Posted by K on February 19, 2004 at 15:37:35:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Besson with recording bell posted by Frank on February 18, 2004 at 21:56:17:
That information was not available and could not be seen from the seller's photo by even the sharpest eye, as the receiver is behind the bell. But that large receiver certainly makes the instrument in question much more useable.
This model and its 3 or 4 valve equivalents in Eb and Bb all have my interests. Honestly because they are just about the ugliest tubas ever made. Especially on the BBb's it is obvious, that Besson did not redesign the body frame to fit the bell front versions. Somehow they just bent the existing bell forward, added to its diameter, and made it detachable (technically this of course is wrong, yet the effect is just about as said). An implication is that the leadpipe was lowered to below the original "horizontal" level. The valves and the top bow sit far too high. An if the tuba is not held almost perpendicular to the player's body, then there might occur some problems with reading the music and seeing the conductor.
But then this tuba has another feature, which makes it quite interesting, if the valves are not shot: the price. Of course the current exchange rate does not tell the full story of local money value, but the price of $670.00 translates to less than DKr. 4000.00, which will buy nobody any playable tuba here. If I were not obliged to calculate $200 or $300 in shipping plus import taxes at 30% of the combined buying and shipping costs, then I would buy this instrument for the mere fun of it. And then use it for practising my weakest playing element: the handling of resistance. I feel much more at home at larger instruments, but of course will benefit from practising on instruments, which I don't find comfortable.
Summa summarum: if the valves are OK, then this tuba is a good buy for those, who will accept its ugliness.
Klaus