Posted by js on October 26, 2003 at 15:35:16:
In Reply to: Euphonium for HS Freshman posted by Tim I on October 25, 2003 at 17:15:37:
For all practical purposes, the Yamaha YEP-321 (and a very good replica of it, the Weril 980) are "professional" grade euphoniums. Certainly, both would be dream-come-true instruments for a 9th grader.
"Uppity" euphonium players are stuck on a valve system called "4-valve compensating". If an instrument isn't rigged up with this valve system, regardless of how well the instrument plays they don't consider it to be "professional"...' kinda funny - This same system is available on tubas, and though a few tuba players (percentage-wise) purchase "4-valve compensating" instruments, most tuba players avoid this system like the plague.
In the 1970's Yamaha developed an "add-on" gadget that can be inserted in place of the 4th valve slide of a YEP-321 that offers nearly all of the advantages of "4-valve compensating" without all of the bulk. Indeed, this system was basically the same system that most tuba players prefer. Though long discontinued, one can still find these gadgets for sale occasionally (if one indeed believes their small advantage to be important). I think there is someone in the Bay area who makes replicas of these and sells them for $500 (much cheaper than the extra expense of a "4-valve compensating" euphonium, being that brand new "4-valve compensating" euphoniums are $3XXX & up).
I had a couple of the "original" compensating add-on Yamaha gadgets in stock. They fit both Yamaha 321 euphoniums and Weril 980 euphoniums (again, the Weril is a very close copy of the Yamaha). I sold one of the gadgets and still have one in stock. I sell the Weril euphoniums at competitive prices. If I happen to have one of those (original Yamaha) gadgets in stock (as I do now - 1 ), I offer the Yamaha gadget with the purchase of a euphonium for $395. Otherwise, the Yamaha gadget "alone" (when available from me) is $495.
Roughly speaking, from me a Weril (lacquer finish) 4V euphonium + (if available) the "compensating" add-on gadget is under $1500, and under $1000 without the gadget.
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The only "real" think the add-on gadget does (or a "4-valve compensating" instrument, for that matter) is to offer the approximately in-tune playability of 4 pitches below the normal written range of the instrument. The "4-valve compensating" or the "add-on" gadget feature is only used approximately 1% of the time by 1% of the players, yet much $$$ is spend on the "compensating" feature by many players.