I'm looking for a euphonium. Main question, does anyone know of the best place, if any, to try a Besson horn in Utah County?
I played a little bit of euphonium on a borrowed horn a few years ago. I don't remember for sure, but if I had to guess it was probably a Yamaha YEP-321. I just remember that it was an in-line 4 valve horn that was beat up by years of use at a school before my friend acquired it.
Since trombone (Conn 88HK) is my main instrument I'm not looking to spend a huge amount on a secondary horn. I have another friend who has a Mack Brass euphonium that is a clone of the Yamaha 642 and he really likes it. That horn is in the 1k range, but he suggested looking at the Wessex EP100 because it is based on the same clone, just with Wessex making some improvements before it gets to the customer. The Wessex is 1.5K.
In my search I also came across the John Packer JP247. This is priced similarly to the Wessex, but is more of a clone of a Besson euphonium. I'm hoping to find somewhere with Besson horns so I can compare my friend's Yamaha style clone to what a Besson style clone may be like so I can make a more informed decision between the Wessex and John Packer options. So far I have only found places carrying Jupiter and Yamaha.