Besson 995?
-
me
- bugler
- Posts: 131
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 10:03 pm
Besson 995?
can some people give me their opinions of the new besson 995 CC tuba. i know that the benchmark for great Euphoniums is besson but what about this new model tuba? thanks for any help you can give
-
TTkatz
- bugler
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2004 5:29 pm
- Location: Ames, IA
there is a list of alternate fingerings that's floating around and i could look for it a little harder if anyone wants.
This horn is fantastic. Mostly built by nirschl, it uses some york specs to produce a great clear sound that i think is hard to find, but is increasingly in demand. It's pretty mouthpiece specific i've found (and others agree), and works particularly well with the Sheridan Mouthpieces from Dillons. For your money you'd be hard pressed to find a better CC tuba, in my opinion. It can be a 4/4 horn, a 5/4 horn, and a 6/4 horn at the same time, depending on mouthpiece/player/etc. The only problem i have with this horn is the absolutely beautiful case that tips over if you do so much as blow on it. The wheels are way to close together and it makes for a real pain transporting it, but the sound that you have when the horn comes out of the case certainly makes up for it. i'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have on the horn via email or the tubenet.
-christian
*who has one of the first horns off the line and played the prototype and can attest to consistency*
This horn is fantastic. Mostly built by nirschl, it uses some york specs to produce a great clear sound that i think is hard to find, but is increasingly in demand. It's pretty mouthpiece specific i've found (and others agree), and works particularly well with the Sheridan Mouthpieces from Dillons. For your money you'd be hard pressed to find a better CC tuba, in my opinion. It can be a 4/4 horn, a 5/4 horn, and a 6/4 horn at the same time, depending on mouthpiece/player/etc. The only problem i have with this horn is the absolutely beautiful case that tips over if you do so much as blow on it. The wheels are way to close together and it makes for a real pain transporting it, but the sound that you have when the horn comes out of the case certainly makes up for it. i'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have on the horn via email or the tubenet.
-christian
*who has one of the first horns off the line and played the prototype and can attest to consistency*
-
Jay Bertolet
- pro musician
- Posts: 470
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2004 9:04 am
- Location: South Florida
I have 2 students that have recently purchased 995 CC tubas. Both are very nice horns that play extremely well. I also have 1 student who has a Nirschl 4/4, the horn this Besson tuba is based upon. My opinion is that Besson has captured the good qualities of the Nirschl design it is patterned after. The price is very reasonable. I've heard rumors that there are intonation issues with these horns but neither of my students have complained about their horns. I should point out that both of my students that now own Besson 995's bought their horns from Baltimore Brass. Kudos to them for weeding out any bad horns that my students might have been stuck with! Another poster mentioned that the 1st valve slide on these horns has to be pulled out a long way to work. This is true of the Nirschl design. Even my Nirschl 6/4 has this same characteristic. Since they make the slide plenty long, it really isn't an issue at all.
I think it is probably too soon to say that this horn will set the benchmark for CC tubas. I do think this horn, if it continues to be produced at relatively inexpensive prices (as they are now) and maintains the high quality I've seen in the specimens that I've encountered, could very well be in most serious players' gig bags. At this point, the horn certainly warrants a trial if you're looking for a really good, versatile CC tuba.
My opinion for what it's worth
I think it is probably too soon to say that this horn will set the benchmark for CC tubas. I do think this horn, if it continues to be produced at relatively inexpensive prices (as they are now) and maintains the high quality I've seen in the specimens that I've encountered, could very well be in most serious players' gig bags. At this point, the horn certainly warrants a trial if you're looking for a really good, versatile CC tuba.
My opinion for what it's worth
-
Mike Forbes
- pro musician
- Posts: 233
- Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2004 1:46 pm
- Location: Madison, WI
Besson CC 995
I agree with most posts here about the Besson 995 CC tuba. As some of you may know, the Sotto Voce Quartet recently became Besson Clinicians. Obviously the reason behind this move is because we all adore the Besson sound. Additionally, when you couple the fantastic sound of the Prestige Euphoniums with the Sheridan E-flat (983) and the Besson CC (995) there is a uniformity and consistency to the sound that we found VERY attractive. You can't find this high-quality consistency from euphoniums through bass tubas to contrabass tubas by any other instrument maker except for Hirshbrunner and Willson--or possibly Meinl Weston...and of those choices, Besson certainly comes in at the most inexpensive!
As the bottom tubist in the group, I can't speak more enthusiastically about the Besson CC. I love mine! It has loads of core to the sound, projects like a dream, and a tighter sound than I'm used to producing on my Rusk-Cut York 6/4 CC. I realize many folks loved the sound of my York in the quartet, but a 6/4 horn is simply TOO HUGE for the tight sound we're looking for in the quartet. The Besson CC fits the bill perfectly--smaller, but not too small.
As for intonation, every horn has its quirks. But I found the Besson just as manageable as any of the other horns I have played (Hirshbrunners, Yorks, Meinl Westons, Rudy Meinls, etc.). There is a difference, however, in how you adjust your first valve slide: most CC's have a flat D (middle line) so you push all the way in: NOT the case with the Besson (or the Nirschl, from what I understand). You pull out! The lower D-flat problem is an issue with practically every horn I've played...even Gene Porkorny is regularly seen going around the back of his York to grab that 4th valve slide for these kinds of issues. So in this regard, I find absolutely no intonation issues with the Besson CC that are any different than the intonation issues with any CC tuba...its just that the way you correct these issues are slightly different than the way you might on a different tuba.
As the bottom tubist in the group, I can't speak more enthusiastically about the Besson CC. I love mine! It has loads of core to the sound, projects like a dream, and a tighter sound than I'm used to producing on my Rusk-Cut York 6/4 CC. I realize many folks loved the sound of my York in the quartet, but a 6/4 horn is simply TOO HUGE for the tight sound we're looking for in the quartet. The Besson CC fits the bill perfectly--smaller, but not too small.
As for intonation, every horn has its quirks. But I found the Besson just as manageable as any of the other horns I have played (Hirshbrunners, Yorks, Meinl Westons, Rudy Meinls, etc.). There is a difference, however, in how you adjust your first valve slide: most CC's have a flat D (middle line) so you push all the way in: NOT the case with the Besson (or the Nirschl, from what I understand). You pull out! The lower D-flat problem is an issue with practically every horn I've played...even Gene Porkorny is regularly seen going around the back of his York to grab that 4th valve slide for these kinds of issues. So in this regard, I find absolutely no intonation issues with the Besson CC that are any different than the intonation issues with any CC tuba...its just that the way you correct these issues are slightly different than the way you might on a different tuba.
-
Mudman
- 3 valves
- Posts: 290
- Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2004 9:04 am
- Location: Mudville
Mike Forbes said: "I realize many folks loved the sound of my York in the quartet, but a 6/4 horn is simply TOO HUGE for the tight sound we're looking for in the quartet."
The sound you make on the York is magical. When I heard Sotto Voce for the first time in Arkansas, I was blown away. On the BIG York the glowing sound made up for any loss of clarity.
I can see why you would want to use a smaller horn most of the time, but then again . . . that sound
Can you play both horns simultaneously?
The sound you make on the York is magical. When I heard Sotto Voce for the first time in Arkansas, I was blown away. On the BIG York the glowing sound made up for any loss of clarity.
I can see why you would want to use a smaller horn most of the time, but then again . . . that sound
Can you play both horns simultaneously?