I have the same model and I've had it for about a year now. I love everything about it. At 5:40, you can actually clip in the drip tray a certain way so that it doesn't make any extra noise
I had another friend tell me about the half clip method too, but that just seems like a strange design to me. Cool that you play a 274 though!! Are you on Instagram at all? We’ll add you to the Packer low brass group chat :)
Recently doing some research and found out that the Thomann-branded euphoniums…specifically the EP 902 and 904 are, basically, the same as the JP274 (the 904 with the addition of a tuning trigger). The EP 906 is similar to the JP374…but there are significant differences.
To be honest I’ve never even seen a different mark of JP euphonium. I’m probably the only guy in a 150+ mile radius who plays one. I will say this euphonium has definitely had some 3rd valve issues.
As a young boy my Grandfather played euphonium in a mine band in the UK. I joined the North Skelton Sliver Band at 14 and I was played with the band in the first section of the natioanl brass band contest in The Royal Albert Hall London. I traveled in Europe and even a few international events. I remember my first new instrument took a while to get set-up to my playing. I still have my old one from Grandad.) Happy playing.
Thanks for your comment! That's a very cool story. My music will always be pretty local as a hobbyist but I hope someday music will take me on a journey like that.
i just got mine yesterday for $890 and im happy to hear that it was WELL worth it! i fell in love with the massive upgrade of tone quality from my current horn, im excited to use it
@@SamuelPlaysBrass ikr! its brand new pretty much, they had accidentally dropped it while showing it to a customer before me and it got a huge dent in it. they were able to repair it practically to perfect condition but since its not “brand new” anymore they dropped the price tag on it. it is my first compensating euph and it does everything i need it to do. overall a wonderful horn and definitely a steal
Great review! I agree 100%. The JP274 is a great instrument. I have the same euphonium only in lacker and I couldn't be happier. I'm a tuba player now and only play the euphonium every now and then, but I used to play euphonium before and this horn sounds better than the old Yamaha I used to play. I have not had any issues with my valves so far and I've had the horn for about 3 years. I payed around $1500 for it and it's absolutely worth every penny in my opinion. I believe JP have their own factory in China. They are not made by Jinbao like most other stencil horns. What finally made me go for the JP was another great review of the JP274s vs Schiller Elite by Matonizz. Check it out!
@@robertmartinsenlb8ci Thanks for your comment, Robert! I’m glad the 274 is up to your standard and doing a better job than your last horn. Also congrats on getting a good set of valves! Mine unfortunately still give me grief. I have indeed seen Matonizz’ Chinese euphonium comparison (don’t remember if I consulted it directly when I was looking at options for euphoniums but I do know I watched it at some point)-it’s pretty clear that these Sterling clones designed by JP far exceed the tonal standards of the generic Jinbao clone of the Yamaha 642 that companies like Schiller or Mack sell.
I have a Besson Sovereign 967 and a JP 274. I can hear differences between them, but in my humble opinion, they seem to be in the same class. I know this opinion doesn't seem to be widely held, but the JP is truly a wonderful horn for the money, and to me, it doesn't at all seem to be lesser than the Sovereign. The Sovereign is from 1992, manufactured in England, and has a 308mm bell (I always believed it was 12" flat), .580 bore, and weighs a bit over 9lbs. The JP 274 has the common 300mm bell, .590 bore, and weighs about 10lb 4oz. The Besson has a "perfect" sound with that characteristic deep tone. The JP 274 sounds bigger and huskier, but at the same time a bit lighter and not as deep as the Sovereign. I have a feeling the JP 274 would sound even more similar to a modern Sovereign made in Germany. I've read in forums where people believe the modern Sovereigns sound a bit lighter than the older English Sovereigns. I just wanted to give a little review as I had not seen many online. I'm pleasantly surprised that the JP 274 is so good for its price. In my experience, both horns that I own are different, but neither sounds worse or lesser quality than the other.
Ivan, thank you for the comment! Sounds like you are very well informed on the matter and I'm surprised to hear your perspective and the clear amount of thought you have put into it! I'm especially surprised that the JP, being Chinese made, is actually on the heavier side. It sounds like the euphonium world is beginning to move away from the Besson-or-bust stubbornness, because I'm beginning to hear more and more about the foibles of all of Besson's different models. I would be curious to experience for myself the sound I produce on a Sovereign, because 'big and husky' is definitely a good descriptor of the JP and not always what I seek from my sound, and as I mentioned, it's dark, but definitely not the darkest or in a soloistic manner.
@@Yuribaxter2 Unfortunately they have indeed gotten a lot more expensive… This type of general euphonium design is now a lot more widely manufactured, though. John Packer, Dillon, Austin Custom Brass, and Thomann all sell these UK-designed/China-built euphoniums now. Perhaps one of those other retailers will have one at a better price? I can’t remember off the top of my head. If not, keep a close eye on the used market. Places like eBay, Reverb, and Facebook Marketplace are very handy!
I agree with your comments on Wessex at the end. I’ve bought a couple of their instruments and although their price is attractive, their fragility keeps me from buying any of their instruments for serious playing. (I do have fun with my Wessex piccolo trombone though)
Haha that sounds nuts! My friends and I talked about wanting a piccolo trombone but no one ever bothered to shell out the dough. I think Wessex and such companies are going to continue improving at very quick rates, akin to the self-learner who starts their instrument late and has technique flaws but has access to a lot of resources, judging by the path Chinese instruments have taken in just the last decade, but for the time, I think I’m safer with a JP than a Jinbao clone, yes.
I've been deciding between the Wessex and the JP274 myself. Your video is one of the most recent and detailed reviews on the JP. There aren't many reviews (equally positive and negative) on the JP, but there are a lot of positive ones on the Wessex. The only problem is, they can be anywhere from 3-8 years old (same goes for the JP). I'm trying to find a good balance between durability and tone quality. It seems the JP wins out (the tone is much more to my liking than the Wessex tbh). But there aren't very many reviews that talk about the euphos down the line after a few years. I've read about the easy tarnishing of Wessex's plating and lacquer jobs but also of the questionable build quality of a lot of JP instruments (though not specifically eupho). But as these reviews are often quite old, it's hard to tell how well they've improved. For example, Wessex had announced before that they were to harden their bells (somewhat old news, but an improvement nonetheless). They also have a supposedly impeccable return policy but being in Australia, it's quite a bit of a hassle to ship it back. There isn't much of this news from JP (unless I'd been searching through the wrong side of the internet). I have a friend who has the JP too, and what he says does align with what you have said, only that I've had trouble with finding a few people who have had experience with the Wessex for a few years. As much as I do trust my friend's opinion, as well as yours, I would love to hear from those who chose the Dolce - I'm trying to avoid any buyer's bias.
@@SamuelPlaysBrass I was wondering how tall you are but didn’t want to ask. Now I know! Playing some big tubas must be a real struggle. I am about 6 or 7 inches taller but I have relatively small hands and myriad back problems so I can relate. It would be interesting to see a sousaphone wearing you.😉
I play a Schiller Elite euphonium, and it's really quite good. It has fast, quiet valves, the metal is a good thickness and the horn sounds good. I am an adult and I'm careful with it and it has no dents. It sounds more like a yamaha euphonium, while yours is more Besson like.
Thanks for the info, Peter! Glad your Schiller lives up to your expectations. I'd heard some negative things from a friend, but it's possible he had an earlier or lower model. The Schiller is indeed designed like a Yamaha 642, and the Packer is designed after a Sterling, though I'm sure that Sterling lies closer to the Besson side of the fence. Good ears!
Hi Miguel, unfortunately I've never tried any Thomann horns, so I can't provide any useful insight. In my opinion the JP I own is the best bang for that kind of buck, but this sort of stuff takes a lot of research and comes down to personal preference. I wanted a sturdy, big-sounding compensating euphonium, and that's more or less what I ended up with.
Thomann stencils are Jinbao horns…just like Wessex, Schiller, Dillion, ACB (Doubler), Monzani, etc… John Packer claim that they “don’t do stencil horns” and that they have a “dedicated factory and design”. (Quotes taken from direct communication with them.)Not sure how to take that…they are clearly from China and priced as such. Maybe they have their own Chinese factory like Eastman???
@@iMav_ This is a late reply on my part, so my apologies. John Packer’s manufacturing is based in Taiwan. They’re different (better) instruments than typical Jinbao, and perhaps not stenciled technically speaking, though there’s a bit of contention there…
Mark, I’m afraid you missed the point entirely. I did this review in two parts and linked the playing portion in this video, the portion specifically for speaking about the horn. If you would like to hear it rather than me discussing it, follow the link.
@@michaelbavarian Hi Michael, I missed this comment as unfortunately YT doesn’t notify me about replies to existing threads. How has the JP served you?
