Courtois AC280BO Users

Post Reply
walldaja
Posts: 416
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:51 pm
Location: New Albany, Ohio

Courtois AC280BO Users

Post by walldaja »

Are there any AC280BO (or 260) players out there? It was my first trigger horn and there weren't a lot of options available without not being able to play before buying. After playing it for several years it has finally won me over.. I finally paired it with a Christian Lindberg mouthpiece and I'm now really liking the sound. The groups I play in include mostly Bach 42s, Conn 88s, and Kings. I have no problem blending with the other horns. They seem pretty rare (any Courtois), not sure how deep their market penetration is.
Dave

2014 Shires Q30GR with 2CL
1982 King 607F with 13CL
Yamaha 421G Bass with Christian Lindberg 2CL / Bach 1 1/2G
Bach Soloist with 13CL
1967 Olds Ambassador with 10CL
1957 Besson 10-10
Jean Baptiste EUPCOMS with Stork 4
timbone
Posts: 170
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2018 12:14 pm

Re: Courtois AC280BO Users

Post by timbone »

Congratulations- and for a couple of reasons. First off, finding a mouthpiece that works with your horn. SOOOO many people miss the mark on that today. The interchangeable lead pipe thing is marketing fluff, which people think they need. It kind of reminds me of those guys that buy a vehicle and jack it up or put stupid tires on it- like they know better than the engineers that designed the thing. IF a lead pipe is designed correctly for the horn, it will be the best overall lead pipe for the horn. Lets face it, what ever you do lead pipe or mouthpiece (or hornwise!), its a compromise- your are giving up something for something else. A lead pipe that is soldered to the instrument (aka part of the instrument) plays so much more efficiently, and responds so much quicker. Buy a trombone with a sound in mind and find a mouthpiece to match or augment that sound, even if you have to learn how to hold it (aka TIS). So many people get that wrong.

Now, globally, Courtois has much more penetration than you see here. 217 years of trombone making you would think would get people's attention but not in the Americas. This is a sneakers and cellphone crowd. Bach is not even 90 years old! Pretty much the lion's share of repertoire (French word) for solo trombone has been French in the last century that you will have to study. I think if people were a lot more open minded about trying trombones other than what somebody else is playing and hoping to fit in, there would be a lot more players asking for the horns. The lead pipe is one of the most misunderstood creatures in the brass world. And so my friend, congrats to you on your newfound success. I do like the fact that you compare your 280 to the pro Bach, Conn and Kings. So next up for you would be the 420 Courtois pro series. Yes you can call me a 280 player too!
walldaja
Posts: 416
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:51 pm
Location: New Albany, Ohio

Re: Courtois AC280BO Users

Post by walldaja »

I've been drooling on the Courtios website at the new Creation Paris (AC-422) series. Don't see any available on this side of the pond yet. Be interested in playing the ICON valve and love the treatment of the slide brace like the Martin Urbie Green models. The more I play my Courtios, the more I like it. They seem very much under appreciated in the US.
Dave

2014 Shires Q30GR with 2CL
1982 King 607F with 13CL
Yamaha 421G Bass with Christian Lindberg 2CL / Bach 1 1/2G
Bach Soloist with 13CL
1967 Olds Ambassador with 10CL
1957 Besson 10-10
Jean Baptiste EUPCOMS with Stork 4
walldaja
Posts: 416
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:51 pm
Location: New Albany, Ohio

Re: Courtois AC280BO Users

Post by walldaja »

Here's a link to the Creation Paris

Dave

2014 Shires Q30GR with 2CL
1982 King 607F with 13CL
Yamaha 421G Bass with Christian Lindberg 2CL / Bach 1 1/2G
Bach Soloist with 13CL
1967 Olds Ambassador with 10CL
1957 Besson 10-10
Jean Baptiste EUPCOMS with Stork 4
timbone
Posts: 170
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2018 12:14 pm

Re: Courtois AC280BO Users

Post by timbone »

Unfortunately most of the New York and Paris models have been gobbled up by European and Asian markets. Not suprised by this but it sucks for us in the US market. Today, all retailers succomb to market demand whether they call themselves a pro trombone shop or not. If you want something it is time to hold the retailers accountable. They are the ones that decide what is saleable based on you the consumer.
Bach42t
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2018 9:30 pm

Re: Courtois AC280BO Users

Post by Bach42t »

I played an AC280BO at a small music store in the midwest that only had a few horns. That was a very well-made horn. I had a hard time discerning how it wouldn't compete with pro models, as I own several pro model horns apart from the the fact I thought it was lighter. In the smaller market of .525 w/F-attachment, it's a great competitor. Very easy to get a nice solid core sound, with moderate effort.
Post Reply

Return to “Instruments”