Adams/Hirsbrunner euphoniums

[bloke]

The manufacturers of their valvesets ASIDE...

Which specific model of Adams euphonium mimics a (back when they were being manufactured in Switzerland) an off-the-shelf Hirsbrunner euphonium?

[Schlitzz]

The manufacturers of their valvesets ASIDE...

Which specific model of Adams euphonium mimics a (back when they were being manufactured in Switzerland) an off-the-shelf Hirsbrunner euphonium?

The HB's had screw-in mouthpiece adapters, large, medium, small shanks. IMHO, when played with the medium, nothing sounded like them. I was looking to buy a Ford LTD as a teenager. I bought the HB, was gifted a '79 Regal. Getting the Lee Cabutti seal of approval was a few months later. My $0.02 on the Adams, buy the HB.

[bloke]

uh...ok...
Adams bought Hb tooling and seems to offer a bunch of divergent "models" (metal gauges/metal alloys/bore sizes/bell diameters/etc.)

All I'm asking is "Which Adams euphonium (metal gauge/metal alloy/bore size/bell size/etc.) is most similar to the ONE euphonium that Hb manufactured?"

I do appreciate your thoughts.

[Sharp]

I've tried the Adams E2 and E3, and of the two I find the E3 plays more like my Hirsbrunner euphonium. Both were standard yellow-brass models (gauges 0.80 E2, 0.60 E3).The E2 seemed closer to the Miraphone 5050.

The Sterling silver bell on the E3 is quite popular, but I've never tried it.

[BuddyRogersMusic]

Email response from Miel Adams:

"Our euphoniums are all developed in own house, but we own indeed all the Hirsbrunner tooling.

When we started the E3 we developed this horn based on Hrisbrunner tooling , but all our instruments are complete hand made from sheet metal like in the old days and we don’t use hydraulic forming from tubes.
So talking about gauge of metals, alloys, bore and bell sizes our E 3 has same bore size and bell size as the Hirsbrunner , but you can choose your alloy an gauge.

We offer brass , gold brass , red brass and solid silver alloys ( red brass and silver we use just for bells and not for the body) and we offer 0.55 mm 0.60mm 0.70 mm and 0.80 mm gauge on euphoniums."

[bloke]

Thank you very much, Chris.
I received a very similar answer privately from a knowledgeable layman.
I have a very well-preserved early Swiss-made instrument here (with a Nirschl valve set).
It (neither even worn nor dented any at all) needs very little real work to be playable but, stupidly, I have let it sit for literally decades without doing that small amount of needed work.
I would like to think that - sometime soon – I will do that work, play it until I am well accustomed to it, A/B it a good bit against my other instrument, choose between it and the other (Swiss-made) euphonium that I have been using for years, and offer the other one (whichever one that ends up being) up to anyone looking for a very nice instrument.
It’s nice having the comparative specs, and I appreciate it very much.
... I guess I will have fun playing with the alternate receiver gadgetry as well.
Finally, I’m patting myself on the back - just a little bit - for motivating myself enough to dig into the bloke attic, restore/repair (at least) some of the really nice things there, and working towards getting them sold.

[BuddyRogersMusic]

I had an Adams euph in the shop, not sure which model, but I do remember it was heavy. It played nicely but I believe I have developed a preference for lighter weight instruments. But I'm just a tuba player that dabbles in euph-land.

[bloke]

euphonium:
> I play duets with friends.
> I use it to cover "bass trombone" brass quintets and "bass trombone" church gig parts.
' certainly NOT a euphonium "artist", but a "good utility baritone player"

I had an Adams euph in the shop, not sure which model, but I do remember it was heavy. It played nicely but I believe I have developed a preference for lighter weight instruments. But I'm just a tuba player that dabbles in euph-land.

[LeMark]

I had an Adams euph in the shop, not sure which model, but I do remember it was heavy. It played nicely but I believe I have developed a preference for lighter weight instruments. But I'm just a tuba player that dabbles in euph-land.

when they offer everything from a 0.55 mm to 0.80 mm gauge, I can imagine the weight difference between top and bottom is significant

[bloke]

I had an Adams euph in the shop, not sure which model, but I do remember it was heavy. It played nicely but I believe I have developed a preference for lighter weight instruments. But I'm just a tuba player that dabbles in euph-land.

when they offer everything from a 0.55 mm to 0.80 mm gauge, I can imagine the weight difference between top and bottom is significant

There are bore differences as well...but (my strong suspicion is that) if the INTERIORS of two of them are basically identical, the TACTILE sensation of playing the heavier/lighter will be different, but the sound won't be much different at all (though - admittedly - there is a emotional/psycho-physiological reaction to holding something heavier vs. lighter, and certainly stronger vs. lighter spring tensions falls under the same category).

The super-compact Holton tuba that I've not quite finished is NOT going to be lightweight (probably 24 lbs., when finished), but it "plays/sounds" like a tuba that many would think (based on its characteristics) might be a tuba that weighs 4 - 5 lbs. less.

A wind instrument is a sympathetically-vibrating air column (based it's defined inside shape, and the individually-vibrating lip surfaces that set of the vibrations), not vibrating brass (or I would certainly hope the brass wasn't vibrating much), and neither is a tuba an "air-flow system".

Finally, "student" wind instruments are simply those with fewer bells/whistles and with (usually) intentionally-designed acoustically-mediocre interior shapes. There are not "secret" manufacturing techniques (other than more attention to detail) found in "professional"/better instruments.

To me "light vs. heavy" is little more than "more dent-resistant vs. easier to carry"...and certainly most of the same remarks go for *mouthpieces...

...and many disagree with what I typed, just above.
_____________________________________
*Two identically-shaped-interior mouthpieces (including identical rim contours/diameters) are going to produce the same types of sounds (whether globby-metal, skeletonized, brass, steel, bronze, or whatever. The only affecting difference will be in the rim - as to how smooth its surface is, and how easily it slides across a player's skin - as they move across the frequency range of their instrument. As has been observed, plastic rims tend to be more "grabby" (against skin) and brass (silver/gold plated) mouthpiece rims pick up scratches/micro-scratches (as scratches also seem to grab) extremely quickly/easily.

bloke "...but I digress..."