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
Sir, make that five. There's one more on the mouthpiece leadpipe.
Wonder if there's any at the main tuning slide or further down the 3rd valve slide
"Never over complicate things. Accept "bad" days. Always enjoy yourself when playing, love the sound we can make on our instruments (because that's why we all started playing the Euph)"
Euph: Yamaha 642II Neo - 千歌音
Mouthpiece: K&G 4D, Denis Wick 5AL
https://soundcloud.com/ashsparkle_chika
https://www.youtube.com/user/AshTSparkle/
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
Wonder how many we can put on a horn & how many folds of improvement we can see with each additional plate
"Never over complicate things. Accept "bad" days. Always enjoy yourself when playing, love the sound we can make on our instruments (because that's why we all started playing the Euph)"
Euph: Yamaha 642II Neo - 千歌音
Mouthpiece: K&G 4D, Denis Wick 5AL
https://soundcloud.com/ashsparkle_chika
https://www.youtube.com/user/AshTSparkle/
Ahhhh lefreQues.....they are always good for a bit of a debate.
I've tried lefreQues and found them to be a placibo effect. When you first put them on, your brain is expecting there to be a difference, meaning there's a good chance you're inherently biased to think the plates are enhancing the sound of your instrument. After using them for several weeks then taking them off, I found no difference in sound, slotting, etc. Steven Mead was promoting them for a while, but he has since removed them from his Besson.
Now....there are some who swear by lefreQues....and to those who believe it makes a difference, more power to them. They are INSANELY expensive though (the set of four in the picture above is probably a $700 investment)...and I highly recommend anyone considering them to borrow them for an extended period of time if possible first.
James Kircoff
Genesee Wind Symphony - principal euphonium (Adams E3 Custom .60mm yellow brass bell w/ K&G 3.5)
Capital City Brass Band (2019 NABBA 2nd section champions) - 1st baritone (Besson BE956 w/ Denis Wick 6BY)
Yeah just the costs of the things alone is an initial big nope for me.
For the rest... When I tried them (yeeeeaaaars ago) I found the changes to be for the worse, actually. Goes to show that you can't just slap on anything and expect it to be fine.
Euphoniums
2008 Willson 2960TA Celebration
1979 Boosey & Hawkes Sovereign (Round Stamp)
Mouthpiece: Denis Wick SM4
Baritone
1975 Besson New Standard
Mouthpiece: Courtois 10
They remind me of those 'save gasoline' mileage improver doodads.
If you bought them all, and installed them, your tank would overflow every time you drove your car...
DG
Steven Mead claims that his new gold Prestige was mfg in such a way that he doesn't need the lefreque plates
Adams E3 0.6 with SS Bell
K&G 3.5D
---------------------------------
Founder and Solo Euphonium
San Francisco Brass Band
Well, I confess that I still use one over my mpc connection to its receiver. The effects are subtle... like the 'b' in subtle I guess. I didn't hear a big difference myself but my wife said she could. It sounded a little louder with the lefreque plate on.
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)
I have been using them for some years and I was convinced that some benefits gave it: last week I washed my Prestige and I have not repositioned the plates: I don't feel the difference. I found some photos of someone who turned their euphonium into an indecent thing with plates: how can anyone believe that such a thing could somehow improve the sound? Mah....
2007 Besson Prestige 2052, 3D+ K&G mouthpiece; JP373 baritone, 4B modified K&G mouthpiece; Bach 42GO trombone, T4C K&G mouthpiece; 1973 Besson New Standard 3 compensated valves, 3D+ K&G modified mouthpiece; Wessex French C tuba, 3D+ K&G modified mouthpiece.