Posted by Tony E on November 20, 2002 at 14:25:18:
In Reply to: New King 2341 review? posted by Andrew Loree on November 20, 2002 at 10:51:17:
Andy,
The new model King 2341 that I had was a very good horn. It's the only one I've played though, and as you can see from the posts, you could end up playing several before you find one you like. You should expect to see some sloppy soldering and finish work. In general, though, when you find one that plays well (and some absolutely do), it's arguably the best bang for the buck out there in a new BBb horn.
Last night one of the guys showed up at Brass Band with a new Miraphone 1291 BBb, with 4 pistons and 1 rotor. I'd read some mixed opinions on the pre-production version, so I was really suprised with it. Mechanically and ergonomically, it's top shelf (my new all time favorite in this category), and it plays very well. It's a bit more money than the King, but if it's in your budget, I would check it out.
Finally, although it's a rotary horn, I would recomend checking out the MW Fafner, which is another of the new crop of BBb horns that seem to have been done right.
Tony E