Where to go from here?

[Baridude]

Hey y'all! So, I've been playing a Wilson 2900 for a about 4/5 years now, and I'm slowly realizing that its not the horn for me. Is this too fast to realize this? I do also feel like I play on somewhat unorthodox equipment, maybe that is adding to it? I'm not quite sure. Nonetheless, I'm slowly falling out of love with it. I've been looking at options like a Yamaha 842, Besson 2051, or an Adams E1 as a replacement, but they are a bit pricey.

My question is- Am I crazy? Is it a sound idea for me to call it quits on this horn now? Would a 2900 be a straight trade to another one of the mentioned horns (I have all the paperwork and the original hard case)? Are there brands I haven't tried yet? Maybe a different mouthpiece?

Amaan

[MichaelSchott]

Definitely not too fast. I’m guessing the 2900 lacks something you want in a euphonium. I can’t talk specifically to value but used versions of all 3 should be in a similar ballpark. Make sure you audition each horn to see if it’s what you want if at all possible.

[iMav]

That's quite a big mouthpiece for a 2900 player, IMHO. (SM3MU)

Certainly wouldn't hurt to try different mouthpieces (maybe try a standard 51D for a couple of weeks and see what that feels like).

Are you able to articulate some of the things that you are not liking about playing the horn?

(also, I see you are a music performance major...any input from your professor(s)??)

[Baridude]

That's quite a big mouthpiece for a 2900 player, IMHO. (SM3MU)

Certainly wouldn't hurt to try different mouthpieces (maybe try a standard 51D for a couple of weeks and see what that feels like).

I used to play on a BB1 for about 3 years, and it was a really sharp rim, and it was a little too small. I feel like I went a *bit* overboard, and I think a SM4MU would have been a bit closer to what I was looking for. I know Griego makes the BB1 but I dont know how different that is from the DEG ones.

Are you able to articulate some of the things that you are not liking about playing the horn?

(also, I see you are a music performance major...any input from your professor(s)??)

A lot of it is the Medium bore. It felt great coming off the school equipment i was using at the time (Yamaha Neo/SM4X) with a lot of core, but after talking with my professors we all agreed I would see more results with a large bore horn.

[iMav]

I used to play on a BB1 for about 3 years, and it was a really sharp rim, and it was a little too small. I feel like I went a *bit* overboard, and I think a SM4MU would have been a bit closer to what I was looking for. I know Griego makes the BB1 but I dont know how different that is from the DEG ones.

I'd be curious to know how you'd get along with the SMU4XR ( https://www.euphoniumstore.net/mouth...xr-gold-plated ).

A lot of it is the Medium bore. It felt great coming off the school equipment i was using at the time (Yamaha Neo/SM4X) with a lot of core, but after talking with my professors we all agreed I would see more results with a large bore horn.

While the 2900 has a medium-sized mouthpiece receiver (shank), The horn itself is not necessarily a smaller bore than many of the other pro horns.

- Willson 2900 - .591"/.670"
- Adams E3 - .590"/.629"
- Besson Prestige (2052) - .580"/.650"
- Sterling Virtuoso - .590"/.669"

So, I'm skeptical if that is "it".

[MichaelSchott]

Maybe it’s the thick, I think .8mm brass used by Willson. It makes for a tone with a lot of core but limited ability to alter your sound. I used to play one and for me it was limited in how wide a sound it could make. At the end I was using an SM4MU.

[Richard III]

That's quite a big mouthpiece for a 2900 player, IMHO. (SM3MU)

I play in a section with someone using that exact combination. He's talked about mouthpieces and he felt that one really brought the most out of the 2900. I will say playing alongside him is a challenge due to the intonation quirks of the 2900. I ran a tuner with him playing a solo recently and was shocked at how bad the intonation was. Too bad. Nice sound.

My dream horn is a Shires Q41. When I tested it, my tuner loved the intonation throughout the range.

[iMav]

My dream horn is a Shires Q41. When I tested it, my tuner loved the intonation throughout the range.

I've found the EEP826 to be very similar to the Q41 I had previously.

Folks that tried the Q90 here say it reminded them quite a bit of the 2900. I assume it is probably very close to the Q41 and the EEP826. Seems to me Eastman has a bit of a euphonium log jam on their hands (at least with the Chinese-made horns). To me, it would make sense to let Shires focus on trombones and have the Q-series euphoniums overseen by Willson. Not sure what to think about how the 526 and 826 (and 822) fit in...I just know that I really like my 526 and 826!

[Baridude]

I play in a section with someone using that exact combination. He's talked about mouthpieces and he felt that one really brought the most out of the 2900. I will say playing alongside him is a challenge due to the intonation quirks of the 2900. I ran a tuner with him playing a solo recently and was shocked at how bad the intonation was. Too bad. Nice sound.

Yeah I have to wage small battles to play the horn in tune, like pulling way up to combat the A and Ab, but it feels nice to really try to mold the sound to what I want, however limited. I didn't expect someone else to run the same setup though, that's pretty cool!

[Baridude]

While the 2900 has a medium-sized mouthpiece receiver (shank), The horn itself is not necessarily a smaller bore than many of the other pro horns.

- Willson 2900 - .591"/.670"
- Adams E3 - .590"/.629"
- Besson Prestige (2052) - .580"/.650"
- Sterling Virtuoso - .590"/.669"

So, I'm skeptical if that is "it".

Well, I was too haha. I thought I was crazy and I really enjoy how Medium bore responds, but I feel like I just cant "push" the sound as much as I want.