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codytuba wrote:The only thing that I can really say about the HB 50 is I hope you have the $20,000 to spare (new), and as for the Besson, I hear they are fairly inconsistant; being handmade and all.

Actually, the same thing holds true for the HB's. They are hand made as well. I've played on a few and one of them provided me with the best playing experience I've ever had. However, the other ones that I've tried (not all HB 50's, mind you) have really fallen short of Hirsbrunners hype. The Besson that I played at the NAMM show in Anaheim about two years ago was a wonderful horn to play on, but I can't comment on their consistency.

When I played an HB50 for the first time at Midwest, I really didn't like it. I didin't get anywhere near the sound I wanted on the horn. Again, I didn't like it. I am kind of wondering if anyone has had the same experience as myself. When I played it it sounded like the metal was extremely thin, and I would be able to overblow the horn and break up the sound easily. Has anyone felt that the metal was thin and didn't get as mellow a sound as you would think would come from such a large horn? From my playing the horn, I've wondered is the big deal about this horn because it is a copy of one of the better CSO York's or because it actually plays that well, for some people? BTW, everything else about the horn was fine, it responded very well, the ergonomics was different, but I play a Willson, so I'm used to not being real comfortable when I play. I did play the Besson prototype, wasn't really impressed, can't remeber any characteristics about it, only played it for a short while.

bloke wrote:What a curious pair of choices.

Great minds do think alike.

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I couldn't justify the price of an HB50. If you have eliminated other horns like Meinl Weston's, the Willson, and Perantucci's, just pick the horn you like best. But I wouldn't settle on just those two horns if you haven't played many yet. I think there are better or comparable horns out there for half the price of an HB50.

i have owned 2 of the besson models and both of them have been the best sounding 4/4CC tubas i have heard. but then again that is just me. the reason i have owned two was the first one was machined wrong but still sounded fabulous. as for the hb50 i havnt played one so i cannot offer any opinions

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So....whad'd ya buy???

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