1960 Blessing Standard

[Comeback]

I like old Blessing cornets and trumpets. I practiced tonight with my 1960 Blessing Standard Cornet, mainly because it was stacked on top of my primary horn, a 2009 Blessing ML1 trumpet. I purchased the cornet on ebay for a pittance a couple months ago and had some needed repairs done for less than $100. What I ended up with was a very playable instrument with more than 90% of its original lacquer finish intact. Playing the horn is great fun. It is easy playing across my range with wonderful tone, especially in the lower register. I use a Bach 7C cornet mouthpiece in it with great results.
I have been practicing with slurring exercises recently. The old cornet makes them easy. There are some wonderful old instruments out there with loads of service life remaining. We are fortunate that this is so.
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Bb Trumpets: 2000 Bach Stradivarius 180S37, 1972 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
Bb Cornet: 2008 Blessing XL-CR Shepherd's Crook
Flugelhorn: 1990 Blessing Artist

[oldblow]

Careful with that cornet! They are as addictive as many other substances and liquids. And watch your pocket when you finally try a deep cup mouthpiece; they give the cornet a new face to learn to love. Glad you are having fun with this.
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Felton (Butch) Bohannon

[Comeback]

I persist in using a Bach 7C MP in my old Blessing Standard Cornet. I do this because I presently believe there will be less negative effect on my embouchere in switching back and forth from the cornet to one of my trumpets, in which I also frequently use a Bach 7C. Is this a wrong-headed attitude? And what might I gain in using a different size/style MP? With the 7C, in my perception, I have good tone quality across my entire present range from F sharp below the staff to E above the staff.
oldblow, you are spot on concerning cornet addictiveness. I am indeed having fun with this!
Comeback
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Bb Trumpets: 2000 Bach Stradivarius 180S37, 1972 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
Bb Cornet: 2008 Blessing XL-CR Shepherd's Crook
Flugelhorn: 1990 Blessing Artist

[royjohn]

I don't find I have any trouble switching from trumpet to cornet to flugel mpcs as long as they are all about the same internal diameter. I usually play on something that is about 17.5mm and have some a little bigger, up to 18mm and a little smaller, down to about a 1.25VC Curry (about 17mm?), but I do have trouble going smaller than that. I know some folks can switch to whatever size and cup type they feel works best for the horn, but I think most of these folks are much more experienced than I.

With the cornet, I think it would be worthwhile to at least try a traditional deep cup cornet mouthpiece to see if you like it and can manage it along with your trumpet mpcs. I wouldn't go with anything too extreme, just something definitely for that vintage tone. High range can be a bit more difficult on these for some people, but, at your stage of development, that could be good exercise.
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royjohn
Trumpets: 1928 Holton Llewellyn Model, 1957 Holton 51LB, 2010 Custom C by Bill Jones, 2011 Custom D/Eb by Bill Jones
Flugels: 1975 Olds Superstar, 1970's Elkhardt, 1970's Getzen 4 valve
Cornet: 1970's Yamaha YCR-233S . . . and others . . .

[Comeback]

Its been a while since I posted to this thread. oldblow and royjohn have both encouraged me to try a traditional deep cup cornet mouthpiece in this old American long cornet (I think I have that description right). I'm sure I'll get around to trying a deep cup, but the experiment will probably be with my Bb short shepherd's crook cornet. I enjoy using vintage mouthpieces in my old horns and did manage to obtain a Blessing #13 cornet mouthpiece for the old Standard. This mouthpiece fits perfectly and provides great tone and playing characteristics. My two old Blessing Standards, a trumpet and a cornet, continue to provide much playing satisfaction, and I continue to believe these oldies are popularly underrated.
Jim
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Bb Trumpets: 2000 Bach Stradivarius 180S37, 1972 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
Bb Cornet: 2008 Blessing XL-CR Shepherd's Crook
Flugelhorn: 1990 Blessing Artist

[royjohn]

Hi Comeback/Jim,

Nice to see your comment . . . . since I just got back from Opera Chorus rehearsal (singing, not playing) for Verdi's Otello, permit me an analogy which may or may not be apt. I didn't think any about volunteering for this singing gig, because I was thinking of early and middle period Verdi with the easy choruses and oom-pah-pahs and memorable melodies. Only this is not that, it's late Verdi, which is a stepping stone to the Verismo of Puccini, Mascagni, Giordano, et al. A transition, if you will, to something more modern. And quite difficult to sing, in a distinctive and complicated late Verdian style. A lot of musical things were changing in that period from the 1870's to the 1920's.

I think the American Standard Cornet is a transitional instrument between the old, mellow, shepherd's crook cornets of the late 1800's and early 1900's. I don't know exactly when the transition started . . . . around the time Pops (Louis Armstrong) switched from cornet to trumpet, maybe somewhat before. It isn't the old cornet yet, but some of them sound quite a bit like the old shepherd's crook ones, even though the bell is bent differently . . . . some do inhabit that land between the old cornet and the trumpet and I think that's where the dixieland cornet resides.

This tonal ideal covers a lot of ground and, on reflection, I think the mouthpiece originally used with it could well be somewhat of a hybrid, too. The vintage cornet mpcs seem to have relatively large throats [up to 20 or 18], flat rims and deep funnel shaped cups. As you know, a typical trumpet mpc from the last 20 years is typically some kind of bowl shape with a standard 27 throat that might or might not have been drilled out to 24 or maybe even 22, but not much bigger. I would guess your type cornet, Jim, would have been played with something bowl shaped, but maybe not completely like a trumpet piece. I would guess that the design of the Blessing Standard you have was conceived in the 20's to 40's, although it was made in the 60's. And I have no idea about the backbores . . . . maybe someone else can tell us about that.

So maybe you are free to play the songs of the 30's to 60's (as I know that you do, Jim) and imitate whatever artists you know from the period. If I can find that old list of "What they played on" I'll look up some people from the period who played cornet and PM you what mpcs they used. If that Blessing #13 is around the age of the cornet, maybe it's just the authentic ticket.

If I have any of this wrong, from Verdi to Blessing and from Pops to Ruby Braff and on to Harry James and Chris Botti, I hope someone will tell me.
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royjohn
Trumpets: 1928 Holton Llewellyn Model, 1957 Holton 51LB, 2010 Custom C by Bill Jones, 2011 Custom D/Eb by Bill Jones
Flugels: 1975 Olds Superstar, 1970's Elkhardt, 1970's Getzen 4 valve
Cornet: 1970's Yamaha YCR-233S . . . and others . . .

[Comeback]

royjohn wrote:

[FrankM]

Hello Jim,
Despite what you say about not being interested in imitating the old masters, you might get something of value from a book I recently purchased. 'An Anthology of Big Band Trumpet Solos' by Dale Gibson published by Sticky Valve Publishing. Bought mine on Ebay. Since getting the book I've spent many happy hours trawling Youtube and 'sitting in' with some great bands. If you can manage the Bobby Hacket solo in String of Pearls, there's plenty in there that's no more difficult.
Regards, Frank

[Comeback]

FrankM wrote:

[royjohn]

Hi Comeback/Jim and All,

There is double and triple tonguing at MM=120 and faster and there is double and even triple C, but much pleasure and practice can be had in just answering the question, "Yes, but can he play a tune?"

All the masters could do that, from the cave man on a carved bison horn to somebody in a garage band last week . . . .
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royjohn
Trumpets: 1928 Holton Llewellyn Model, 1957 Holton 51LB, 2010 Custom C by Bill Jones, 2011 Custom D/Eb by Bill Jones
Flugels: 1975 Olds Superstar, 1970's Elkhardt, 1970's Getzen 4 valve
Cornet: 1970's Yamaha YCR-233S . . . and others . . .

[Comeback]

royjohn wrote: