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- It costs taxpayers way too much.
- It looks no better than lacquer...usually old lacquer looks better than old silver (particularly after even a year of damage/repairs).
- ORIGINAL "corps" did NOT march with silver plated instruments. Being "not dumb" (at least "back then"), theirs were chrome-plated, as is percussion hardware.
- When your children beat the hell out of instruments, it takes much longer to repair areas such as this (which was 50% depth creased), because - were I to anneal a silver plated surface - the silver would burn away (so I can't do that), where as - if I anneal a lacquered surface - (YES, the lacquer will burn away, BUT) I can polish the brass and spray new lacquer in its place.





For those of you who are really fond of King euphoniums, this is a King MARCHING euphonium. I just measured the bell (up-and-down). I have to assume that the 2280 bell is the same as this one. The King euphonium bell is no larger than run-of-the-mill bells (ex: Yamaha, Willson, et al)...so - whatever it is you like about the King euphoniums - it may not be the bells (??). The mouthpipe (at least on this marching thing) looks to be quite large (??).

I tried to get king to offer a 12" bell model, (with or without a 5th valve) but I was told they were more than happy offering intermediate level instruments

I really really like my 2280 on every way. If I didn't I wouldn't have sold my amazing short action Adams E3, but I do sometimes wish the bell was a little better (higher quality brass and 12")

LeMark wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 3:53 pm I tried to get king to offer a 12" bell model, (with or without a 5th valve) but I was told they were more than happy offering intermediate level instruments

I really really like my 2280 on every way. If I didn't I wouldn't have sold my amazing short action Adams E3, but I do sometimes wish the bell was a little better (higher quality brass and 12")

It's not the pancake diameter that (ok "I") believe makes much sonic difference...I'm referring to the entire contour.
King: "regular"
"quality" - seems perfectly fine to me

Well you would hope that if it was a larger bell, it would be larger throughout, but then again that might mess up the outstanding intonation the 2280 has

LeMark wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 4:14 pm Well you would hope that if it was a larger bell, it would be larger throughout, but then again that might mess up the outstanding intonation the 2280 has

I tend to believe most tuning is previous to the "amplifier" portion of an instrument.

I also tend to believe that it's past the "capillary" (mouthpipe and mouthpiece) portion of the instrument.

My Meinl-Weston (perhaps the largest) was shunned by most players.
(They will still build them, and a few websites offer them - c. $12,500 - but only on special order.)

Here's what (I suspect) most euphonium players don't understand about Meinl-Weston euphoniums:
- Unlike other makes, most of the slides on M-W need to be pulled OUT (not "within an 1/8th inch of all the way in").
- B&S (aka M-W) made a huge/stupid mistake on the #3 compensating circuit...a FOUR INCHES (too short) mistake...Once I remedied that, the low range was no longer "stuffy"...(ie. Many don't seem to be able to analyze that some pitches are "stuffy" on some models because the instrument is trying to play them WAY out-of-tune...They are BENDING them to get them in-tune, which makes them seem to be "stuffy".)

...With the slides pulled OUT (to their best positions) and four inches added to that circuit, it's just fine (and with the #3 compensating circuit remedied, the M-W low range is "killer"). Could it use a "trigger"? meh...IN MY VIEW, MOST euphoniums could "use" one (or not). MOST euphoniums feature quite a few tuning flaws (including King). Some are greater/lesser on some pitches and others with other pitches. Yamaha (which people like to claim offers "excellent" intonation) is not a particular "walk in the park".





Miraphone 5050 (another B.A.E.) is surprisingly good:


Notice the luxuriously "slightly flat" tendencies with the Miraphone 5050.
THAT'S what to look for (ok...at least: ME).
LOUD playing does what? (creeps sharp)
What's easier, lipping up or down. (duh: UP)