Allisono

I have just found and bought a Besson cornet from an antiques shop and thought it looked as if it might have an interesting history. It is still in its original case.

It is silver plated with the Besson mark - Besson BREVETÉE and a serial no around 135,000. (The reason I don't know it exactly is that it is in a shop getting a refurbish).

It is a Prototype, 50 medals of honour, New Standard with a Grey & Sons mouthpiece.

Would anyone know what age this instrument would be? I've read a bit of information and can't work out whether it's quite old ie around the 1870s or post WW II.

The music shop doing the refurbish says it is in the right key for modern orchestras.

Oh yes, the cornet cost me around 60 euros ($NZ120)

Walter

I have a Besson Brevete 1949 Trumpet which seems to have been a model for many modern trumpets..... the serial number is 136xxx.

I appreciate yours is a cornet but from the link http://www.musictrader.com/besson.html you will see that your horn is probably around 1948.....information is sketchy on these horns but hopefully others will give better information than I can.

Walter

Allisono

Hi Walter

Thanks for your reply. That information sounds correct. I believe that Boosey & Hawkes bought the British Besson company in 1948. I wonder if my cornet is a product of the new owners or the old?
I see that research is being carried out in the School of Arts, Culture and Environment at the University of Edinborough by Arnold Myers, into the manufacture, design and production of brasswind instruments in Britain. As part of the research into some British brass instrument makers, Myers is trying to locate examples of their work surviving in collections, and wants to hear of any brass instruments by Besson (serial number below 192569) . We should get in touch with him!

Allison

Cornet1

The serial number is for 1948 as mentioned.

This is an English made and designed cornet. The "prototype", "50 medals" and "brevette" are standard markings for all Bessons of this era and have no particular significance other than historic.

There are two distinct types of 'New Standard' cornet;....the old pattern with detachable mouthpipe or 'shank' and the later model with fixed mpc receiver like a trumpet.

Most of the first type are in 'high pitch' apart from instruments used in military bands,...these are usually marked "LP" to denote 'low pitch'

Most of the later model are in 'low pitch',..the same as orchestral pitch. Brass bands in Britain changed to 'LP' circa 1955-65.

If your cornet is in 'LP' as suggested by the repairers and has a detachable shank then it is likely to be an ex-military instrument, possibly used by the Royal Marines Band Service as they were big users of the 'New Standard' cornet. The cornet may have neatly engraved numbers and letters on the bell which will be different in style and depth to the makers bell engraving and there may also be the 'broad arrow' mark.

Besson Company was aquired by Boosey and Hawkes immediately after WWII but was allowed to operate more or less independantly with it's own models and design structure until finally destroyed by B&H in 1975 when production facilities were combined and all Besson designs terminated. Contrary to common belief there were no true Besson instruments made after this date.

In the late 1980's B&H disinterred the "Besson" name and applied it to it's own range of brass instruments although these were/are wholly B&H products and have no true Besson features.

Allisono

Thank you for your interesting information re the Besson cornet.

I really have little knowledge about such instruments as I usually just collect old horns of the hunting variety. I couldn't go past the cornet though because of its good condition (to my untutored eyes) and because of its price which seemed low. The shop owner told me it had come from a local collector.

The cornet was sold by an old NZ music company called Chas Begg & Co. This was stamped on the bell along with all those other marks you mentioned.

The mouthpiece is in two parts - the Grey & Sons part and probably what you named as the shank. I'll have to look at the other marks you talked about when I get the cornet back from the repairers.

So, is the 1948 Besson cornet considered to be a good instrument?

Cornet1

"......So, is the 1948 Besson cornet considered to be a good instrument?.."

That depends on who you are and your needs and opinions.......

The 'New Standard' models were certainly very well made and had nice tonal qualities. As such, they were used by the worlds top brass and military bands from the late 40's until the end of Besson in 1975.

However, cornet design and performance have moved on considerably and these are now quite old fashioned instruments both in sound quality and playing features.