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Besson Eb

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2022 1:21 pm
by hrender

Re: Besson Eb

Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2022 5:58 am
by humBell
Also
Or at least Eb is what the seller thinks...

I have my doubts, and would personally expect a BBb if i got it without asking for dimensions first (and use the proce of shipping as my way of checking)

Image

So um... debatable if it belongs in this thread... But i kinda like the asthetic of this layout...

Re: Besson Eb

Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2022 8:04 am
by 2nd tenor
The second Tuba is a British compact BBb; my guess is that because it looks small it was considered (anticipated in error) to a an Eb.

As a youth I sat next to someone who played on one just like that one - at a guess that Tuba is upwards of seventy five years old.

Edit. There you go: https://simonettitubacollection.com/ins ... -3-piston/

Re: Besson Eb

Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2022 8:40 am
by LargeTuba
Eb I think. I’ve owned basically the same tuba.

Re: Besson Eb

Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2022 12:25 pm
by iiipopes
humBell wrote: Wed Oct 12, 2022 5:58 am Also
Or at least Eb is what the seller thinks...

I have my doubts, and would personally expect a BBb if i got it without asking for dimensions first (and use the proce of shipping as my way of checking)

Image

So um... debatable if it belongs in this thread... But i kinda like the asthetic of this layout...
I have owned the BBb version of a Besson 3-valve comp tuba. I can tell you that the Ebay listing is an Eb. Look at the 3rd valve slide and how much shorter it is than a BBb 3-valve comp version, as well as the body overall. Representative pic of a BBb:
BBb Comp.jpg
BBb Comp.jpg (137.25 KiB) Viewed 703 times

Re: Besson Eb

Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2022 12:41 pm
by arpthark
Yeah, the BBb compensator also has that extra top branch above the valves. The eBay ad above is an eefer.

Re: Besson Eb

Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2022 4:49 am
by humBell
So just to be clear, there are two ebay ads in this thread:

The original post is a lacquered Besson 3 valve Blaikley compensated Eb being sold from Los Vegas.

And second post is silver finish Besson 3 valve uncompensated compact BBb (we believe, with confirming simonette example) misidentified as an Eb by seller out of the UK. So, being smarter than that, i shouldna posted it in this thread in the first place...

Sorry for the confusion. My bad.

Re: Besson Eb

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2022 8:49 am
by cjk
humBell wrote: Fri Oct 14, 2022 4:49 am ...

The original post is a lacquered Besson 3 valve Blaikley compensated Eb being sold from Los Vegas.

....
appears to be listed for about 3 times what it's worth IMHO. :laugh:

Re: Besson Eb

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2022 11:34 am
by 2nd tenor
There are two different Besson Tubas being discussed in the thread. The silver plated one is a BBb and the brass lacquered one is an Eb

I’m not sure what would be a reasonable price for the (lacquered brass) one listed in the USA but my guess is that it’s overpriced by around double. Pricing aside I think that it might make a very nice player for someone (it’s a bit of gamble). Whilst I like three valve Eb’s they aren’t popular in the USA so resale values are questionable, it’s not a USA made instrument so potential resale is further questionable, Eb’s (apparently) only fit in with some music groups in the USA and I’m wary of the stuffiness sometimes found when actually using a compensating system. Someone might well find that my concerns on playing characteristics don’t materialise and be unconcerned about the price - if there’s a later loss then it might be for a big percentage of the purchase price but it still won’t actually be a massive amount of money. Small Eb’s can be a real joy to play …

I've a four valve compensating Eb - which only compensates when the fourth valve is depressed - and a three valve non-compensating Eb. It might go against conventional wisdom but I prefer playing through valves that aren’t using a - or their - compensating circuit: the sound quality is (I find) noticeably better and if you can pull or trigger the associated slides then the instrument can play in near to perfect ‘pitch’. I do not see traditional USA made Tubas using compensating valves and reckon that that’s the better way, but I’m just a humble amateur and obviously know nothing.

The silver plate Tuba (UK listed) is, I think, listed for between three and four times what it’s worth; some folk list stuff on eBay at silly prices and occasionally someone will bite.

Re: Besson Eb

Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2022 10:58 pm
by humBell
https://www.ebay.com/itm/275491217243

Image

Having made the mistake of putting a BBb besson in this thread because the seller said it was Eb, am i now attoning for it by putting an Eb in here seller says is a Euphonium?

But in the description say it is a Prototype Eb. Are there Eb Euphs? (if i actually look at it a second time and decide it is a euph, i'll post it in the relevant wtb thread)

Anyway...

Re: Besson Eb

Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2022 1:18 am
by 2nd tenor
humBell wrote: Sat Oct 29, 2022 10:58 pm https://www.ebay.com/itm/275491217243

Image

Having made the mistake of putting a BBb besson in this thread because the seller said it was Eb, am i now attoning for it by putting an Eb in here seller says is a Euphonium?

But in the description say it is a Prototype Eb. Are there Eb Euphs? (if i actually look at it a second time and decide it is a euph, i'll post it in the relevant wtb thread)

Anyway...
Judging by the first valve slide length and the wrap of the main bugle I suspect that that’s a very old (100 year ?) Eb with enharmonic valves. A similar Tuba (Eb or maybe a Euph - Euph’s are the smallest of the Tuba family and all in Bb) sold on eBay UK a couple of days ago for about £200. A cleverer person than me might lift a photo from eBay and add it here.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/tuba-silver- ... 7675.l2557
Gets confusing, well I find it so.

This thread now overlaps with: viewtopic.php?t=5002

Re: Besson Eb

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2022 2:11 am
by humBell
2nd tenor wrote: Sun Oct 30, 2022 1:18 am
humBell wrote: Sat Oct 29, 2022 10:58 pm https://www.ebay.com/itm/275491217243

Image

Having made the mistake of putting a BBb besson in this thread because the seller said it was Eb, am i now attoning for it by putting an Eb in here seller says is a Euphonium?

But in the description say it is a Prototype Eb. Are there Eb Euphs? (if i actually look at it a second time and decide it is a euph, i'll post it in the relevant wtb thread)

Anyway...
Judging by the first valve slide length and the wrap of the main bugle I suspect that that’s a very old (100 year ?) Eb with enharmonic valves. A similar Tuba (Eb or maybe a Euph - Euph’s are the smallest of the Tuba family and all in Bb) sold on eBay UK a couple of days ago for about £200. A cleverer person than me might lift a photo from eBay and add it here.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/tuba-silver- ... 7675.l2557
Gets confusing, well I find it so.

This thread now overlaps with: viewtopic.php?t=5002
I'm trying to determine if the above listing got posted here before the end of the auction, and i'm too lazy to sort out time zones and time stamps...

Meh. I still appreciate it, as i don't think i'd seen that particular lay out before. That is effectively still a blaikley comp? I do like how from the front the 1st and 3rd circuits look to be the same length while there is only a slight indication of the compensating nature of the horn. I'm with the seller, and can't tell at a glance whether it is a BBb or Eb.

Yup, Besson made comp Ebs, so i shouldn't be too surprised at overlap between the threads. And i'm nothin' if not talkative.

As for just putting pictures in? Usually there is a way in a browser to copy the link to a picture, and you can paste it into the img thing same way as a hypertext link into the link thing...

Re: Besson Eb

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2022 2:19 am
by humBell
And for the sake of completeness, the primary pics of the tuba in the above auction (what ended sometime on the 29th, but probably local time)

Image

Image

Hope it went to a good home!