Besson (company)

Besson is an established manufacturer of brass instruments. It is owned by Buffet Crampon, which bought Besson in 2006 from The Music Group.

The company was formed in 1837 by Gustave Auguste Besson, who at the age of 18 produced a revolutionary design of cornet which surpassed all contemporary models. His products quickly gained a great reputation throughout Europe. In 1857 he moved to England where he built a large factory in London from which his instruments took a share of the English market and where he exported to many countries including the USA.

The modern company produces a range of cornets, tenor horns, euphoniums, tubas, French horns and baritone horns. In its history Besson also produced a number of other brass instruments, including a huge 'triple' Bb tuba.

Counterfeit 'Bessons' instruments

A flood of very poor quality Indian-made instruments bearing the name "Bessons" entered the market in the late 1990s. They are completely unrelated to the Besson instruments manufactured by the company with that name. Many sales are made on online auctions. With cursory examination, any serious brass player would be able to recognise that these instruments are wholly inferior to real Besson instruments, and also of much poorer quality than even the cheapest of student instruments produced by large reputable manufacturers.

The fake instruments, particularly pocket trumpets, cornets, euphoniums, bugles and Bb trumpets, are likely to feature a 'serial number' of H.75983 (or 84059) embossed on the top of the bell and valve keys are often hexagonal in plan view. Similar counterfeit instruments, potentially made at the same factories, have been falsely branded with other reputable manufacturers' names, such as "Getzen" and "Boosey". These instruments are best described as novelty items since they are shoddily built from very thin metal, joints are soft-soldered rather than brazed, and they are often unplayable (due to faults in the manufacturing) and untunable (the tuning slides are simply ornamentation - they do not work).

Guitars

Besson Guitars were produced in the 1950's. They were badged as Besson Aristone. These guitars were imported and often rebranded. Many of them were made by Framus. There was also a model made by Framus in the Besson name designed by jazz guitarist Jack Durante.

ee also

* Harvard University Band, owner of a triple B flat Besson, one of the largest playable Tubas in the world

External links

* [http://www.besson.com besson.com]
* [http://home.earthlink.net/~michaelmilnarik/bigtuba.htm Big Tuba 2] Photo album of Sam Pilafian playing the Harvard Triple B-flat Besson tuba on October 8, 2004, as well as some closeup photos