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BKA
New Member
Joined: 04 Feb 2020
Posts: 3
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 Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2020 7:10 am Post subject: |
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Thanks Jay
as you describe it, it sounds reasonable ...
Anyway, tomorrow I can hold the horn "live" in my hands ... I am really looking forward to it ...
And as you guys say, it's supposed to be a great horn, right? |
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JayKosta
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Dec 2018
Posts: 3306
Location: Endwell NY USA
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| Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2020 7:31 am Post subject: |
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Yes, horns made by Kanstul have a good reputation for being well built, and to play very well.
Sometimes a different mouthpiece will work better, especially depending on the 'blow feeling'.
Play using your current mouthpiece for at least 1 week, to get accustomed to the new horn. Then think about whether the 'feel' needs any change.
Jay
_________________
Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'. |
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Liberty Lips
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Joined: 12 Dec 2003
Posts: 979
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| Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2020 10:06 am Post subject: |
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| BKA wrote: | Hello everybody,
Many thanks for your great answers!
In fact there is a lot of information that helps me a lot to understand.
The only thing I don't quite understand yet is why the engraving of the bell stops on my with a star and on the many photos I have seen on the Internet there is still something engraved in French.
Bjoern |
Although the bell stamps varied with the models of the Kanstul-made Bessons, they seemed to stay consistent within the models. The large-bore Mehas did have the following below the star:
66 HAUTES RÉCOMPENSES
6 GRANDS PRIX
HORS CONCOURS
MEMBRE DU JURY
I can only speculate why the horn you’re looking at is missing that part of the stamp. My guess is that the number “1” above the serial number indicates that it was a one-off that has something different in its specifications, perhaps a modified leadpipe or a bell-choke (which would have made it similar to a CG model Benge), and having only half a bell stamp would have helped them keep it separated from the stock horns during manufacture.
If it plays well for you, I wouldn’t worry about how it might be different from a stock model. There is no question that it is a Kanstu-made F. Besson Meha from the mid 1980’s, and it is a very high-quality horn. |
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MF Fan
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Joined: 26 Mar 2002
Posts: 397
Location: The Great White North
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| Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2020 10:26 am Post subject: |
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This thread appears to be an appropriate opportunity to ask a question I've always had concerning F. Besson horns: Where is the meaning of the term "Meha?"
I played a mid-70's Benge 5x through high school and college and it still plays like new today 35 years hence. It's interesting to learn about its heritage. I happened to visit a small military museum in Florida a couple of years ago while on vacation and they had a Besson horn on display that a WWII soldier had purchased while stationed in France. It looked virtually identical to my Benge. it was a pleasant surprise to see it on display.
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MF Fan
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L.A. Benge 5x
Holton MF3
Lead Trumpet - My Basement Jazz Orchestra |
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OldSchoolEuph
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 07 Apr 2012
Posts: 2441
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| Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2020 11:44 am Post subject: |
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| MF Fan wrote: | This thread appears to be an appropriate opportunity to ask a question I've always had concerning F. Besson horns: Where is the meaning of the term "Meha?"
I played a mid-70's Benge 5x through high school and college and it still plays like new today 35 years hence. It's interesting to learn about its heritage. I happened to visit a small military museum in Florida a couple of years ago while on vacation and they had a Besson horn on display that a WWII soldier had purchased while stationed in France. It looked virtually identical to my Benge. it was a pleasant surprise to see it on display. |
Meha is a nickname or reference to GA Besson's grand-daughter
_________________
Ron Berndt
www.trumpet-history.com
2017 Austin Winds Stage 466
1962 Mt. Vernon Bach 43
1954 Holton 49 Stratodyne
1927 Conn 22B
1957 Holton 27 cornet
1985 Yamaha YEP-621
1975 Yamaha YEP-321 Custom
1965 Besson Baritone
1975 Olds Recording R-20 |
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OldSchoolEuph
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 07 Apr 2012
Posts: 2441
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 5:30 am Post subject: |
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| Tuningbell wrote: | | OldSchoolEuph wrote: | | Tuningbell wrote: | | JayKosta wrote: | Were the Kanstul horns made with bells that contained the 'PARIS' and 'F. Besson' engraving?
Perhaps an original Besson bell on a Kanstul body?
Jay |
Nope Bells and everything made by Kanstul: This explains it all:
http://users.actrix.co.nz/mcamilleri/Besson/KanstulBesson.pdf
Great horns! I cannot guarentee some private bell swaps but unlikely to destroy a pre war F. BESSON to put on a Kanstul body as the value of any F. BESSON from that period would exceed making a FRANKENHORN |
Actually, there are even now still around a hundred Besson and F.Besson bells spanning the generations hanging in the late Byron Autrey's workshop. At some point those will probably reach the resale market and I fear someone is going to try precisely that. It would waste both a good bell and a great horn as Byron matched leadpipes to the bells for most all of Kanstul's many French/Benge products including the Besson stencils. As those bells were unique, such a random pairing with one of the wide variety of "actual" Besson bells would undoubtedly produce inferior results. |
That would totally suck.. I hope if those bells do come to market they are sold to informed people who could either pair them with proper components or build a limited run of Frankenbessons with the buyers knowledge. Almost a throwback to the prewar days. |
Just a heads-up: Meridian Winds came into possession of those bells and has been selling them on EBay
_________________
Ron Berndt
www.trumpet-history.com
2017 Austin Winds Stage 466
1962 Mt. Vernon Bach 43
1954 Holton 49 Stratodyne
1927 Conn 22B
1957 Holton 27 cornet
1985 Yamaha YEP-621
1975 Yamaha YEP-321 Custom
1965 Besson Baritone
1975 Olds Recording R-20 |
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Liberty Lips
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 12 Dec 2003
Posts: 979
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 8:56 am Post subject: |
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| OldSchoolEuph wrote: | | Just a heads-up: Meridian Winds came into possession of those bells and has been selling them on EBay |
Do you have a link to one of their auctions? I couldn't find anything when I searched eBay. |
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OldSchoolEuph
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Joined: 07 Apr 2012
Posts: 2441
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 12:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Liberty Lips wrote: | | OldSchoolEuph wrote: | | Just a heads-up: Meridian Winds came into possession of those bells and has been selling them on EBay |
Do you have a link to one of their auctions? I couldn't find anything when I searched eBay. |
Their account name is sax5173328. They have a huge number of listings - its hard to find things. Not sure if there are any Besson bells at this moment not sold, but there were a lot more than I have seen show up as sold, so I expect more coming. Some have also been in lots of assorted junk.
_________________
Ron Berndt
www.trumpet-history.com
2017 Austin Winds Stage 466
1962 Mt. Vernon Bach 43
1954 Holton 49 Stratodyne
1927 Conn 22B
1957 Holton 27 cornet
1985 Yamaha YEP-621
1975 Yamaha YEP-321 Custom
1965 Besson Baritone
1975 Olds Recording R-20 |
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Steve Hollahan
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 05 Oct 2005
Posts: 519
Location: Charlotte, NC
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| Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2020 5:30 am Post subject: Kanstul Bessons |
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Zig told me the history of Meha. Madame Besson released the Meha after Besson was restricted by legislative fiat. Then the Besson factory released the Meha to counter law.
New Meha was a great seller.
In fact, I purchased a Brevete in '90s and played it for many years. Great all around horn.
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Steve Hollahan
Bach 37, 229 C
Yamaha 9620 D-Eb, 741 C, Flugel
Kanstul 900 piccolo trumpet
Sculptured Recrafting Custom Instrument Repair
and Restoration
www.sculpturedrecrafting.com |
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homebilly
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Joined: 24 Dec 2010
Posts: 2197
Location: Venice, CA & Paris, France
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| Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2020 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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Méha was her actual name in fact
Méha Pauline Henriette Fontaine-Sabatier
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ron meza (deadbeat jazz musician) & (TH 5 post ghost neighborhood watch ringleader)
waiting for Fed-Ex to deliver a $50 trumpet to my door. shipping was prepaid by seller of course!
http://ronmeza.com
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OldSchoolEuph
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Joined: 07 Apr 2012
Posts: 2441
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2020 1:58 am Post subject: |
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| OldSchoolEuph wrote: | | Liberty Lips wrote: | | OldSchoolEuph wrote: | | Just a heads-up: Meridian Winds came into possession of those bells and has been selling them on EBay |
Do you have a link to one of their auctions? I couldn't find anything when I searched eBay. |
Their account name is sax5173328. They have a huge number of listings - its hard to find things. Not sure if there are any Besson bells at this moment not sold, but there were a lot more than I have seen show up as sold, so I expect more coming. Some have also been in lots of assorted junk. |
!
They just posted more bells, model stay later ones, but one Mehta.
_________________
Ron Berndt
www.trumpet-history.com
2017 Austin Winds Stage 466
1962 Mt. Vernon Bach 43
1954 Holton 49 Stratodyne
1927 Conn 22B
1957 Holton 27 cornet
1985 Yamaha YEP-621
1975 Yamaha YEP-321 Custom
1965 Besson Baritone
1975 Olds Recording R-20 |
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