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To Shire and back...



 
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skootchy
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Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 1661
Location: Naugatuck, CT

PostPosted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 5:28 pm    Post subject: To Shire and back... Reply with quote

Went to Shires in Mass. today. Brought my good friend and fellow trumpet player along for the company and "ears". We were met by Jeff who stayed with me through the whole process of selecting a trumpet. I got to try a whole bunch of different horns with a whole bunch of different variations. I finally settled on a Lacquered CLW with a Z leadpipe and a Z tuning slide. My other little indulgences were a third valve water key and "O" rings on the leadpipe and third valve slide while still retaining the saddle for the first valve slide. It was an exciting and tiring day. I learned a lot fo things that I didn't know and some things that I thought I knew. We tried Shires heavy bottom caps. Now I use Curry's Magnum Caps on my Schilke and I love them. I have heard of guys that use a heavy valve cap on one or two of their valves and never thought anything of it. Boy was I wrong. Now Shires heavy valve caps are not "Heavy" they are just heavier than their standard caps. We tried them on all three and I wasn't impressed. Tried one of them on the third (ehh) then the second (little better) and finally the first valve. (pretty good but still not sure, think I'll stick with the standard weight caps, don't know yet so I ordered one heavy cap to play with when I have a little more time) It actually was noticeably different. I also tried a tuning slide with heavy water keys and that really made a difference. At one point Jeff had me loosen the screw on the water key one quarter turn. It actually made a difference that all three of us heard and I felt. Simply amazing. I would have laughed at this if I hadn't done and felt/heard the difference. Also my two sets of ears (Jeff and Bob) agreed with my observations every step of the way so it wasn't just me. Some of the simplest stuff really does make a difference. I tried an annealed bell right next to an identical horn without the annealing and the difference was very noticeable. So my new horn will be here in a month. I brought my Schilke X4 with me and played that every 10 minutes or so to re-acclumate my ears to base line. Bob felt the Shire sounded better than the Schilke. He still felt the Schilke is an amazing horn and it still may be better in a commercial setting but he felt the Shire had more sound (Core?) to it. I felt the sound had more of a ring to the tone, a little more of an open resonance. Maybe what Shire refers to as a "spread". Several of my trumpet colleagues have already asked to try it when I get it, of course yes, but I have to warn anyone trying a Shire to be aware they are very different from each other. An A model is very different from a C model so don't try a friends Shire and think that's what they all sound or feel like. On contrare you can dial in almost anything you want. I played a few that were very warm, bright, dark, mellow, responsive. Shires are like Americans, many different sizes shapes and colors but unlike Americans they are all, without exception, superb. Oops was that too political? lol. Some were too much of an open blow for me and yet the smaller leadpipe is perfect for me. I don't get a smaller or thinner sound with the tighter leadpipe I actually have more of an open spread sound. If you try your friends "A" Shire than that is all that you have tried and all you are going to get out of that is what an "A" Shire feels/sounds like and an impression of the superb quality and craftsmanship that goes into all of the Shire horns. If you decide to test drive a few Shires take a good friend with "ears" and leave your preconceptions home. Oh yeah, take your wallet....
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JediYoda
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Joined: 09 Oct 2010
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 6:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

are you absolutely 100% shire about that?
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jhahntpt
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Joined: 19 Apr 2010
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Location: Southington CT

PostPosted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 6:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JediYoda wrote:
are you absolutely 100% shire about that?

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Rick Parry with an A
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Joined: 19 Aug 2011
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Location: TX

PostPosted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 7:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Does anyone know where I can get the Clif Notes version of the original post???
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R.Sole
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Joined: 07 May 2008
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 7:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rick Parry with an A wrote:
Does anyone know where I can get the Clif Notes version of the original post???


Ask Capt Kirk to sum it up
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shofarguy
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Joined: 18 Sep 2007
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Your not so excited, are you? It's fun to go through a process like that and find a good horn, isn't it. I was very impressed by Steve and the horns he brought to NAMM a couple of years ago. Excellent instruments.

Oh, and welcome to the "Everything Changes Everything" Club.
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Flip Oakes Wild Thing Bb Trumpet in copper
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There is one reason that I practice: to be ready at the downbeat when the final trumpet sounds.
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skootchy
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Joined: 08 Jan 2005
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Location: Naugatuck, CT

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 8:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

shofarguy wrote:

Oh, and welcome to the "Everything Changes Everything" Club.

Thanks..
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Rick Parry with an A
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Joined: 19 Aug 2011
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 9:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

R.Sole wrote:
Rick Parry with an A wrote:
Does anyone know where I can get the Clif Notes version of the original post???


Ask Capt Kirk to sum it up



Who is this Kirk you speak of?????? Sounds impressive......

Perhaps a good VP candidate. Looking forward to the vetting!
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Fuzzy Dunlop
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Joined: 25 Jun 2011
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 10:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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Wondra
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Joined: 04 Mar 2007
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 11:53 am    Post subject: Re: To Shire and back... Reply with quote

skootchy wrote:
At one point Jeff had me loosen the screw on the water key one quarter turn. It actually made a difference that all three of us heard and I felt. Simply amazing.


I watched Bob Malone & Wayne Tanabe demonstrate this (loosen the screw) with a volunteer player at ITG, as well as change out the cork material in the tuning slide water key. In all instances there was a perceivable difference in sound. Amazing how these minute tweaks can make a difference.
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Don't make me get the flying monkeys...
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Wondra
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 11:54 am    Post subject: Re: To Shire and back... Reply with quote

skootchy wrote:
I tried an annealed bell right next to an identical horn without the annealing and the difference was very noticeable.


What did you notice in the annealed bell that was different?
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Dave Wondra

Don't make me get the flying monkeys...
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bike&ed
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Joined: 24 Dec 2004
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 12:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rick Parry with an A wrote:
R.Sole wrote:
Rick Parry with an A wrote:
Does anyone know where I can get the Clif Notes version of the original post???


Ask Capt Kirk to sum it up



Who is this Kirk you speak of?????? Sounds impressive......

Perhaps a good VP candidate. Looking forward to the vetting!


No one here is making overt political statements are they? Perish the thought!
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Herm Aphrodite
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Joined: 07 Sep 2011
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bike&ed wrote:
Rick Parry with an A wrote:
R.Sole wrote:
Rick Parry with an A wrote:
Does anyone know where I can get the Clif Notes version of the original post???


Ask Capt Kirk to sum it up



Who is this Kirk you speak of?????? Sounds impressive......

Perhaps a good VP candidate. Looking forward to the vetting!


No one here is making overt political statements are they? Perish the thought!


EASY big fella! Nothing too political here. I think Kirk would rock the VP like I'm gonna rock the rave tomorrow night!
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skootchy
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Joined: 08 Jan 2005
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Location: Naugatuck, CT

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:40 pm    Post subject: Re: To Shire and back... Reply with quote

Wondra wrote:
skootchy wrote:
I tried an annealed bell right next to an identical horn without the annealing and the difference was very noticeable.


What did you notice in the annealed bell that was different?

To me with that set-up the sound was not as bright. It might go well if you are looking for a warmer darker sound but perhaps I am writing too much...
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Praise him with the sound of the trumpet! Ps. 150:3
>=iii=O
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skootchy
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Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 1661
Location: Naugatuck, CT

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fuzzy Dunlop wrote:

Must have been cold when this pic was taken...
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Praise him with the sound of the trumpet! Ps. 150:3
>=iii=O
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VetPsychWars
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Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 7196
Location: Greenfield WI

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:14 pm    Post subject: Re: To Shire and back... Reply with quote

skootchy wrote:
Wondra wrote:
skootchy wrote:
I tried an annealed bell right next to an identical horn without the annealing and the difference was very noticeable.


What did you notice in the annealed bell that was different?

To me with that set-up the sound was not as bright. It might go well if you are looking for a warmer darker sound but perhaps I am writing too much...


Buescher horns before the Selmer buyout had annealed bells and a darker sound, so this I believe.

Tom
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Vin DiBona
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Joined: 24 Dec 2003
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Location: OHare area

PostPosted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 5:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.seshires.com/419.html
World class players do not switch just for the heck of it. Shires is on to something and the big names are noticing.
R. Tomasek
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