I was a euphonium player in college, majored in music ed, and have been teaching high school marching band for the last ten years. I picked this horn up so that I would have my own instrument for private lessons. The price is perfect. Any baritone/euphonium worth owning forever will generally set you back K-K (good manufacturer, compensating system, well constructed valves, etc)… but for under 0 this thing is amazing.

I’ve been playing this for a few hours per week since the end of January 2013. The valve action feels nice, and they take oil well. The intonation is not perfect, but certainly within my ability to correct. Since the bore is pretty small, and tapers more rapidly than a good concert instrument, the tone is a little thin in lower registers and it is occasionally difficult to get notes to speak near the bottom of the range. The upper range is bright without being crass or strident, and the horn will handle a decent amount of air without being pushed past its limits.

The metal of the body doesn’t feel thin like many Chinese or Indian-made horns. The joints in the bracing feel solid and well built, as does the valve train construction. I was skeptical about the stainless steel pistons… they seem alright for now. I suppose time will tell.

The stock mouthpiece is unmarked, but looks, feels, and sounds like a 12C. This mouthpiece/horn combination is alright (possibly one of the very few acceptable uses of a 12C other than as a projectile), but the horn really sounds nice with a Schilke 51D. Throw the stock valve oil away, and pick up some Blue Juice or Al Cass Fast Oil. Also, the sooner you give it a good bath the happier you’ll be. There was a lot of grime on the pistons and casings from manufacturing, and simply oiling the valves will not remove it. This is generally true with any brass instrument when purchased new.

The case is molded styrofoam with a faux-fur lining, internal mouthpiece cup, zippered side pouch, and D-rings and 2 straps so it can be carried over-the-shoulder or as a backpack. Very lightweight, but feels quite solid. The zippers are heavy enough to handle the weight of the instrument inside, and I suspect they will last a while.

Are you getting an instrument that will take you to Carnegie Hall? No… but it’s also 1/10th the price. Also, it’s a euphonium… you’ll be lucky to get a job doing something other than delivering pizza with an instrument of ANY price, so you may as well save your money.

I bought this for my 11 year old son for his first year of band. The school has a contract with a local music store that charges per month to rent a similar instrument. It is smaller than the rental baritone, but easy to handle for a 6th grade beginning band student. The instrument is light weight, easy to hold, and the keys are smooth and durable. The mouth piece is removable, and easy for little hands to take off and clean. The case is very durable and has compartments for cleaning supplies, gloves, and a music book. It is very nice for a first time student and priced just right.

for school band this was the best and least expensive option we could find. after a rental experirnce with option to buy for ,800.00 this was a great find and the quality is surprisingly very good for the price