Eastman EEP321 vs. John Packer JP274

[Blissman53]

I'm one of the new guys here but have some weighty questions.
I come from the normal 5th grade thru 12th grade trumpet player with 40+ year gap in playing, 60 now. Been renting an Eastman EEP321 3 valve
euphonium for 2 months now to give some low brass to our local college band and maybe even our church praise team where I play flugelhorn. Really like the Eastman and playing euphonium in general but looking to try a JP274 that Matonizz plays. Main motivation is better tone, perhaps darker too. Similar price as the Eastman but the JP is compensating.

I'm concerned that being compensating means I will have to re-learn fingering.

Anybody have experience with these two instruments? Similar tone? Quality? Playability?

Given I read only treble clef does it make sense to pursue a compensating instrument or is it too soon in my low brass career to get that complex of an instrument?

Will reading bass clef be beneficial? How hard is it to learn a new clef fingering and does anyone have any recommendation on how they made such a transition from treble to bass? This sounds like a challenging proposition.

Hope these aren't silly questions. Would appreciate any advice you experts might for these areas.
Thanks for your advice in advance.
Jody

[Schlepporello]

As far as your fingerings are concerned, compensating means nothing. Your fingerings will remain the same and Baritone Treble Clef parts should be readily available. If your church group doesn't have these parts, the difficulty will arise there. My only suggestion is that you'd also need to learn Bass Clef or find someone willing to write you out a part in Treble Clef. I'm sorry that I can't help you out with fingering suggestions, I only read Bass Clef myself.

[LeMark]

The fingerings will change below Low E. (F# in treble clef)

[Mary Ann]

I got a community orchestra position almost immediately after I got my Eb tuba. I did not know the Eb fingerings well yet, and there I was. I xeroxed the music and wrote in the fingerings and just learned them over a period of about three months. I have learned several new clefs (fingering patterns) as an adult (and as an older adult) and you basically just do it. If you know what the concert pitch is of the dot on the page, and you understand how the valve combinations will work to get you that pitch, you can figure out all the fingerings and you learn the name of the note at the same time. Given that you already play the instrument, from there you just sight read as much music as you can so that the fingerings become automatic.

[Blissman53]

Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone and for the vote of confidence.

[LeMark]

As we talked about thru email, the 274 is a fabulous instrument that I owned for years before I sold all my euphoniums with the 4th valve on the side. I just gave up that battle in favor of one with all 4 valves in the right hand, plus a 5th valve operated by the left thumb

You aren't going to do better for the money. Contact @bloke for the best price

[bloke]

CLEFS:

I learned to read B-flat treble clef (as well a C treble clef)...
I would strongly recommend learning bass clef.
Less and less baritone/euphonium music is available in treble clef.

I'm reading B-flat treble clef (euphonium, even though I'm - overwhelmingly - a tuba player) this week (good-paying gig).

I'm reading bass clef (euphonium, even though I'm - overwhelmingly - a tuba player) next week (good-paying gig).

What does it hurt to be able to do more things?

===========================

THE 3+1 COMPENSATING SYSTEM

EVERYTHING that you do with three valves will STILL DO EXACTLY THE SAME STUFF, if you ignore the 4th valve (over there on the side).
IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO, you can play your 1-3 pitches with 4, and your 1-2-3 pitches with 2-4, and you will enjoy better tuning with those two otherwise 1-3 and two otherwise 1-2-3 pitches.

Further - when you get down to "LOW G" - actually sounds as an F, as you know - (with the 4th button remaining depressed), you can execute your regular chromatic downward pattern...

2
1
12
23
13
123

and play ALL THE WAY DOWN (every white and black note on the piano keyboard) to the REALLY LOW C (actually sounds as B-flat)

This is accomplished with some tricky "compensating" plumbing.
You need not understand the tricky plumbing for it to work.
All you need to understand is which buttons to mash.

Yes...I'll sell you a new 274 (cheap) but I don't particularly like selling them on approval...I prefer that someone will have already played one.
I have (reluctantly) sold them on approval...and only one college kid returned the one sent to them (no explanation)...(I can't expect everyone to like everything that I personally happen to offer for sale, and who knows whether they even actually bought any euphonium...)

JP also offers a basic 3-valve, if that's all you need. They aren't just cheap from me, but CHEAP.

[Blissman53]

Good info bloke. You've put the fingering question in better perspective. Getting a 274 rental setup now and will rent for a month from our local store to make sure it's what I want/need for my skill level.

What are you able to do on cost? Matonizz has 274 bundles in the $2200 range that gives access to several extras, mute and access to some music.

[bloke]

How about a lot less, and you pick out your own mute, you pick out your own music, or not? If you're not in my state, I'm not obligated to collect sales tax for my state.

I'm not getting into a bidding war with anyone. I have my price which I don't advertise, and that's the price.

[anadmai]

CLEFS:

Less and less baritone/euphonium music is available in treble clef.

I'm not sure about that. IMNSHO, there are more opportunities for Euphonium players who play Treble as compared to Bass Clef. The British Brass Band world is all TC, except for the cranky Bass Trombone player.

Yes, you can get a compensating instrument and still play Treble Clef. Derek Kane, Aaron Vanderweele, and so many others who are world class Euphonium players can attest to the fact.

If you later want to learn Bass Clef, it's not that tough to teach yourself how to transpose.