Besson 983/984 discontinued?

[SALowBrassMan]

I've been toying with selling my Besson 983 and switching to a government-owned MW 45 SLP F tuba as my bass tuba... but every time I play this Besson, I'm reminded how fantastic it is... and how I've never cared for these 45 series F tubas. Maybe I'll keep the Besson... I don't have it listed for sale

If you decide to sell, please let me know, thanks!

[tubaing]

Riddle me this: I’ve played oodles of Besson 3+1 eefers but never tried a 983. Do they play similarly?

My brain automatically associates Eb with 3+1, so I’m not sure how well the four inline compensating fingers would do. It would require a lot of unlearning related to playing a fair amount of 4 valve non-compensating instruments.

I have a Besson 983 and a York 3082 (Besson 982 stencil). The 983 has a 17 inch bell. The 3082/982 have a 19 inch bell. I like them more pretty good... I prefer the 983.. I don't know if that's the big difference, but I find the 983 to be a bit more zippy/bright? I don't exactly know why, but I found I rather like the 3+1 on euphonium and 4 in line on the Eb even though I've had both on both instruments.

[bloke]

I tend to wonder if Buffet backed off of the 983 because Eastman killed their sales. I played one of the Eastman things, and it's pretty good.
I just personally use the E-flat tubas for things other than what a bell of that size would do for me, and I just don't like using the pinky finger as the (so-called) "F attachment" on a compensating system.

[MiBrassFS]

The 983’s highest profile user was also wooed away with a prototype in blue lacquer from another maker (that was never produced…). So, maybe that made it a back burner kind of instrument. They did put a lot of work into the new version of the 983 that’s rarely seen. Politics are a funny thing.

“Just conjecture on my part.”

[Ruigekerel]

I tend to wonder if Buffet backed off of the 983 because Eastman killed their sales. I played one of the Eastman things, and it's pretty good.
I just personally use the E-flat tubas for things other than what a bell of that size would do for me, and I just don't like using the pinky finger as the (so-called) "F attachment" on a compensating system.

This is exactly what I was thinking. Besson's front-action tubas were never really popular... I wonder why... (not sarcastic)

Then Wessex introduced some Chinese-made front-action models, but in terms of quality and sound, they’re no match for Besson.

Then came Eastman, producing a top-quality compensated front-action Eb tuba. I’m curious how well it plays. If I can’t find or afford a Besson, that’s the next one I’d try.

[bloke]

I always pipe up with this when the 45SLP gets mentioned, but if the leadpipe didn’t whack me in the middle of my forehead when I try to play it, I might like it more. I think they play okay, just an ergonomic nightmare for me.

Short guy problems…

Riddle me this: I’ve played oodles of Besson 3+1 eefers but never tried a 983. Do they play similarly?

My brain automatically associates Eb with 3+1, so I’m not sure how well the four inline compensating fingers would do. It would require a lot of unlearning related to playing a fair amount of 4 valve non-compensating instruments.

Having sorta "mastered" the 3+1 comp thing (decades ago: euphonium / later: E-flat) why should I RE-learn it using my weakest finger as the compensating range "anchor"?
ie...With the 3+1 system, the 4th "compensating" valve behaves very much like a trombone F-attachment. As it DOES behave in that way (and not like a NON-compensating 4th valve), the WAY THAT I REMEMBER THAT I'M PLAYING A COMPENSATING INSTRUMENT is for the 4th valve to be (as with a trombone) operated by the left hand.

far more topical:
I dunno of the B&S-made Besson-badged knockoffs of the original UK-made 983's are still made (though I suspect they'd happily accept and process an order for a dozen of them), but the Chinese-made similar one (though over $7-freakin' thousand dollars from Music&Arts ) is pretty good (other than - again - for me the 4-valve/front-action/compensating/brain-scramble and pinky-anchoring thing).

[Fivevalves]

Still available on this side of the pond...

https://philparker.co.uk/products/besso ... uba-outfit