How many actually made it over to the US? I lived a good chunk of my life within easy driving distance of Custom Music, but they never had one when I visited...
How do these play? My Besson 983 has been my main horn since '99, and I've played a couple Willson 3400's as well (both are excellent horns, I just prefer the Besson sound). Anybody in the southeastern US have one that I could drive over to play? I'll buy the drinks.
Last edited by jon112780 on Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I got a chance to play them both in 2006. The compensating version was good, but didn't seem that much better than a really nice Besson (still a very nice horn). The 5 valve Eflat, on the other hand, was a fantastic instrument with a very nice sound and that you didn't have to fight at all. If I ever have more money than I know what to do with, I would buy one in a heartbeat. Actually, I might even save up for one eventually (the quoted price at the time I think was 12 000 euros but I might be wrong. The idea of carrying around a tuba that valuable makes me nervous).
I also played the comp and the 5v in 2006 at ITEC. I spent a lot of time with them and was somewhat in awe being in the same room as Alan Baer, Mr Nirschl and his stff. That being said, I was giddy just to hold them.
The comper is really a Besson 981 style horn, has exceptional build quality and played just like a Besson but with a slighty more open lower end. I'm a lifetime Besson dude, and once the giddiness wore off I calculated the asking price to be around $16,000 plus getting to Duetchland to pick it up. Heck, you spend that much you might as well go hand with the builders for a bit, drink some good beer and munch down some wurst. Most likely a $20,000 experience at todays exchange rates. The playability of the horn was not worth 3 times the cost of a Besson 981 to me at least. It sure was pretty though....
The 5V was very good too, blowing away the other 4+1 horns in my little opinion. The only non-comp Eb I played that came close was the Norwegian Star, which I actually liked better. Again the price was about $20,000 to go there and get the Nirschl, versus about $7200 for a Star at the time. I took some photos of the Nirschl's - send me a note if you want me to forward them to you. I posted somein June 2006 on this forum so you may be able to find them.
Custom Music sold a 4+1 some time back and its out there, but that about the only one I know of with the latest design in this country. Maybe someone has a few of these out there?
CharlieJ
Besson 981 EEb
Many, many fly rods
3 cats that make me sneeze
charlieJ wrote: I spent a lot of time with them and was somewhat in awe being in the same room as Alan Baer, Mr Nirschl and his stff. That being said, I was giddy just to hold them.
How was it to hold Alan Baer, Mr Nirschl and his stff?
charlieJ wrote: I took some photos of the Nirschl's - send me a note if you want me to forward them to you. I posted somein June 2006 on this forum so you may be able to find them.
I would like photos very much! My e-mail address will arrive by PM.
Thats pretty funny! I noticed it right when I hit the post button and got quite a chuckle from it.
To all who have PMd me for pics. My wife got me a new laptop this past summer and search as I can I can only find one pic of the Nirschls. And its blurry at that...The pics must be on my old laptop and I travel all the time, so I don't have access to the old laptop. I'll do a search on the archives and see if I can find my posts way back when.
Sorry 'bout that dooods.
CharlieJ
Besson 981 EEb
Many, many fly rods
3 cats that make me sneeze
