Choosing the right Adams model with a bass bone background

[Alex]

Welcome to the forum, Alex!

Your description doesn't surprise me, even though your experience is different from mine. In the Besson Prestige line, I believe they still offer both the 2051 and 2052, for example. I assume they have customers who prefer one over the other, even though both are top-line instruments. And I try to remember to point out now and then that with Adams the E3 is not a "better" model compared to the E1. It is simply the 3rd model Adams designed. The E1/2/3 are each good in their own way, and that range allows for players to find the best fit!

What mouthpiece are you using?

Adams 1. I played the 2 and 3 also. Settled on that one.

[Alex]

I'm also a trombone player, and I have a hard time with the euphonium blow. I haven't had the option to try any fancy instruments, but I seem to fit best with American baritone, as it's most trombone like. When I play my Wessex Festivo for a while and become accustomed to that again, my bone chops go all wonky, and vice versa. So if I need to be sounding good on trombone, I spend more time on the baritone and flugabone to keep my valve chops up.

It's an adjustment for me too. Doesn't take long though. I get the sound I want to hear on the Adams E1, but not on the E3 or my Besson Sovereign. I want a true, sparkling euph type sound. On the E2 and the Besson, I get more of a tenor tuba sound. Dunno why.

[Alex]

I play euphonium and both tenor and bass trombone. Much to my amazement, when I bought my lastest trombone, an Adams TB-1 big bore tenor with F attachment, I ended up using the exact same mouthpiece on the trombone as I use on my euphonium. Just works good on both for me. It is a Warburton Demondrae signature mouthpiece that came with the Miraphone I bought 10 years or so ago.

As for switching, I can do that fairly quickly. In fact, I sometimes play both trombone (tenor) and euphonium in brass quintet and switch between the two of them often. It is a bigger switch for me to go to bass trombone with the bigger mouthpiece. But even then, it does not take me much time to settle in on whatever instrument I am playing. When going from euphonium to trombone, I sometimes have to be careful to not sound like a euphonium player playing a trombone. Meaning a little less vibrato for one thing on the trombone. That is unless I am playing a pea shooter trombone as lead in a big band, then I use a lot of vibrato, both types.

I once played Ferdinand David's Trombone Concertino on my euphonium (Miraphone M5050 at the time) in a symphony orchestra concert, then switched right back to playing bass trombone for Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 5 ("Reformation"). What a great blow that one is!! I don't know if it was adrenaline or not, but the switch was easy to do.

One thing about bass trombone, if I don't play it much, my high chops are not the best. I can play pretty much any of the music fine because rarely do you go above an F. But if I had to go up to high Bb a bunch, I would need some work on my chops to do that comfortably.

I have been using a Schilke 51 on my tenor bone, and the 51D on the Besson euph. That deeper cup on the D helps on the eup. But then I tried an Adams 1 on the euph and I sound much better using that mouthpiece. Slurring is a little more work, but not a big deal. In my eupk section, I am best on the low range (gee go figure, being a bass bone player), and they are best in the high ranges. I think I just need to practice and development my upper range capabilities.

[Alex]

Were all of the other options on the two instruments identical? Same gauge brass? Same material? Honestly I find the difference between .50 and .70 mm to be a bigger change than the difference between E1 and E3.

Maybe so. I'm not savvy enough about gauge thickness to make a comparison, but that seems entirely plausible. My Besson is probably a thicker gauge. The E1 I tried felt like a thinner gauge. Maybe that's key to how I sound. I will say the low range really popped for me on the E1, and not so much on the E3. Both E1 and E3 models I tried were the "standardized" models, so I assume the gauge thickness was
the same - I dunno, maybe not. I need to look further into this. Thanks for complicating things .

[Fujiifilm]

Maybe so. I'm not savvy enough about gauge thickness to make a comparison, but that seems entirely plausible. My Besson is probably a thicker gauge. The E1 I tried felt like a thinner gauge. Maybe that's key to how I sound. I will say the low range really popped for me on the E1, and not so much on the E3. Both E1 and E3 models I tried were the "standardized" models, so I assume the gauge thickness was
the same - I dunno, maybe not. I need to look further into this. Thanks for complicating things .

For Adams euphs, the metal gauge is usually stamped on the mouthpiece receiver next to the model number (ex. "E1 0.6") for a quick way to check those specs!

[Alex]

For Adams euphs, the metal gauge is usually stamped on the mouthpiece receiver next to the model number (ex. "E1 0.6") for a quick way to check those specs!

Thank you for that info! An E1 has a thinner gauge metal than an E2 or 3, then, I assume. My Besson Soverign seems pretty heavy. It's a 1995 model. I wonder what the gauge is on that horn?

[Alex]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your welcome! I have been filling out the profile information. How do members list their instruments and other items under their photos?

[MichaelSchott]

Thank you for that info! An E1 has a thinner gauge metal than an E2 or 3, then, I assume. My Besson Soverign seems pretty heavy. It's a 1995 model. I wonder what the gauge is on that horn?

It’s .6 on what they call the Select model which to me means the non-custom version. You have the option to choose from .5 to .7 on the E1. The E3 also offers various metal thicknesses. My E3 is .6.

[davewerden]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your welcome! I have been filling out the profile information. How do members list their instruments and other items under their photos?

Click "Settings" at the top of the page. Then look for "Edit Signature" in the options there. You can list your equipment as part of your signature.

[davewerden]

Thank you for that info! An E1 has a thinner gauge metal than an E2 or 3, then, I assume. My Besson Soverign seems pretty heavy. It's a 1995 model. I wonder what the gauge is on that horn?

As said above, the E1 & E3 Custom series offer metal thickness options. The E2 is only offered in .80 as far as I know. But when you get into "Custom" all kinds of things can happen! For example, British artist Gary Curtin has an E1 with .80 metal and a heavy valve block (like the E2 uses):



If I had to guess, I'd say that the British Bessons were around the .80 thickness.