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Does anyone have experience with this instrument? If so, what are your thoughts? I'm looking into purchasing one, but found virtually nothing (reviews, etc.). I don't have the money for a Besson, and figured this would make a good option (as I want a 9.5" bell and something in the .540-.547 bore range). I have a JP Rath alto trombone that plays beautifully, and I certainly trust the company. Always tough when play-testing isn't an option.

Thank you!

I actually like the sound of the 273 better than the 373 which is fine but it does tend to get a little bit "barky" at times. *Some* of the 273s I've played have had terrible intonation, though. In that price range, I think the Wessex BR-140 (which may actually be based on the same model as the JP273) is really excellent.

Thanks, guys!

Briefly looked at the Wessex BR-140 as an option, but think the bore size may be too small (the 140 has a .510 bore, whereas the JP273/373 have a .547 bore).

I wouldn't take any specs on a baritone's bore as gospel, as they all have different ways in which they measure. You really have to go by how they play. I think the Wessex BR-140 plays bigger than the JP-373 regardless of what any of the measurements are. FYI I am not a big fan of the Wessex BR-144 which supposedly has a larger bore. With regards to the sound quality of the JP-373, I suspect it's the way the bell's made (thinner, or maybe worked differently) that gives it what I find to be a negative quality at higher dynamics. It can be really nice if you are careful with how you play it, but I think it takes on an ugly quality relatively early on as amount of energy you are putting in increases. It tends to take on a sort of bass-trombone-like edge, which is antithetical to the baritone's role.

My favorite instrument on the market is the yamaha neo ybh-831s. It's a really fantastic instrument that has a great tonal color, super easy to play, and projects like crazy. I rank it higher than the "industry-standard" besson 955 and 2056 which I used to own.

If that's what you're going for, great. In my experience, that's not at all the instrument's role in a brass band. The idea is that it should be just as dark as euphonium, but lighter and with a different "vowel" sound. Where euphonium is an "ooohhh" sound, baritone should be an "aaahhh".

bloke wrote: I don't know what "dark" means, as far as sonority is concerned. Frankly, I'm confused by lumens/color references to sound...and no, I'm not trying to be argumentative, but - rather - sincere.

These are fairly common terms that acousticians use when discussing timbre. I'm not an expert, but I can try to explain.

Bright means the sound has lots of high harmonics in it. Dark means there are lots of lower midrange harmonics and that there aren't many high harmonics. They aren't necessarily opposites -- dull would be the opposite of bright. Typically, your lips are vibrating at the fundamental frequency but there are distortions caused by your buzz not being a perfect sine wave and by sound waves colliding within the instrument and creating a richer spectrum.

Brass instruments when pushed tend to get an "edge" to them. What this means is that you reach a point on the instrument where playing with more intensity starts to rapidly add more high harmonics and even some inharmonics. This can be caused by either the pressure of the air inside the tubing distorting the wave propagation inside the instrument, or by the instrument itself resonating and distorting the wave propagation. Trombone and especially bass trombone is especially subject to this happening because of the very cylindrical bore. A more conical bore allows the air pressure to dissipate as it has room to expand.

It's a common misconception that baritone in a brass band should be bright. It's job isn't necessarily to be brighter than the euphonium in the same range -- that's what the trombone is for -- but to have a different formant, or a prominent mid-range harmonic or set of harmonics that gives it a different character.

But being a more cylindrical instrument than euphonium or tuba means that baritone is more prone to having this edge develop. It's generally an undesirable characteristic on baritone whereas it is often very desirable on bass trombone. Most baritones this happens at the extreme end of how you'd be playing the instrument. My complaint about the JP Sterling baritone, and I'm certainly not the only one who has made this observation, is that it starts to develop this edge way earlier than any of the other similar instruments from other makers. Giving it a little bit of a bass trombone character. Yes, it doesn't sound like a bass trombone, but it has this one behavior that is reminiscent of a bass trombone.

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Where in this spectrum of color and projection would one place the Willson saxhorn. I love the sound of the Willson saxhorn. Besson euphoniums evoke a physical response in me akin to subwoofer over exposure. I had a Besson euphonium and sold it even though it was so easy to play. I also love the "spectrum" of 1930s style (upright fixed bell) American baritones. MW tenor tuba, where might it be placed?
Joe H

groovlow wrote:Where in this spectrum of color and projection would one place the Willson saxhorn.

bbocaner wrote:Where euphonium is an "ooohhh" sound, baritone should be an "aaahhh".

... and the bass saxhorn should be "oh, yeahhh." To me it has more meat and less feathers than a euphonium ... oops, another meataphore.

Oh yeahh! That's why I love to play my saxhorn (Courtois 166). But sometimes it feels like a (oops, next metapher!) Porsche 356. It is wonderful to feel the Porsche, but than comes this Turbo-Diesel Euphonium family van and pushes you from the road with sheer acceleration (volume)...

Paul Walton, principal baritone in UK Championship Fairey Band is playing a Wessex BR140 baritone, in preference to the band’s Besson. I am sure if you message him, he will give unbiased feedback. He did post about it on Facebook if you can find.