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now i know that we all know about the standards euphoniums that are played (the willson, besson , yamaha etc) but would anyone be willing to chime in on their two cents about the newer horns out there (kanstul, york etc) and how they compare to the standard horns?

York are fine horns. They play like a Besson (wih they are). According to various web posts, the new Yorks seem to have perhaps a bit richer tone than the new Bessons, but the valve action of the new Bessons is generally better. The only comment I have heard about the Kanstul horns is that they have had some significant pitch problems (according to several pros who have playd them).

Doug

Just bought a new York to replace my old Hirsbrunner exclusive. My goal was to get a horn that would keep the shape in the loud end and give me a slightly warmer sound (I tend to play very bright). I've found that the York accomplishes this well. Just as big as my Hirsbrunner was sound wise, but much more even. If you typically don't put a LOT of air through an instrument, though, you may find it to be too dark. In that case, I might recommend the Preference version, which has a slightly smaller bell. Also, it's by far the heaviest euphonium I've held, and the left hand ergonomics are not great. A pretty wide stretch to get both the trigger and the 4th valve.However, it seems to me that the angle of the leadpipe makes it an easy horn to sit with, no pad or stand required. They do have the old Besson intonation problems as well (upper Eb is 25 cents sharp on my horn),

Two threads covering of various models currently on the market here and here.

I play on a newer horn that no one really ever mentions, the B&S PT-37. It's definitely not a horn for everyone. It has intonation issues that mirror the problems generally found on German BBb tubas. Flat C and D above the staff, sharp Ab and G at the top of the staff, and a sharp F right below the staff. But the sound is huge.

Actually, I had been playing on a Wick SM3, and the sound was too big for my section. This was when I was playing with a bunch of Bessons, I can't imagine what it would be like now that I play against Willsons. I switched to the Wick Heritage 3AL, and that helps control it. The sound is still very big. It's not like a tenor tuba's dark tone, it's just very big.

The horn itself is large, too. Denis Wick mutes don't fit the bell, they just kind of rest on the rim. And it's pretty good when our section has their horns all resting on the bells, and mine is standing above all of them.

I very much liked the PT-37 I tried at the US Army Band Tuba-Euph Conference earlier this year. I found it open and free-blowing across all register and offered very precise slotting and outstanding control at all volume levels. Although I'm a fan of the "British" sound, I preferred it to the Bessons and Yorks I tried at the conference.

One of the reasons the PT-37 doesn't get talked about much here is that there is only one dealer in the US, so availability is very limited, and they sell at a premium compared to Besson, York, Willson, Meinl-Weston, Miraphone, etc. Even with the $850 conference discount, the price I was quoted was higher than the Internet price of a Prestige, Eminence, 2900/2950, 551, or Ambassador.