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Hi Folks,

I have a Besson 982 (early 80's) that is horribly flat on the high Eb partial. I am considering having the horn cut somewhere so that I can make a tuning trigger and thus fix the problem. But where do I do it? (The horn itself is very low- I can barely make it to 440 with the main slide pushed all the way in). Does anyone have experience with this sort of problem who could give me some advice?
Thanks in advance!

Dave Martin

Every Besson/Boosey I've played has been flat on that partial (if you mean Eb above Middle C). I've always used open on F, 2nd on E, 1st on High Eb, 1&2 on D, and by then 1 works fine for Db. Every Besson I've played works with that unless you play a very deep mouthpiece, in which case there are no fingerings My Imperial is still the basis for all of these models, and this works great and becomes habit in very short order.

J.c.S.

For what it's worth - it could be a matter of finding the mouthpiece.

This was one of the nightmares I experienced way back when I was trying to find a 983 at WWBW. Using my Perantucci MP I could not find a single copy that would play in tune. But with the Wick that Besson supplied, it was actually possible - no grave intonation issues to speak of at any partial with 2 of the horns available at the time. I picked the one that centered better for me.

A couple of options:

1.- ($150-$200) Get the main slide cut, so you don't have to play with the main slide in all the time. Then, you can deal with the really flat high Eb. If that's the only note that's flat, a euphonium-stlye kicker for the main slide should help.

2.- ($50-$150) A deeper mouthpiece with a larger backbore will help the upper register (as a whole), play sharper.

3.- ($10) If the mpc you're playing is cheap and popular, I might get the local repair guy to (slightly) drill out the backbore.


I foolishly did my MM recital with a G&W Bayamo on my 983 Eb because I wanted a bit more security for some of the low stuff I was playing... I also had a lot of hight stuff as well, and I can remember at the beginning of the recital my main slide being out almost all the way, and gradually I had to push it in until I got to the last mvt. of the last piece and it was in all the way. Lesson learned.

Yes. Mouthpiece. Try a new Alliance 3a Prestige:

http://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/inst038.asp" target="_blank

Just a tad shallower than a Wick 3L, and specifically designed for Sov Eb tubas.

Thanks, everybody! I will continue to look at mouthpieces. My 3L doesn't do that well on the top Eb, nor do any of my others, save the really shallow ones. Cutting the tuning slide is a problem, since there is almost no room to go on this model. The fingerings do help a bit, but that note is really f*&?ing flat!

It's nice to know that I am not alone...

I own a 1977 Boosey&Hawkes Imperial that has the same porblems. I have gone to using alternate fingerings . I have pulled the first slide so the Eb is in tune and use 3rd for any G ..etc . It is taking some getting used to but that Eb is right in tune now and so are all the alternate fingerings I use.

jon112780 wrote:A couple of options:

2.- ($50-$150) A deeper mouthpiece with a larger backbore will help the upper register (as a whole), play sharper.

Gotta disagree here...

As I recall from acoustics and real-life experience, the greater the cup volume, the lower the upper partials. In any brass instrument, the rate of taper of the bell area controls lower pitches, and the mouthpiece bring the upper partials down to pitch. Try buzzing into your mouthpipe alone, and you should see. Try it especially on a trombone and it will be even a wilder discrepancy.

J.c.S.

throw money at it .. get a tuning slide trigger installed at custom music .. just throw out that kicker on that note and all is forgiven