I get a lot of questions about Bessons and often I can only give very general answers. 5796 bore Bell 12 Compensatingġ76 8-10 Bell Up �.5796 bore Bell 11 Compensatingġ80 8-10 4v Bell Front. Besson (Paris) Brevete - Mediun Large Bore Bell 4.815ġ30 F Besson (Paris) Meha - Large bore Bell 4.815ĥ0 10-10 Gilding Bell. ^ Brass Bulletin -2002 'À l'instar des cornets de Courtois (modèles 'Koenig', 'Arban', 'Levy' et autres) qui sont abondamment copiés dès le milieu du XIXe siècle, la plupart des facteurs de cornets s'inspireront des modèles 'Desideratum' et 'Concertiste' de Besson.Although the relationship of the intervalve portings to the placement of valve slides, and bell and leadpipe articulation to the valves, is geometrically identical in both the Desideratum and the Concertiste. the Desideratum was their second most expensive. Thompson, François Tonneau Perspectives in Ethology: Evolution, Culture, and Behavior 2000 - 'Whereas the Concertiste was Besson's most expensive model, at least from the 1890s to the advent of World War I. Harvard University Band, owner of a triple B flat Besson, one of the largest playable Tubas in the world.There was also a model made by Framus in the Besson name designed by jazz guitarist Jack Durante.
These guitars were imported and often rebranded. Very Rare Conn 'Rosebrook' Bb Trumpet Circa 1923īesson guitars were produced in the 1950s. The Benge MLP, long a favorite of lead players, is a direct copy of these old Besson 'Brevettes.' A truly sensational trumpet to play. 464' bore.' Anything Robb tells me I take as fact, he is the man, along with Niles Elderedge who has compiled the best Besson dating chart I know of. The Rapuana versions are usually medium bore, but this one (a pre- WWII Meha he has) is ML (.460'). Information on these old pre-Boosey & Hawkes (pre- WW II) Bessons is hard to come by, but, noted vintage brass expert and master technician Robb Stewart told me this 'The large bore (.468') MEHA didn't appear until after WWII.
Besson had a few different models the 'Fabrication', the 'Meha' (named after one of the Besson family daughters), and the 'Brevete', (which actually just means patented), like the one pictured here from my collection is a. Bach, Benge, Schilke, Olds, Conn, King, etc they all studied and tried to copy the designs of these great old horns.
The standard by which all other trumpets are judged is the orignal French Besson trumpet.
This one is a Rapuano that I was able to restore recently.445 bore but surprisingly free and powerful. with the medals), -set up with third slide tuning-with the throw ring below and the stop rod on top this is the ax that Bach copied (but with the ring on top-the stop rod on the bottom) (Besson thought you shouldn't have your left hand in contact with the bell-so they set it up lower).The other was Joseph Rapuano-who brought in a model we have never seen for sale in Europe-but which is a throw back to their earliest days (I have a 1888 'Rapuano): long third valve slide, no tuning first valve tuning (again underneath-). One was the Leisch boys (Oscar, predominantly)- who brought in what would have been a normal 'Grands Prix' trumpet (i.e. This French Besson trumpet was made sometime in the mid 30's probably and rather then me bore you with opinion I will post what I learned from noted authority Niles Eldredge: 'Two concerns were importing Besson trumpets to NY in the 1930s- both without the Besson name, as it was ilegal to import Bessons from France then (because the English branch kept anglophone export rights when they bought out the French family in 1895-1896).Both said only 'Fabrication Francaise Perfectionée' Later, there was the diamond Meha stamp added.