Dillon 981S - Eb Bass - Opinons

[anadmai]

Possibly interested. Not sure if I want to pursue. I had/have a Dillon non-comp 4v Baritone, my daughter plays it now.

I know it's a clone of the Besson 981 (Angelic voices overheard). I know all about the 981s but not the Dillon version of it.

Can any comment on it?

[PlayTheTuba]

I believe the one Schiller sells and possibly the one Mack Brass used to sell a long time ago are the same tuba model? The Wessex as well, unless they modified them since the blog post link I will share below.

I did try a used Schiller version at the Army Workshop at one point. I didn't like it. Felt stuffy, resilient, and hard to play. The original German made used Besson 981 and the 982 where still a little stuffy in the low register but much better tubas than the one Schiller I tried. I think I liked 982 more as a whole. But the Schiller could also have not been a great example of one too.

If you can save up for the John Packer JP377 contact @bloke for assistance. Or heck, I haven't tried the JP277 but if the only real difference between that and the 377 is the awkward leadpipe maybe get that instead and save some money in the process.



Or, sorry for derailing the thread, if you are MAVERICK order the fancy Geneva with the partial Nickel Silver bell, fancy engraving, and Main tuning slide lever, and tell us all about it

EEb Tuba – Geneva Cardinal JC
https://genevabandroom.co.uk/product/ee ... -cardinal/

Here is the blog post comparing a ton of different 3+1 Eb compensators. "My Instrument Journey" written by Richard Fox. As mentioned above he does briefly talk about the Wessex 3+1 Eb, assuming it's the same as the one Dillons Music sells.
https://foxtuba.wordpress.com/2017/03/0 ... t-journey/

Edited some sentences better. I could probably go on and on. But I'll try to focus on this thread and maybe make another one to list all of the available compensating Eb's and have everyone's thoughts on them. Similar to Richard Fox's blog post.

[arpthark]

I owned a Schiller version of the above, which like the Dillon is also made by Jin Bao, I believe.

I really liked it. Valves were nice and slide fitment seemed good. I owned it as my only tuba for about a year. After I sold it, the new owner ended up having some issues with the valves (vague, not sure exactly what went wrong), but during the time I owned it it worked fine for me.

Intonation above the staff was a little ponderously saggy (similar to the horn it copies, I gather), but for 99% of the playing I was doing as an Eb tuba in a brass band, it was more than adequate.

I guess my biggest recommendation, which is true of any tuba, is try before you buy.

[anadmai]

EEb Tuba – Geneva Cardinal JC
https://genevabandroom.co.uk/product/ee ... -cardinal/

Here is the blog post comparing a ton of different 3+1 Eb compensators. "My Instrument Journey" written by Richard Fox. As mentioned above he does briefly talk about the Wessex 3+1 Eb, assuming it's the same as the one Dillons Music sells.
https://foxtuba.wordpress.com/2017/03/0 ... t-journey/

That Geneva. Holy smokes. That's too much for the eyes even before one hears it play. I'm a simple girl. Give me silver...not a lacquer fan.

Mr. Fox is right. The 15" Imperial is what I am coveting.

[anadmai]

I guess my biggest recommendation, which is true of any tuba, is try before you buy.

I think I really really really really want a 15" bell. I do not need much. As much as I want a late 80's 981 (in silver..I'm not picky..much) I think I'd be most happy with a B&H Imperial.

[arpthark]

The 15" bell Besson/B&H Ebs are fantastic instruments. I've owned three of them.

[bloke]

About the only way to get something new as good as a new-condition Besson 15" bell 3+1 comp E-flat is to buy a JP (may try to find one of the non-horizontal Besson mouthpipes, so that one could by the 2-series JP), order a Yamaha YEB-321 bell, and wait.

[PlayTheTuba]

About the only way to get something new as good as a new-condition Besson 15" bell 3+1 comp E-flat is to buy a JP (may try to find one of the non-horizontal Besson mouthpipes, so that one could by the 2-series JP), order a Yamaha YEB-321 bell, and wait.

I was going to suggest something similar and if it's possible to order a 15" bell from Eastman, the EBE851. Eastman and Jupiter both have non-compensating 3+1 Eb's with 15" bells. I do not know if they are actually smaller than say the Dillon 981, Besson 981/982, Schiller, Packer etc as I haven't seen or played them, as far I can recall.

Wessex does make the Bombino TE360P but that is an overall smaller tuba though. Wessex is also making a 3+1 front action compensating Eb too. I'm not sure when the final production version will be on sale. I can't even find any pictures of the prototype online... Huh.

Wessex Eb Compensated Tuba ‘Bombino’ – TE360P
https://us.wessex-tubas.com/products/eb ... bino-te360

In conclusion, outside of waiting for another one to pop up on the used market, do what @bloke said. If you want to stick with a 15" bell top action 3+1 Eb tuba.

[anadmai]

Ummmmm. Yeah. That's way too much work for me. Hopefully one of my searches come up fruitful.

Since I"m not really an Eb Bass player, I don't want to end up with something I'll regret. I have a few plans in motion so we'll see where this leads me.

[Sousaswag]

Those 15” bell Eb’s aren’t *super* rare, but they ARE rare in excellent condition.

You could go the bell swap route.

You could also try the 19” bell horns and see if it truly is too much.

The Dillon is probably fine. Not nearly as nice as a true Besson or B&H, but it’s probably fine. Just be sure that it’s in good mechanical condition if you go that direction.