Posted by Steve Bloom on December 19, 2000 at 22:29:17:
In Reply to: Best Eb SOLO Horn? posted by ??? on December 19, 2000 at 18:59:06:
I don't mean to invalidate the question, but this is akin to asking who the best all time NFL quarterback is. Every horn plays differently for each player, and it is the artist who must make the decision as to what works best for them.
I've played Eb just about exclusively since 1963, and I've owned E-flats made by Conn, King (several), Martin, York, Besson (several), Mirafone (several), Yamaha, Willson, Meinl-Weston, and Hirsbrunner. I've also played a great many more. Each of them had particular qualities which were desirable for solo work, and each of them had qualities which were also undesirable in my opinion. Solo work requires the ultimate in virtuosity and range, so the player must select a horn (1) That allows the mechanical act of playing to be second nature, and (2) Should have a range that covers the entire compass. In this regard, only (2) need be subjective. The best choice would be either a multi-valve (5 or more) uncompensated horn, or a 4-valve compensated model. This is purely user choice. I prefer compensated valves, whereas some players may prefer the challenge of using different valve combinations to obtain the desired result. Also, I recommend piston valves over rotaries, as the age-old problem with "stuffiness" in rotaries pitched in Eb and F has yet to be overcome. The Besson 983 is an excellent instrument in all regards, and should be auditioned. Don't leave out the Willson, though, and Hirsbrunner has the model 488 compensated EEb. Mirafone's compensated top action EEb is a great player and is excellent for the money, and Yamaha also makes a compensated "Besson copy" with either 17.5 or 19 inch bell.
Best advice: Try them and pick what works best for you