Another vintage Olds instrument has been sold within days.

The highly collectable Olds ‘Recording’ Bb trombone is always an instrument which generates lots of interest when one becomes available so Steve - our Brass Department Manager - was geared up to receive lots of phone calls when one was sent to the shop to sell on a commission sale basis, however the second customer in the shop who was given the trombone to play purchased it straight away!

The Olds Recording is unique in the fact that the inner slides are ‘fluted’ rather than round and it has been a favourite with many top players over the years in the Big Band circuit.

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IF you take an initial glance at the wide range of euphoniums available in the modern world it will seem like a very bewildering prospect of actually finding the one that suits you best, so our Brass Department have drawn up this easy no nonsense guide to Euphoniums.

 Euphoniums can be split into 3 categories:     
 3 valve Euphs
 4 valve Non Compensating Euphs
 4 valve Compensating Euphs

3 Valve Euphs – Generally considered to be ‘student’ level as they only have 3 valves (rather than 4) which makes them light and easy to use especially for younger players. Our best selling ‘student’ 3 valve euphonium is our very own JP074 with prices from £344 inc. VAT.

The 4^th valve on a euphonium increases it’s range by 2 ½ tones downwards when used. The 4^th valve on euphoniums played in the UK is usually separated from the main valve block and is played with the left hand. Non Compensating euphoniums are considered a step up from the starter 3 valve instrument as it offers the player access to the lower range but may have a tendency to play sharp.
Non Compensating models start from £420.

Compensating 4 valve euphoniums are considered to be advanced models as not only have the 4^th valve but also have extra tubing called ‘knuckles’ which ensures that the instrument plays more accurately in tune. Due to the extra tubing, larger bell and bigger bore the compensating euph is heavier than other models but the result is a much larger / rounder sound. Tuning can be further refined by the addition of a main slide trigger which can be found on certain models.
Prices for compensating euphs start from £700 for a JP274 right upto nearly £6000 for Sterling / Besson and Yamaha professional euphoniums.     

If you would like any more information about euphoniums, contact Steve on steve@johnpacker.co.uk or call 01823 282386 (option 1).