Besson (company)
Encyclopedia
Besson is a manufacturer of brass musical instrument
. 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 from where he exported to many countries including the USA.
The modern company produces a range of cornet
s, tenor horns, euphonium
s, tuba
s, French horns and baritone horn
s. In its history, Besson also produced a number of other brass instruments, including a huge 'triple' B♭ tuba.
(1820–1874) created the Besson brand in Paris with his new cornet. His instruments became famous in Europe, and he has been credited with over fifty inventions.
In 1858, following a long series of lawsuits with Adolphe Sax
, Gustave-Auguste Besson left Paris to build a factory in London. Over the following years, Besson continued to manufacture in Paris and London, and also had warehouses for distribution in Brussels, Charleroi, Madrid and Barcelona. Following Gustave-Auguste Besson’s death in 1874, the company changed its name, becoming Fontaine-Besson in 1880 in France, and Besson in England.
At the same time, another English manufacturer was becoming well-known: Henri Distin, born in London in 1819.
Henry Distin and his new flugel horn were active in the development of brass bands in England. He created a new line of instruments under his own name, and in 1872 the Distin brand was bought by Boosey (a music publisher since 1792, and a manufacturer of instruments since 1851). D.J. Blaikely, the inventor in 1878 of an automatically compensation tuning system for valves collaborated with Distin, and together they developed a new range and improved existing models.
In the 1930s in Paris, Strasser Marigaux and Lemaire, SML, all produced instruments for Besson with Aubertin. In 1957, Couesnon bought the French company Fontaine Besson.
In London, at the same time, Boosey & Co and Hawkes & Sons of England merged to create the group Boosey & Hawkes
.
At the end of the nineteenth century (1894), the Besson factory of London employed 131 workers, producing 100 brass instruments a week, and no less than 10,000 musical ensembles appeared on their contact lists. In 1925, Besson purchased Quilter, and Wheatstone & Co. in 1940. In 1948, the group Boosey & Hawkes
acquired the Besson London brand.
In 2003, Boosey & Hawkes
separated from the cream of the crop in French wind instrument manufacturing, to join The Music Group. In 2006, at the initiative of its CEO, Paul Baronnat. Buffet Crampon
acquires two famous brass instrument brands, Antoine Courtois
Paris (created in 1803) and Besson (created in 1837). The company became Groupe Buffet Crampon
, with two subsidiaries, in the United States and Japan, and in November 2007, it appointed Antoine Beaussant
as new Chief Executive Officer.
By joining the Buffet Crampon
Group, Besson has restructured and relaunched its production of professional instruments in Germany and France. The Besson student instruments continue to be manufactured in the factory near Delhi, in India, under the supervision of specialists from the Buffet Crampon
Group.
The fake instruments, particularly pocket trumpet
s, cornets, euphoniums, bugles
and B♭ 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, possibly 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 and they are often unplayable (due to faults in the manufacturing) and untunable (the tuning slides are simply ornamentation - they do not work).
. There was also a model made by Framus in the Besson name designed by jazz guitarist Jack Durante.
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
. It is owned by Buffet Crampon
Buffet Crampon
Buffet Crampon et Compagnie is a French manufacturer of woodwind musical instruments, including oboes, flutes, saxophones, and bassoons; however, the company is perhaps most famous for their clarinets, as Buffet is the brand of choice for many professionals....
, which bought Besson in 2006 from The Music Group
The Music Group
The Music Group was a European parent company which owned several musical instrument manufacturers which were formerly part of the music division of the Boosey & Hawkes Group.* Besson * Buffet Crampon...
.
The company was formed in 1837 by Gustave Auguste Besson
Gustave Auguste Besson
Gustave-Auguste Besson was a musical instrument manufacturer and innovator. He created the Besson brand in Paris, France, in 1837. Besson is credited with more than 50 original inventions. His alterations to the cornet were particularly notable....
, who at the age of 18 produced a revolutionary design of cornet
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
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 from where he exported to many countries including the USA.
The modern company produces a range of cornet
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
s, tenor horns, euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
s, tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
s, French horns and baritone horn
Baritone horn
The baritone horn is a member of the brass instrument family. The baritone horn has a predominantly cylindrical bore as do the trumpet and trombone. A baritone horn uses a large mouthpiece much like those of a trombone or euphonium, although it is a bit smaller. Some baritone mouthpieces will sink...
s. In its history, Besson also produced a number of other brass instruments, including a huge 'triple' B♭ tuba.
History
In 1837, Gustave Auguste BessonGustave Auguste Besson
Gustave-Auguste Besson was a musical instrument manufacturer and innovator. He created the Besson brand in Paris, France, in 1837. Besson is credited with more than 50 original inventions. His alterations to the cornet were particularly notable....
(1820–1874) created the Besson brand in Paris with his new cornet. His instruments became famous in Europe, and he has been credited with over fifty inventions.
In 1858, following a long series of lawsuits with Adolphe Sax
Adolphe Sax
Antoine-Joseph "Adolphe" Sax was a Belgian musical instrument designer and musician who played the flute and clarinet, and is best known for having invented the saxophone.-Biography:...
, Gustave-Auguste Besson left Paris to build a factory in London. Over the following years, Besson continued to manufacture in Paris and London, and also had warehouses for distribution in Brussels, Charleroi, Madrid and Barcelona. Following Gustave-Auguste Besson’s death in 1874, the company changed its name, becoming Fontaine-Besson in 1880 in France, and Besson in England.
At the same time, another English manufacturer was becoming well-known: Henri Distin, born in London in 1819.
Henry Distin and his new flugel horn were active in the development of brass bands in England. He created a new line of instruments under his own name, and in 1872 the Distin brand was bought by Boosey (a music publisher since 1792, and a manufacturer of instruments since 1851). D.J. Blaikely, the inventor in 1878 of an automatically compensation tuning system for valves collaborated with Distin, and together they developed a new range and improved existing models.
In the 1930s in Paris, Strasser Marigaux and Lemaire, SML, all produced instruments for Besson with Aubertin. In 1957, Couesnon bought the French company Fontaine Besson.
In London, at the same time, Boosey & Co and Hawkes & Sons of England merged to create the group Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and wind musical instruments....
.
At the end of the nineteenth century (1894), the Besson factory of London employed 131 workers, producing 100 brass instruments a week, and no less than 10,000 musical ensembles appeared on their contact lists. In 1925, Besson purchased Quilter, and Wheatstone & Co. in 1940. In 1948, the group Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and wind musical instruments....
acquired the Besson London brand.
In 2003, Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and wind musical instruments....
separated from the cream of the crop in French wind instrument manufacturing, to join The Music Group. In 2006, at the initiative of its CEO, Paul Baronnat. Buffet Crampon
Buffet Crampon
Buffet Crampon et Compagnie is a French manufacturer of woodwind musical instruments, including oboes, flutes, saxophones, and bassoons; however, the company is perhaps most famous for their clarinets, as Buffet is the brand of choice for many professionals....
acquires two famous brass instrument brands, Antoine Courtois
Antoine Courtois
The Antoine Courtois company was founded in Paris in 1789. The company's current name comes from the name of one of the founder's children who created the brand name in 1803. The company has been a leading manufacturer of brass instruments ever since, particularly saxophone, trumpet, cornet,...
Paris (created in 1803) and Besson (created in 1837). The company became Groupe Buffet Crampon
Buffet Crampon
Buffet Crampon et Compagnie is a French manufacturer of woodwind musical instruments, including oboes, flutes, saxophones, and bassoons; however, the company is perhaps most famous for their clarinets, as Buffet is the brand of choice for many professionals....
, with two subsidiaries, in the United States and Japan, and in November 2007, it appointed Antoine Beaussant
Antoine Beaussant
Antoine Beaussant, 54, has been since November 2007.Antoine Beaussant completed a science Baccalauréat in 1974, at the age of 16. He graduated from Ecole de Hautes Etudes Commerciales du Nord in Lille and from Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires , where he followed the European...
as new Chief Executive Officer.
By joining the Buffet Crampon
Buffet Crampon
Buffet Crampon et Compagnie is a French manufacturer of woodwind musical instruments, including oboes, flutes, saxophones, and bassoons; however, the company is perhaps most famous for their clarinets, as Buffet is the brand of choice for many professionals....
Group, Besson has restructured and relaunched its production of professional instruments in Germany and France. The Besson student instruments continue to be manufactured in the factory near Delhi, in India, under the supervision of specialists from the Buffet Crampon
Buffet Crampon
Buffet Crampon et Compagnie is a French manufacturer of woodwind musical instruments, including oboes, flutes, saxophones, and bassoons; however, the company is perhaps most famous for their clarinets, as Buffet is the brand of choice for many professionals....
Group.
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 unrelated to the Besson instruments manufactured by the company with that name. Many sales are made through 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 reputable manufacturers.The fake instruments, particularly pocket trumpet
Pocket trumpet
thumb|250px|Pocket trumpet in B-flat, with a 5-inch standard size bell and medium-large boreThe pocket trumpet is a compact size B trumpet, with the same playing range as the regular trumpet. The tubing is wound more tightly than that of a standard trumpet in order to reduce its size while...
s, cornets, euphoniums, bugles
Bugle (instrument)
The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure, since the bugle has no other mechanism for controlling pitch. Consequently, the bugle is limited to notes within the harmonic series...
and B♭ trumpets
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, are likely to feature a 'serial number' of H.75983 (or 84059) embossed on the top of the bell and valve
Valve
A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category...
keys are often hexagonal in plan view. Similar counterfeit instruments, possibly made at the same factories, have been falsely branded with other reputable manufacturers' names, such as Getzen
Getzen
The Getzen Company is a family owned manufacturer and wholesaler of brass instruments. The present product portfolio consists of Trumpets, Cornets, Flugelhorns, Trombones and a Baritone Horn. Four Generations of the Getzen family have participated in the company.-Founding:In 1939, Anthony James ...
and Boosey. These instruments are best described as novelty items since they are shoddily built from very thin metal 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 1950s. They were badged as Besson Aristone. These guitars were imported and often rebranded. Many of them were made by FramusFramus
Framus is a German guitar, bass, lap steel guitars and banjo manufacturing company, that existed from 1946 until going bankrupt in 1975. The Framus brand was revived in 1995 as part of Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment KG in Markneukirchen ....
. There was also a model made by Framus in the Besson name designed by jazz guitarist Jack Durante.
See also
- Harvard University Band, owner of a triple B flat Besson, one of the largest playable Tubas in the world
- Five Valve EuphoniumFive Valve EuphoniumThe Five valve euphonium is an extremely rare variation of the euphonium manufactured in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Britain's Besson musical instrument company and Highams of Manchester Musical Instrument Company...
External links
- besson.com
- Big Tuba 2 Photo album of Sam Pilafian playing the Harvard Triple B-flat Besson tuba on October 8, 2004, as well as some close-up photos