based on a Willson with no trigger. Adding the trigger adds a bit more vulnerability to any horn.)
So if a new factory home produced Willsons that weighed less, they might feel more responsive and have a quicker dynamic response. That would be the "better" part of my first paragraph. But you would have to not hit them so hard with your hammer or your neighbor's horn.
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
so far, eastman has left the companies they've been buying pretty much alone. Shires, Haynes, Bourgeois have more or less carried on as usual but have had increased financial stability, the ability to develop new models and get bigger sponsored artists. I think Shires has some parts made overseas now and they have some cheaper lines of foreign-made instruments, but their main models are still made in MA.
--
Barry
Mike Taylor
Illinois Brass Band
Fox Valley Brass Band