Besson - Opinions?

[CJ Krause]

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[Chuck(G)]

Has anyone here owned or played any of the intermediate level Besson BBb tubas? Just looking for opinions on quality, sound, and value. Thanks! - Joey

Which models do you consider to be "intermediate" models?

[JB]

The model that I had in mind was the BE-794. I have found a couple that are pretty decently priced new and I am just trying to decide to get one or to hold out and keep saving for something better.

In short, hold out and keep saving for something better.

Merely the opinion of one person, however...

[Chuck(G)]

The model that I had in mind was the BE-794. I have found a couple that are pretty decently priced new and I am just trying to decide to get one or to hold out and keep saving for something better.

I don't know your preferences, but I'm guessing a new 794 will be running you about $3500-4000? Unless you have a thing for the 3+1 valve arrangement, you might be better off holding out for a better deal.

One liability of the 3+1 arrangement is that in the USA, it's not a popular setup and will appeal to a much smaller segment of the market should you decide to sell the instrument. Another aspect of this is that the 3+1 arrangement on BBb tubas is usually accompanied by a compensating system, so it would be less appealing to members of the aforementioned market segment.

In short, you might want to keep looking--and consider purchasing a used instrument for what could turn out to be a much better deal.

[Matt G]

I own a 994 and tried a 794.

The 794 was a touch more open. However, the pitch was not very good and without access to the slides on the fly, it was too difficult to play in tune. In addition, when playing with the fourth valve, you must have the ability to pull slides without a compensating system or a fifth valve.

I was looking to pay very little for the 794 that was in like new condition. I opted to pay a little more for the 994, bacause the pitch was better, and it would appeal to the market segement Chuck mentions much more than the 794.

To the original poster: Check out the Brasswind. They had a few 994's when I bought mine. I payed in the mid $3K range for mine, in brand new condition (was used) and with a case. I could ship it to London and probably still turn a profit.

[imperialbari]

The model that I had in mind was the BE-794. I have found a couple that are pretty decently priced new and I am just trying to decide to get one or to hold out and keep saving for something better.

The problems is that the 794 is not an original design. As with some other makers, the second line instruments are not designed in their own right.

Besson/B&H for decades, if not a century+, had a protected home market in shape of the huge British brass band movement. And, not to be scoffed at by a salesman's point of view, a huge number of military bands. The army, navy, and RAF had, and as I am informed still have, their own conservatories. Kneller Hall of the army probably being the best known of these. According to my information they more and more have taken up the function of giving graduates of the plainclothes conservatories the final military touch.

What I am getting at is the huge market for instruments directed at a certain sound concept.

British military bands almost by definition use cornets and avoid trumpets.

With more or less regular distances of time NATO used to carry out large maneuvers in my country, and as my town had its main function as being a major switchboard in the traffic infrastructure, we often were swamped with foreign greens, blues, and greys. Sometimes bringing their bands.

One of these was rather shocking: a Brit military band (Royal Yorkshire Fusiliers?) with no cornets, but a strong row of 6 trumpets complemented with an equally strong row of 5 bones. For once a Brit band making sense in my ears. I asked a band member about the unusual set-up. "Our bandmaster doesn't accept cornets!" And that bandmaster obviously was in the full command of his musical senses.

But back to the cornets of the British bands: I believe they had a major influence on the other brasses as well. They should be singing and easy to get around on. The euphonium is a beautiful example. In my opinion the Eb and BBb tubas were made after the same criteria.

However this ability to do vocal type virtuosity comes at a price. These British low conical brasses in some certain varieties are easy to overblow. I am thinking of the older comp tubas with bells in the 15" and 17" ranges. The old Imperial Eb comper could get really ugly, when overblown.

John Fletcher and his generation had the 19" bell and the faster expanding leadpipe introduced in the Besson/B&H tuba range, because they had symphonic requirements. Among these a late, if any, point of breaking up.

As often stated I own, and love, the modern production line result of John Fletcher's pioneering: the 981 Eb 3+1 comper. But as it as made to order, I had to wait some 3 months. In the meantime I loaned the big 700-series 3+1 Eb with the exact same body as the 981 and 982, but without comping.

This 7XX Eb tuba was an alive instrument, but some notes were overly responsive. They would break at the wink of an eye. The top line Ab being by far the worst sample.

I phoned the Besson factory about that, and hit their one single helpful employé. He told me, that the reason, that the 981 was an instrument with a much better egalité, was that the added weight and the added rigidity introduced by the compensating valve cluster, was the calculated factor, which kept erratic response within control.

I didn't like the Besson 994 BBb. It was extremely easy to get around on, sounded beautifully in all of its registers, but lacked the expansive symphonic wealth of the 981 Eb. I ended with a couple of BBb's out of the US tradition.

So I cannot recommend you to invest in the 794, which is the by-product of the design of a tuba, which I don't like.

The US has made so many wonderful BBb tubas. Go hunting for one of those.

Klaus, who is a continental European living on an island and owning low conical brasses from 3 continents, although two of them were made on islands (Japan and Britain)[/i]