Wessex Festivo
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J.Harris
- bugler
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 3:32 pm
- Location: Northeast Florida
Wessex Festivo
Has anyone on the board gotten a chance to play one of these at length or better yet purchased one. Opinions sought. Thanks-!
Jason C. Harris
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Ken Crawford
- 4 valves
- Posts: 722
- Joined: Sat Jun 23, 2012 10:45 am
- Location: Rexburg, ID
Re: Wessex Festivo
the elephant wrote:euphonium performance undergrads
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Wyvern
- Wessex Tubas
- Posts: 5033
- Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 7:00 pm
- Location: Hampshire, England when not travelling around the world on Wessex business
- Contact:
Re: Wessex Festivo
The bell and main bows of the Festivo are the same as the Dolce euphonium. We wanted to maintain the beautiful tone and intonation of the Dolce. However the bell on the Festivo is reduced to 11 inches (against 12 inch on Dolce) to give a slightly more direct tone.
The valve set is all new, but made to the same bore as the Dolce (to maintain the same internal profile) and not small bore like on the rare old Besson's. Yes we did start with an old Besson for inspiration, but as the Festivo developed more and more was changed to make a completely new design. In particularly the 4th valve circuit was completely re-routed from prototype exhibited at ITEC in 2016 to make the Festivo more open in the low register. We have ended up with a euphonium with less bends in the tubing than the usual 3+1 design which feedback is makes it play even better than the popular Dolce.
Always responsive to customer feedback, Wessex has changed the leadpipe angle on the second batch, so the euphonium is held more across the body. A couple of other improvements in second batch are vented valves and thumb ring by 4th valve removable if not required.
There are only half dozen EP104 Festivo out there so far, but a lot more are on their way... We will certainly have available to play test at both US Army Workshop and TMEA next February.
The valve set is all new, but made to the same bore as the Dolce (to maintain the same internal profile) and not small bore like on the rare old Besson's. Yes we did start with an old Besson for inspiration, but as the Festivo developed more and more was changed to make a completely new design. In particularly the 4th valve circuit was completely re-routed from prototype exhibited at ITEC in 2016 to make the Festivo more open in the low register. We have ended up with a euphonium with less bends in the tubing than the usual 3+1 design which feedback is makes it play even better than the popular Dolce.
Always responsive to customer feedback, Wessex has changed the leadpipe angle on the second batch, so the euphonium is held more across the body. A couple of other improvements in second batch are vented valves and thumb ring by 4th valve removable if not required.
There are only half dozen EP104 Festivo out there so far, but a lot more are on their way... We will certainly have available to play test at both US Army Workshop and TMEA next February.