Posted by Jay Bertolet on March 04, 2004 at 09:20:57:
In Reply to: Willson 3400 VS Besson 983 posted by Chase Conley on March 03, 2004 at 16:41:09:
It sounds to me like you are looking for a "do it all" horn. If that's the case, the Willson is your best choice. While the Besson is a fine instrument, the ones I've played are on the small side and I would not be comfortable using such a small instrument in a concert band setting. The Willson is just the opposite, it performs really well in larger ensemble settings. Further, it makes a wonderful solo horn. I have used a few different mouthpieces with my Willson to excellent effect. I even used that horn once to do the Mendelssohn Midsummernight's Dream which is a very high, very light tuba part. I just plugged in a smaller mouthpiece and it worked like a charm.
Others have commented on the ergonomic problems of the Willson. I can't speak to their issues but I can say that my Willson fits me like a glove. I'm not tall (5'11") nor do I have large hands. I have no trouble at all using my horn and with no extra thought about it at all. I do use a tuba stand if that makes any difference. For me, my Willson lines up almost exactly like my Rudy 4/4 CC in terms of how I hold the horn. They are nearly identical from a positioning standpoint. An added bonus is that the Willson piston valves are the best I've ever seen. Every other piston horn I've owned has had what I consider to be quirky piston performance (read the valves occasionally stick). I've never had any difficulty with the Willson pistons.
Feel free to contact me anytime regarding further questions about the Willson 3400. Since I own and use one myself, I can give you plenty of information on the ins and outs of this model. You should definitely play one and see if it fits your playing approach. Good luck!
My opinion for what it's worth...