Wilson Euphonium Lyre

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ASRtalks
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Wilson Euphonium Lyre

Post by ASRtalks »

Happy Holidays to all Tuba and Euphonium Players!

I have a Wilson Euphonium and the design does not include a place to attach a lyre. To those who march with these instruments, what type of lyre do you use?

Thanks!
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tokuno
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Re: Wilson Euphonium Lyre

Post by tokuno »

I've had lyre bosses soldered onto two horns (tubas). It was inexpensive and aesthetically clean.
My brother used a clamp-on trumpet lyre on his french horn for occasional caroling gigs until his aging eyes could no longer read the music that close. Then he switched to a clamp on, adjustable flute lyre. That might work for the Willson, but depending upon how far you extend the lyre, it probably won't support a lot of weight, especially if you move vigorously.
Another solution might be to find a lyre boss with a big shoe plate, glue on a small patch of felt to protect the horn's finish, and mount it with zip ties or the like. Or skip the felt and mount it with hot melt glue.
I have a Willson euph, too, but I bought a sacrificial, beater Olds Studio Ambassador for my occasional outdoor reqmnt. Among the advantages of this solution: lightweight, bell-forward, projecting tone, very comfortable to hold/cradle, and I care not a whit over the inevitable jostle, scrape, and bump.
You might not be in a position to choose an alternate horn, but as an aside, I couldn't help but painfully notice that my son's middle-school parade band uses upright euphoniums that point the counter melody right at the audience. I wish for their sake and ours that they'd revert to 1960s style bell-fronts. It's hard enough for a 7th grader to carry the phrasing of a singing counter melody while sitting still, but to try to play it while coordinating over-size, pre-pubescent puppy feet . . . they'd be better served by more blending, imho.
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