Need opinions on a used euph

[dood_25]

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Hi everyone, I'm a high school student looking to get a good euphonium, and have found this one for sale.



It's a besson 2-20 model in fairly good condition. The seller is asking $600 for it. Is anyone familiar with this model, and how does it play? I'm currently using a Yamaha 321, and would miss the fourth valve if I were to switch to this other instrument. So another question is what are the advantages of switching to a three-valve instrument, and is it worth it?

[iiipopes]

Indeed you would miss the 4th valve. The Besson 2-20 is a beginner-to-intermediate instrument, and at this point would be a step down, not a step up.

There are absolutely no advantages to switching to a three valve instrument, and all sorts of disadvantages of backing up to a 3-valve instrument. With the 4th valve, you have better intonation on the lower range, because you use 4 instead of 1+3, which is sharp; the explanation of why goes beyond this thread. See David Werden's website for an explanation of why you not only need 4 valves, but why the compensation system can help as well.

If you were in middle school just starting out, then it would be a fine instrument to start playing euph. But now you are in high school, you've grown beyond it. Quite the contrary, depending on how far you have progressed in your playing, and how far you want to take your playing as a vocation or avocation, you may be ready to start considering spending the big bucks on a compensating euph. Then again, if you're not going to play past high school, or play just in a section in a college or community band, a non-comp 4-valve like the one you play now will continue to serve you well.

http://www.dwerden.com/eu-articles-comp.cfm

[dood_25]

Thanks for your advice. I myself am familiar with the advantages of a fourth valve, and the compensating system, but wondered if there was some sort of 3 valve advantage I was unaware of. Apparently not. I had also heard good things about Besson, but I guess that doesn't mean they make pro models exclusively. Ah well, my search continues.

[Tuba-Friendly Music]

$600.00 sounds steep for a weathered old horn in what appears to be a need for some TLC. Shop around for a good 4-valve, and watch out in case someone tries to bully you into buying one specific horn.

3-valves are fun to have when you are limited in resources and the limitations are not a factor. My first horn was a 3-valve project, and for all it was worth, I had fun with it. I've evolved a desire for a 4-valve, and I would only consider a 3-valve basically for the fun of it, like a project.