French Besson Eb /D

JackD · Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2004 10:58 am Post subject:

Anyone know anything about this trumpet? Are they generally good / bad?

Thanks.

Jack.

nextbrassguy · Heavyweight Member Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 1428

Are you thinking of buying one? If so, then given the intonation problems inherent in most higher pitched trumpets, my advice would be to try before you buy. Since I have never played a Besson Eb/D, I can't be more specific than that. Sorry.

trumpetmike · Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2004 12:23 pm Post subject:

I ave played a few of them, very varied.
A good one is a pleasure - you can do everything on it, Handel, Bach even the Haydn on a really good one - anything you want.

However, with the majority of them the tuning is a problem. If you are able to, try it beforehand (I'm guessing that this one is in Parkers, Packers or similar). If it works for you, go for it.

I have played a few of these and do have a fondness for them, I find them to lie somewhere between a standard Eb and a piccolo, in terms of sound, but they are very easy to adapt to different situations.

Try it - if you fall in love with it, don't be surprised - I'm still waiting for the perfect one of these to turn up - then it's mine!!

samlg · Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2004 1:28 pm Post subject:

if you have found the cheap one on the net (jpbrass) i wouldnt go near it, needs some work and has tiny bore. if not i wouldnt like to comment on the newer ones.

sam

JackD · Posted: Sat May 01, 2004 12:56 am Post subject:

Thanks - this is a trumpet my school have offered to lend me to do the Haydn on - I actually picked it up yesterday, and it is an English Besson, not a French one.

It is a pretty small bore - much smaller than my ML Bach, and it plays fairly out of tune (using the third slide seems to fix it mostly though).

My school told me to find out much it might cost - there's a possiblity they might sell it to me for cheap. Anyone have any idea on this? (If not, I'll probably take it down to Parkers - won't hurt to have them look it over anyway)

Edit: Sam - are you going to Trinity next year? I just found out I've got in for the Foundation programme (1 year course) there.

Thanks,

Jack.

[ This Message was edited by: JackD on 2004-05-01 04:00 ]

samlg · Posted: Sat May 01, 2004 2:13 am Post subject:

congrats mate, ill be off there too this sept so ill see you there!

one of thoes bessons went for £200 in the local paper, might have been a bit cheap but £300 might be a bit much.

have fun, sam

JackD · Posted: Mon May 03, 2004 1:15 am Post subject:

Thanks Sam - congrats to you too, and I'll see you there!

Jack.