Besson prestige instruments

[leisa]

Does anyone own one??
i own a prestige cornet which i had to send back a few months ago as it was peeling it then took months to send a new one to me!
i was genuinely surprised when this happened because i used to own a besson horn and a besson 600 cornet and i wassd quite impressed with besson this just jilted my opinion slightly. Although the prestige does have a beatiful sound and i am impressed with the instrument alot i think it's wonderful! has anyone else had any problems with them???

 

[Despot]

Alan Morrisson has one, or so I've been told! Heard good things about it!

One of our lads has been waiting quite a while for his. He was given an estimate of 2 months delivery, but that's well past at this stage. Supply is the only problem I've heard of so far!

Be interesting to see if anyone else has had problems with them! I hope this is a one off, and not the start of the Besson's old quality control problem!

 

[sudcornet]

I've got one; Bb Cornet, laquered. Blows great, sounds great, valves are great.....laquering's a mess...you would think it had some sort of awful, creeping disease. I'm thinking of having it plated, but can't really do without it at the mo'. A real shame that such a well designed and expensive, piece of kit can be so shoddily presented...I'm pretty sure Roger Webster was looking the other way when he, allegedly, blew it and then signed his name. So, your's is not the only one...and certainly not the first poorly built Besson! (See various other threads re; valves, plating etc.)

Sud.

 

[leisa]

yeh my first one just peeled off and went a greeny colour

 

[Valvecap]

Bought mine, arrived - sounds great - couple of dints (tiny) in it which makes me think that i am not the first to play it - its in silver, but the valves have been a little bit of a pain - the black tops move around in the holder, and the silver plate is very thin - i put a mute in and caught it on the the rim of the bell and the silver came straight off - tuning mechanism stick as well - screw would not turn. Was told if i send it back for a new one i should expect to wait 6 months +. Not ideal - plays like a dream though - well worth the money - takes a bit of getting used to - no effort to produce a sound.

 

[LU-Brasser]

In Switzerland we have a long delivery time for prestige Instruments... for example, my father have order a euph before 7 months, but it isn't delivered until now.. Then he bought a Yamaha Euph... 2 weeks for delivery...

 

[alks]

mmm

Is the quality problems down to the fact that the instrument division is nolonger part of boosey&hawks and now called 'the music company' (i think) -might be just a blip during the changeover period.

Also how does the main slide tuning trigger work? can you set it or do you have to hold the trigger in place to stay in tune with other instruments?
Is it all just extra hassle for the player?

 

[leisa]

no there should be a small screw and one way it comes out the other it goes in!!"

i was told that because the instruments come over frm america loads of bells com over with dents in which is the rason for the long waitin list cos they have to be sent back

and the thin silver is apparantly becos ages ago besson were tryin to save money and started making the coats thinner but personally i would rather pay more money for better quality than less for not as good!

 

[Aussie Tuba]

It would seem that all Besson instruments lead a lott to be desired in the Build area .
I have a Besson Tuba and apart from it being sharp and having to keep the tuning slide out a fare way , the tuning slide is loose and if tuned to a piano can somtimes fall out during a performance ./
This is the second consecutive tuba that I have had same problem with .
seems build comes 2nd to Money ( Profit )

 

[midwalesman]

Besson Blues!!!!

Nice to see someone has brought this up...

We have a full set of the cornets and believe me it was pain in the backside waiting for about 6 months to get a set which a) worked b) wasn't faulty trigger wise and c) blew properly. I was very dubious of them and had heard shortly before ordering them that a couple of band sets had been returned by certain bands. We've now had them for quite a few months now...and yeah I'm a bit of a convert to the cause but still the laquering is still going strange colours, the valves can be tempremental excellent or sticky, but the sound is very clear and easy to play. The triggers are the main concern still. I've just got used to playing around with the main slide trigger, a bit sticky now and then but I suppose a nice gimmick.
To my overall opinion, yeah worth the wait at the end of the day but I tried out a few cornets, Yamaha (hmm okay nice easy play, not sure of valves and lower register perhaps), Getzen (nah, didnt like it at all but harsh), Cortouis (nice, was okay and played pretty well) and Smith Watkins which I really really liked. Professor Smith came up with a range of instruments to try, each with different sound capabilities but in the end I think the instrument tailored to the individual would be difficult especially if players move. But I was well impressed. It came down eventually to the norm of going to Besson and the Prestige. If I were buying my own instrument I might try something different like the Smith Watkins, but am impressed that my Prestige hasnt fallen to bits yet...

 

[leisa]

well my second one is ok so faryou cant complain about the sound its just a bit dissapointin when u pay all that money and there is bits fallin off wouldnt swap it now though got too used to besson instruments!!

 

[Maestro]

I'm sure that all the top people that have prestige instruments, or any other make for that matter, then theirs will be fine.
After all, if you were going to ask someone to put their name to your instrument, would you make sure everything was exactly as they wanted it, or would you just say " Take your pick, this is what we have got!"

As I haven't been asked to endorse prestige euphs, all I can say is that having tried one as a "normal" player, I would not touch one with a barge pole. Tuning was horrific, it was scruffy, the valves were sticky and the bell actually rattled.

I tried a courtois, "Glyn Williams uses one so they must be ok", I was told by the salesman. "Yeah, and I bet he got his made to his specifications, I don't". The design of the courtois for an average "joe-public" player leaves a lot to be desired imho.

I finally went to try a Maestro, thinking that I didn't have anything to lose after the other disappointments. Boy was I wrong. The Maestro is, in my opinion, the best Euph on the market. It certainly is the best instrument I have ever played, and to think, I could easily have missed out on one.

Call me an old cynic saying what I did about the top names having the perfect instrument, but I happen to think it makes sense. There can't be all theses complaints about besson instruments, yet top players still use them?
They wouldn't be so easily bought would they? :shock: :shock:

 

[BigHorn]

Call me an old cynic saying what I did about the top names having the perfect instrument, but I happen to think it makes sense.

I dont think you are a cynic at all. I would be very surprised if the likes of Roger Webster got their instruments 'off the shelf'.
David Beckham wears Adidas Predator football boots. These are hand made using moulds of his own feet. The regular punter (who is still paying over £100 a pair) gets mass produced boot probably made in a taiwanese sweat shop.

 

[leisa]

Roger webster goes in the place where he makes them though and "experiments" hence the reason he has a silver cornet and a laquered bell!! So really his is bound to be better because he knows what he's getting as he is ther when they do it!!!

 

[JohnnyEuph]

Prestige euph

Just thought i'd add my two penneth to the discussion. I've had a couple of euphs in the past few years. I had a Sovereign (which is more similar to the Prestige than Besson would have you believe), and then a Yamaha Maestro which had a really dark sound, but had perhaps the worst valves ever! anyway, i've had my Prestige about 2 and a half years now and i have to say it is a fantastic instrument sound wise, the valves are as fast as on any cornet and there's never been big problem with tuning.

That's not to say that there aren't problems with my instrument though, the "gold" bits on it have tarnished and in places it has actually rubbed off! In my opinion titanium would look better anyway, but you'd actually think the workmanship of a top of the line instrument wouldnt just rub off... i mean, are you just supposed to look at it and not play the thing???
....... and they could have designed a lyre for it too... concert euph my arse!