Buying a Brass Instrument - Brand New or Used?

I get asked all the time about buying brass instruments. On Facebook, I also see the same question being asked related to which instrument should be purchased. New or old?

OLD vs NEW can be confusing!

I am going to discuss generally about any brass instrument but further down the article I will get a bit more euphonium specific!

Typical sort of Facebook instrument question.

The answers to this question from Facebook users always say the same sort of things:

1) Buy a brand new instrument (with suggestions to which one).

2) Buy an old instrument from an era when they were made better.

My advice is always the same, and you absolutely must consider these points.

• Make sure you test the instrument you are planning on buying before buying it.

• Can you make it sound how you want to sound?

• Can you do everything you need to do on the instrument?

• Is it in perfect working order?

• Does it fit your needs?

• Is it within your budget?

• Is the instrument going to last?

Beware though because these sorts of thoughts might lead you in the wrong direction.

• Is the instrument the most expensive on the market and/or out of your budget?

• Am I buying it because my favourite player or friend has one?

• Am I avoiding instruments made in certain countries?

• Am I relying on advice from someone without experience or random social media comments?

• Am I relying on advice from someone who benefits financially if you buy the instrument?

• Do I just like the look of it?

• Are you looking for the cheapest instrument out there?

• Is the instrument in poor condition?

To be honest, both of these lists could go on and on, but hopefully you get the point. When I was growing up, there was one instrument brand (Besson / Boosey & Hawkes) which was recommended to everyone. I did not know or care about any other brands, I just purchased an instrument that was recommended to me, there really were not other options.

Nowadays, there are around ten good brands to consider and at least another ten that you should probably avoid.

Also, when I was growing up, there were two or three 'famous' euphonium players and they all played the same brand (Besson). I imagine this would be the same for all types of brass instruments, Bach trumpets for example.

So, because of how this was in the 70/80's even 90's it has left an impression that if you can find an old instrument to buy then it has probably stood the test of time and will continue to survive forever. This, on the one hand is true. Craftmanship and material quality were considered to be better, but is that really the case?

I had a brand new instrument around 1995, and not long after having it, it needed to go back because there was a major issue with the valves. I have also known players buy older instruments and have no end of problems with them, making them unreliable for live performance.

My advice would always be to buy something new. If you can find an ex-demo or one year old instrument, then fine, you might get a good deal. I would personally avoid those old instruments from over 40 years ago unless you are a collector or you want a project.

Old VS New - Pros and Cons

Lets weigh up some pros and cons of buying an old second hand instrument verses a brand new one, starting with my reasons why not to buy the old one:

• The 'rare' nature can make them very expensive for what they are.

• They could be filled will all sorts of nasty germs and bacteria.

• You probably get no guarantee or warranty.

• Parts for it might be difficult to get hold of.

• The sound achievable could be dated, smaller sounding than the modern versions.

• It's history, maintenance, repairs, bodge jobs might all be hidden.

• It might leak, make your hands go green or stain your clothes.

• It might have dents in places that are impossible to fix.

• Valves or parts were not designed with the modern players technical abilities in mind.

• It might be very out of tune compared to what we expect.

All of these points might not put someone off and as long as you are getting a good price and you are happy with how the instrument plays, then it could just be fine and owning a piece of history might be important to you. But what about buying new, what would be my reasons for buying new?

• You should get a perfect working instrument.

• It could be an instrument designed by the very best modern musicians.

• It should come with a good manufactures guarantee / warranty.

• It might come with a retail shop warranty and aftercare service.

• It probably has a modern style of case to keep it safe.

• It has never been played by anyone else.

• Parts, accessories and upgrades will be available.

• You might be able to customise the instrument.

• The instrument might have a range of options (finish, aesthetics, ergonomics, tuning features etc).

• You can probably negotiate on the price.

• You can probably part exchange your old instrument.

• Depending on the brand, it will probably help you achieve a bigger sound.

• You will probably be able to play faster, higher, lower, louder, softer on it.

• It is probably made over and over and over, meaning the consistency of quality is good.

Again, these lists could go on and on. So what about when it comes to your budget, and the top of the range instruments are out of reach? This could be a time when a customer starts to consider the older instruments but I would be careful. Do some research and you will find good, well designed, well made budget options out there which will probably do everything you need.

Made in China

There has been a lot of bad press recently about 'Chinese' made instruments but as with anything, the quality varies greatly and you get what you pay for. Is an expensive Chinese made instrument better than and cheaper Chinese made instrument, probably yes. Is an expensive Chinese made instrument better than a cheaper made Western or European instrument, probably yes.

There are so many variables to consider but there are Chinese made instruments which have been carefully designed and thought about, with an influence at factory, manufacturing level from British, European or American companies, so never be too quick to be put off by instruments made in China. Almost everything else you use probably is and you don't question it.

So far, everything I have written could be applied to any musical instrument. But what about euphonium specific, what would I recommend?

The Sky is the Limit? £8k+

On an unlimited budget, Adams Musical Instruments are the market leader at the moment. Cutting edge design, breathtakingly beautiful instruments which are now being played by the very best out there. Read my recent blog where I tested some!

On a Budget? £2-3k

The John Packer JP374 or JP374T are by far the very best value for money instruments out there. I have tested them for years and they always come out on top, even when tested alongside instruments three times the price. I reviewed them here.

Second Hand? £5k

If I had to buy second hand, I would try and find a British-made Besson Prestige euphonium. I used to play one and it was brilliant.

Avoid List

I know it is cruel to name brands I would avoid but you could save yourself the time wasted in trying them. Or try them and see for yourself, this is the beauty of hosting my own blog, I always give honest advice based on my experience. What suits me, might not suit you, so as mentioned earlier, trying before buying is the most important advice you can take.

I would avoid all of these:

Wessex, old Courtois, early Sterling, anything over 20 years old, any unbranded instruments, Wisemann, Gear4Music, anything plastic, anything on Temu or Amazon and.... I think you get the point.

So, if you have lots of money, it is an easy decision, lucky you. If you are in the budget range and need to chose between a brand new, well recommended Chinese instrument or a 40 year old relic, I would go brand new all the time.

In the middle price range, there are actually not a lot of options and again, focussing on euphoniums, I hope the new Sterling Virtuoso will be a serious option for all players looking to spend a bit more but not need a loan! News on this will appear HERE.

I hope this blog post is useful and thanks for reading! ❤

Mark Glover

17/9/25