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TrumpetPlaya97 New Member
Joined: 14 Oct 2017 Posts: 2
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Andy Del Heavyweight Member
Joined: 30 Jun 2005 Posts: 2662 Location: sunny Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 10:27 am Post subject: |
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To be pretty brutal, no. It looks like a student horn, and Besson doesn't have a great reputation, apart from some instruments made in the ~1980's by Kanstul.
You'd be better served by a more mainstream instrument.
cheers
Andy _________________ so many horns, so few good notes... |
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AJCarter Heavyweight Member
Joined: 29 Apr 2007 Posts: 1280 Location: Indiana
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Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:14 am Post subject: |
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I'm going to vehemently disagree with you, Andy.
I had one of these in high school and used it for a couple years in college before I bought a used, 1980 Strad 37. They were not equal horns, but this did the job fine! there were no issues in build, response, or tuning that would stop me from telling a student to get one if it's what they had to buy due to financial issues.
Plus it will make a good back up horn when you do get a professional one. _________________ (List horns here) |
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Robert P Heavyweight Member
Joined: 28 Feb 2013 Posts: 2595
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Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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I have one. I first encountered one in the pre-owned section at a local music store and out of curiosity gave it a try. I liked it. They wanted more than I wanted to spend on an impulse purchase of a horn I didn't need so I waited for one to show up on Ebay.
I'd say it would be fine. Has plenty of potential for very good sound - I don't think you'll sound any better on a Strad. Intonation is fine. I'd play it on a gig without hesitation. I'm going to assume Andy above hasn't actually played one and is being cautious based on experiences with off the beaten path horns.
However, I'll add some caveats. I feel like the one I have sounds like the one I tried previously - that is very good, however the valves on the one I got on Ebay aren't as slick as the one I tried in the store. The first valve in particular was a bit iffy even though the horn is in very pristine condition, it obviously doesn't have a lot of miles on it. I've hit them multiple times with toothpaste lapping which has improved them a lot. Maybe manufacturing inconsistencies? The valves on the one you're looking at may not have any issues.
IMO the price they're asking is a little high if not obscenely so. It's in decent shape and $360 isn't a huge amount of money but besides the ding in the bell he mentions, looking closely you can see at least three others on the leadpipe. It's going to cost something to take them out if you're inclined to do so. And there aren't clear pics of the various bends where dents happen a lot. If you look at "Completed Items" you'll find some in good condition that have sold for less. I paid considerably less for the one I have that's probably in better condition. _________________ Getzen Eterna Severinsen
King Silver Flair
Besson 1000
Bundy
Chinese C
Getzen Eterna Bb/A piccolo
Chinese Rotary Bb/A piccolo
Chinese Flugel
Last edited by Robert P on Mon Oct 23, 2017 1:22 am; edited 2 times in total |
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BobD Heavyweight Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2004 Posts: 1251 Location: Boston MA
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Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 5:10 pm Post subject: |
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Isn't that a Kanstul insignia over the Besson name? _________________ Adams/ACB collaborative
Yamaha Shew Jazz and Bach 7C |
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Robert P Heavyweight Member
Joined: 28 Feb 2013 Posts: 2595
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Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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BobD wrote: | Isn't that a Kanstul insignia over the Besson name? |
The Besson Loyalist site specifies the 1000 is one that isn't made by Kanstul. _________________ Getzen Eterna Severinsen
King Silver Flair
Besson 1000
Bundy
Chinese C
Getzen Eterna Bb/A piccolo
Chinese Rotary Bb/A piccolo
Chinese Flugel |
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GordonH Heavyweight Member
Joined: 16 Nov 2002 Posts: 2893 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
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Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 4:35 am Post subject: |
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The Besson 1000 series were made in India but in a factory that belonged to Besson. It was set up as a joint venture with an Indian company in order to meet their legal requirements and the factory itself was set up by Boehm & Meinl using some tooling that had come from the UK part of Besson. I have never played the trumpet but the 1000 series cornet was surprisingly good. It felt like an older style cornet but was good for what it cost to buy. _________________ Bb - Scherzer 8218W, Schilke S22, Bach 43, Selmer 19A Balanced
Pic - Weril
Flugel - Courtois 154
Cornet - Geneva Heritage, Conn 28A
Mouthpieces - Monette 1-5 rims and similar.
Licensed Radio Amateur - GM4SVM |
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shofar Veteran Member
Joined: 02 Jun 2003 Posts: 231 Location: Rogersville, Tennessee
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Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 9:31 am Post subject: Besson |
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Andy;
Where on earth do you get the idea that Besson doesn't have a good reputation. The pre-war French Besson Meha and Bravette where some of the best horns ever made, and used by many all over Europe and the United states.
They were also the horns that Benge and also Bach initially designed their horns from. The Meha was one of the most gorgeous sounding horns ever made.
My private teacher, Ralph Scaffidi, work for Boosey & Hawks that distributed these horns in the states. He also played the Meha and was the lead player on the Ed Sullivan Show and did 27 live radio shows every week in NY before retiring and moving to SoCal.
Roger Lloyd Wood
MD BattleOfTheBigBands.com
Private lessons
screamin_raptor@mac.com |
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ghelbig Heavyweight Member
Joined: 27 May 2011 Posts: 908 Location: Reno, NV
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Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 10:11 am Post subject: |
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BobD wrote: | Isn't that a Kanstul insignia over the Besson name? |
No, that's a script B - the Besson logo.
All the horns Kanstul made for Besson clearly say "USA" on the bell.
Gary.
PS: Related: It bugs me when people say they have a "F. Besson International". No such thing - there's an "F. Besson" and a "Besson International", but the people in Anaheim say that they never made a French Besson International.
PPS: To the OP: I've been one-chair-down in college from players with a Getzen Capri, an Olds Ambassador, and a King 600. OK, may be two chairs down. And while the Besson 1000 may be a fine horn, the BE800 (AKA Besson International) is definitely a horn that's good enough. |
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Crazy Finn Heavyweight Member
Joined: 27 Dec 2001 Posts: 8333 Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota
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Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 8:03 pm Post subject: Re: Besson |
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shofar wrote: | Andy;
Where on earth do you get the idea that Besson doesn't have a good reputation. The pre-war French Besson Meha and Bravette where some of the best horns ever made, and used by many all over Europe and the United states.
They were also the horns that Benge and also Bach initially designed their horns from. The Meha was one of the most gorgeous sounding horns ever made.
My private teacher, Ralph Scaffidi, work for Boosey & Hawks that distributed these horns in the states. He also played the Meha and was the lead player on the Ed Sullivan Show and did 27 live radio shows every week in NY before retiring and moving to SoCal.
Roger Lloyd Wood
MD BattleOfTheBigBands.com
Private lessons
screamin_raptor@mac.com |
That was all a long time ago. The company had completely different ownership, and made horns in factories that are all now closed. Whatever you designate as the "Besson" company has changed hands several times since those days - all of which was 50-60+ years ago.
The Bessons designs produced in France either 100+ or 80+ years ago (depending on which war is "pre-war") have little to do with the current horns built somewhere in Asia other than what name is stamped on the bell. _________________ LA Benge 3X Bb Trumpet
Selmer Radial Bb Trumpet
Yamaha 6335S Bb Trumpet
Besson 709 Bb Trumpet
Bach 184L Bb Cornet
Yamaha 731 Bb Flugelhorn |
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