Posted by Lew on July 14, 2002 at 08:45:19:
In Reply to: Finish posted by Sebastian C. on July 13, 2002 at 20:44:33:
I have the King 2341 in a satin finish. I wanted satin because I liked the way it looked, and one of the satin ones played the best of the ones I tried. Satin will tarnish like bright silver, but I find that fingerprints aren't as obvious on it as on bright silver. Laquer is probably the easiest finish to maintain and will save over $500 on the cost of a King 2341, which is enough for a hard case.
The King has a great sound and is very easy to play. The only downside is that I find it can easily be overblown. After getting used to the horn that is easy to avoid.
I have heard good things about the Getzen, but not to use as a BBb. It sounds like you are looking for a BBb horn, and I understand that the Getzen plays great as a CC, but is not nearly as good when configured as a BBb. This makes sense because you make it a BBb by rerouting through the 5th valve tubing, so the extra tubing for BBb isn't in the main bugle.
I don't like the Conn 5J (their 4 valve BBb) as much as the King. I find it less open, especially in the low end. Other piston BBbs in about the same price range as the King are the VMI 3301 and Jupiter 582. I like the King better than either of them, but you should try them for yourself to see since everyone's playing is a little different.