Besson - 180 years of superb sound

The famous Besson name is currently celebrating 180 years of brass instrument development that has had a huge impact on peformance and sound worldwide. BBW brings the Besson success story, and an array of top-line players and Besson artists pay their personal tributes.

In 1837, however, Gustave Auguste Besson, aged just 18, produced a new, revolutionary cornet and created the Besson name for it. The cornet, an immediate success, was the forerunner of over 50 wind instruments accredited to Gustave and the Besson name, easily pronounced in all tongues, became synonymous with leading-edge brass and wind instruments...


Read this article in full, including tributes from James Gourlay, Robert Childs, Roger Webster, David Childs, Les Neish, Steven Mead, Harmon Vanhoorne and Owen Farr, featured in October 2017’s BBW, by subscribing to BBW Digital. Alternatively, subscribe to the printed magazine delivered by post: £40 (UK); £68 (Europe); £81 (Rest of the World)