Posted by Scott F. on December 20, 2002 at 12:29:01:
In Reply to: Help searching for new euphonium posted by Stickboy on December 20, 2002 at 09:41:31:
You are correct that the Holton and Bach 4 valve in-line euphs are Yamaha 321's.
The Weril instruments are very nice and offer a good full sound for the price. The fit and finish are still better on the Yamaha instruments, but you'll pay for it.
The Miraphone compensating euphs are very consistent in intonation and quality. I played 5 of them last year at the ARMY-TEC and couldn't tell the difference between them. They have a VERY DARK sound. The Meinl euph is very consistent in quality but inconsistent in intonation. Of the 6 I played two weeks ago, 2 had decent intonation, 2 had barely manageable intonation, and 2 had unmanageable intonation. The Eb above middle Bb is the primary culprit. The Meinl 451 reminded me of a Besson. Or you could go with the guy who posted below for the Willson euph. That is a great price!
From what you want (or at least the way it sounds to me), I'd save your money and stay with the non-compensators. Ask yourself this question: Do you have a need for the compensation?
The YEP-321 (and its Holton and Bach variants) and the Weril are excellent choices.
Good luck.