TM,
You'd better believe it! I'd suggest getting that old Besson done up ASAP so that you don't get left behind!
What sort of information do you want on it? The following link will tell you when it was made:
http://www.musicgroup.com/instrument...ialnumbers.htm
I play cornet about 98% of the time. Mainly in a couple of "British" brass bands I'm in.
One of these bands is accompanying Roger Webster next year when he tours here. Roger is one of the finest cornet players around and he is currently Principal Cornet with the Black Dyke Mills Band in England. If you haven't heard him play I'd strongly suggest getting hold of some of his many recordings.
I play a ZeuS cornet. Yes, I'm a dealer for them, but the cornets are very good instruments. Mine is the polished copper model and it has a beautiful sound. I actually just replaced a short model Wild Thing with it....The Wild Thing was very good, but in a band setting the ZeuS actually works better for me. Of course as a dealer I should be playing one as well, but I wouldn't if it made playing any more difficult. I was the one who "commissioned" the reviews which can be found elsewhere on the TM. After he'd finished trying them out he sold his Smith-Watkins and bought one of the ZeuS cornets off me! He is playing it in the Australian Open solo championships early next year.
Vive le cornet!