Vintage Besson turns up in Alabama middle school
Monday night Mrs. Bean, the instrumental music teacher at the local middle school where the Cullman Community Band rehearses, brought me a horn that the school had inherited (pics attached). It is a UK-manufactured Besson, and it has been around the block a few times, but it is still playable, and she wonders whether it would be worth it having Southeastern Music do a rehab on it. The tubing is almost identical to that on my Chinese-clone compensating 3-valve baritone (itself a copy of the Besson 3-valve comp bari), except that when seen from the back, the two upper arched are set higher (closer to the bell) than on my horn. We can't find a serial number on it anywhere; did Besson used to have a secret location? The valve block and lead pipe are unmarked. I am totally ignorant on vintage instruments, but my wild guess is that it is an old New Standard 3-valve comp euphonium, and I'm asking for input from the more knowledgeable members of the hive mind. Now let's see if I can get those photos attached . . .
David Bjornstad
1923 Conn New Wonder 86I, Bach 6 1/2 AL
2018 Wessex EP100 Dolce, Denis Wick 4ABL
2013 Jinbao JBEP-1111L, Denis Wick 4AM
2015 Jinbao JBBR-1240, Denis Wick clone mouthpiece of unknown designation
Cullman (AL) Community Band (Euph Section Leader)
Brass Band of Huntsville (2nd Bari)