JP274 compensating euphonium (the budget-priced one)

[bloke]

A young student down in central Mississippi expressed interest in one of these lower-priced John Packer model 274 3+1 compensating euphoniums, and so (when an Ole Miss student came up here to buy a tuba), I asked him to take a new JP274 euphonium outfit back to Ole Miss - so the person (about 1-1/2 hours farther south) could drive up there and try it it out.

Reportedly, they played it for around a half hour to an hour and decided to ~not~ purchase it. Yesterday (when I was down at Ole Miss rehearsing for a brass quintet tour), I picked it up and brought it back to blokePlace.

A couple of hours after I got it home, I pulled it out of the case and ran some scales and arpeggios. Not only is the included mouthpiece pretty darn good, but the instrument itself made me giggle just a bit. The person (who tried it out and rejected it) had left all the tuning slides in all the wrong places, but - once I righted all the slides - the thing played quite nicely for me, and quite close to pitch - all up-and-down. As the model strongly references the Boosey-&-Hawkes/Besson models, the 6th partial (in the same way) is a little bit sharp (of course, the trigger on the more expensive and a bit prettier-sounding JP374 addresses that issue), but the budget model 274 is really QUITE nice indeed.

Mostly, I've STOCKED the model 374 ("Sterling" version) John Packer euphonium, but have DROP-SHIPPED (straight from the warehouse to customers) the model 274 (again: less-expensive version)...so I had never spent any serious time playing a 274. Again: The 274 instruments are QUITE nice indeed, and particularly for a LOWER $1XXX-priced compensating euphonium. Further, the fit of pistons/slides/etc. is exquisite, and (unlike some other Asia-made euphoniums that I've encountered) the mouthpipe tube and crooks are NOT "paper-thin" on the 274.

I'm KEEPING My Willson 2900 (that a school system sold to me as "surplus" for $600 years-and-years ago - at that time: a few missing parts...old-dog/new-tricks issues...i.e. after all these years, I automatically KNOW which pitches I need to favor on my Willson), but a John Packer 274 would do me (or any tuba player who doubles, or any student or serious amateur with a limited budget) JUST FINE.


...so why didn't the young person purchase it...??
We didn't talk, so I don't know. Again, the slides (when I picked it back up) were all pulled out to "funny" places...
...and/or perhaps they decided to hold on to the money they have, add to it, and buy something more expensive later on...(??)
After having been in the repair/sales business for 40 years, I learned - long ago - that not everyone is going to view something that I have for sale in the same way that I do, that their reasons for buying are different than are my reasons for selling, and (sometimes...yup) they actually (simply) don't have the money available to buy what I have for sale, and (just as with all the rest of us, from time-to-time) might be in a tire-kickin' mode.

[Mark Finley]

Last year at TMEA I planned on having my daughter play some jinbao euphoniums because I had a line on a nice used one I could have gotten for her. We played the same horn at a few different booths, and made our way to the packer booth. I picked up the 274 thinking it was the 374, and loved it. It feels like a much more expensive instrument when you feel the weight and quality. Then I found out I was playing the 274, and not the much more expensive 374, and we decided to double our budget and jump on that one. (double the used price, but not that much more than a new one) The 374 is good, but I don't think it's THAT much better than the 274 considering the major price difference between the two.

I seriously liked the tone, built quality, and intonation on the 274 as good as better than any other euphonium at the convention, except for maybe the Adams. (and a school I teach for bought 3 Adams, one of which showed up with some quality control issues)

And that euphonium I bought for her? I keep it with me every day as my main euphonium to teach with. Packer euph, and my packer BBb tuba, great combo.

By the way, I'm selling my yamaha bass trombone to get the new packer bass. Yeah, it's that good

[Three Valves]

Shouldn't this hardly spit in demo be listed in For Sale By Owner??

[Mark Finley]

Shouldn't this hardly spit in demo be listed in For Sale By Owner??

I don't understand the question, but the sponsors forum is exactly where this belongs

[bloke]

"Demo" instruments have been to shows.
Guitars and pianos (for sale in guitar and piano stores) are often played for ridiculous numbers of hours by endless dozens of people, and are sold as "new", because they have never been sold, are not scratched, are clean, and carry a full warranty.
New cars are taken on many 15 - 30 minute drives by "tire-kickers", and are typically sold with 75 - 200 miles on their odometers.

If interested in buying one of these, why not just buy it ?
If not interested, why post ?

What percentage of three-valve boats are sold having never been in the water, wrapped in plastic, and in a sealed corrugated cardboard carton?

bloke "I can have a never-opened one of these (or any JP instrument) drop-shipped straight from the warehouse to anyone anytime. It makes absolutely no difference to me at all...and yeah, I typically lock posts that I place here."

[Three Valves]

Due to my current obligations to another seller, I'm not saying I'd ever be interested in one.

But I'd be tempted if I can find a reasonably priced compensating euphonium of reasonable quality in lacquer if i happened to stumble upon one at the Army Conference if a competing interest happens to be there...

:)

[bloke]

This particular instrument may (??) be there.
If not, another one just like it (and yup, REMOVED from its shipping box) will likely be there.
I'm planning (??) on being there.
What I'm growing weary of, is driving home (with a single rear wheel drive full-size van) on icy roads...yet again.

bloke "damn yankee weather"