alks said:
Hi Amy,
IPlay a Yamaha Maestro, but i dont think you can get these in the USA as its a UK only instrument?-I find them difficult to place the Top A and was wondering how the Smith+Watkins is like to play high on i.e. Top A's B's And C's ect. Also the 928 soveriegn was designed by Dr Smith and therefore the S+W is probably an improved version?
Have you tried the Besson Prestige BE2028 cornet?
I have looked around the US banding scene -and it seams that you get a lot of praise - and win every competition going!!- You must be the top cornet player in the US!??.
I had a Maestro before buying a Smith Watkins. I didn't try the pleathora of pipes and just picked up the large bore (.470) K2 which was in the shop. I was amazed at the ease I could place the upper register in comparison to the Maestro (.469). A's are just there! I basically felt that the K2 was way better than the Maestro and as K2's were choosen by the SA staff band I went for what I perceived to be the middle of the road "utility" cornet.
Compared the SW to a Courtois but didn't like the Courtois as much as my Maestro. Didn't look at the Besson Prestige basically due to the rumours of problems with quality. I had looked in earnest in purchasing a Besson when I bought the Maestro and but found that every Besson I picked up had sticky valves, slides, or the silver/laquer was finished poorly. Picked up the Maestro and everything worked beautifully out of the case. So the Maestro was for me.
In terms of tone I found the Maestro a little darker than a Besson and the SW is slightly brighter than them all but not a lot in it. You can make a big noise with the Maestro
It did take me a little while to get used to the SW but prefer it now, by a long, long way, to my Maestro.
As with all these mini reviews this is my opinion at present and I reserve the right to change my mind in a fit of pique. :lol: