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New "old" Besson International Bb Tuba - BE 7094
Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2005 12:51 pm
by Mark Preece
Just curious if you have seen this added to the Besson website. It looks to be the old 994 before they changed the configuration. I could be wrong though...
http://www.besson.com/instruments_details.asp?ID=53
Why "International" Tuba??? I thought it was the standard
British Bb Bass for many years...
Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2005 1:07 pm
by Chuck(G)
Mark, do you know where the 7094 is manufactured? It seems to me that Besson has used the "International" tag to denote instruments not made in the UK.
Wasn't there a Besson "International" trumpet made by Kanstul?
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 3:14 am
by imperialbari
40 years ago the International was the top line at least among Besson’s trombones, which had the 3D globe-and-banner symbol as balancer in the tuning slide stay.
Soon thereafter the Sovereign line took over as the top line.
The present Besson 1000-something International line is made in India. I don’t doubt, that they are better, than the "generic" Indian designs and manufacturing standards.
Yet I know about at least one reputable Copenhagen Besson store, which will not touch the 1000-series at all, neither in sales nor in repair.
Anyway the Indian made tuba in question isn’t a 992 or 994 clone, as it hasn’t a compensating valve block.
When I taught brass the Yamaha 2xx and 3XX lines were pure revelations in playability and intonation compared to the British made student lines. The Yamahas had some initial problems with durability of leadpipes and pistons. Still they were fine musical tools for teaching beginning and intermediate students.
Since then I also have found very relevant instruments from Jupiter and Weril.
But nothing from continental Asia has convinced me so far.
Klaus