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Taylor Chicago Custom



 
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Turkle
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Joined: 29 Apr 2008
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Location: New York City

PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2011 5:43 pm    Post subject: Taylor Chicago Custom Reply with quote

Hi.

Last weekend, I had a friend in town who brought along his Taylor Chicago Custom, the one with the sheet bracing a la Monette. I had the opportunity to take the horn for a ride for a couple hours at an informal jam session.

Holy cow. What a horn. Gigantic targets on each note, even in the high register. The sheer stability of this thing is beyond description - I felt like it was impossible to frack a note. You might hit the wrong one, which is another issue, but it will sound like you meant it... It had pleasant resistance at the bottom of the scale, and opened up considerably in the upper register.

The thing is, you could put as much air as you had in the horn, and it wouldn't brighten up. It just keeps getting louder. What the heck. Not the horn to bring to the gig where you need some "zip" in your sound.

I normally play an 8310z which weighs like a quarter of the Taylor, so the weight was something of an adjustment. I kept being surprised at how I couldn't get it to brighten up, and a few times played some extremely loud notes by accident!

The biggest surprise was that the horn was not tiring to play.

Maybe one day... I will buy one...
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JonathanM
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Joined: 25 Aug 2007
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Location: Charleston, SC

PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2011 5:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great info... Some details that I really like to hear about a horn. And it's a great looking horn, too. Thanks for the comments!
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Jonathan Milam
Trumpets: 18043B, 18037 SterlingSilver+, 18043*, Benge 4x, Olds: '34 Symphony, '47 Super, '52 Recording
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Capt.Kirk
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Joined: 24 Feb 2009
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PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2011 7:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

True but normally as a horn get's brighter as you step on the gas it also shift's it's freq. by 10-30cents which is a sign of bad horn design. Most people are used to to this and compensate accordingly and if they use the pivot method as they gain in register part of the pivot deals with this shift. So technically a well designed horn should not brighten as one steps on the gas. In fact it should just get louder the more you push it the timber should not shift.......Any shift in timber should only be done by the nut behind the horn not as an artifact of poor or outdated design!

Oh and the sheet bracing is not what keeps it from brightening when you step on the gas not alone at least. But that is a conversation for another thread!

Zip and Zing should not be part of a shift in timber either you should be able to zip and zing with out going sharp. Zip can be had simply by putting alight weight bell on an otherwise rigid and well designed horn.
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jazztrpt76
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Joined: 06 Oct 2009
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PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2011 9:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I play on a Taylor Chicago II, and the desciption is right on! I played it for about 2 months. But for me the magic dissapeared and just went back to my vintage martin committee and bach strad.

Great horn though!
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Retlaw
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Joined: 23 Nov 2006
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Location: UK

PostPosted: Fri May 27, 2011 2:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jazztrpt76 wrote:
I play on a Taylor Chicago II, and the desciption is right on! I played it for about 2 months. But for me the magic dissapeared and just went back to my vintage martin committee and bach strad.

Great horn though!


Interesting how the magic disappears..... horn stays the same. I keep rotating to keep that fresh feeling and even then I still feel flirtatious...

I love my Taylor.... played gently.... it is warm and dusky and always faithfully in tune... even in the upper register....loud or quiet......

Walter

PS I wouldn't dream of changing an Andy Taylor bell....
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PakWaan
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Joined: 31 Mar 2010
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Location: Orlando, FL

PostPosted: Fri May 27, 2011 4:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I play the Taylor Chicago Standard large bore, which is lighter than the Custom. Still a heavy horn, but without the sheet bracing which I'm not a fan of. The big difference is that the Standard does lighten up when you want it to.

The Taylor is outstanding for all the reasons mentioned. All my horns, including my vintage Committees and Olds Recording, take a back seat to my Taylor now. I find myself getting lost playing this horn. It's an amazing piece of craftsmanship. I knew in the first 30 minutes that I had finally found MY horn.


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shofarguy
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PostPosted: Fri May 27, 2011 5:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have to admit that someday I'd like to own a Taylor just because it's Andy and I love his workmanship and distinctive vision.

Brian
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Capt.Kirk
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PostPosted: Fri May 27, 2011 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I too would love to own a Taylor. I mean think about it most of the stuff I would like to build are built into his standard Chicago model.

Bauerfiend Valve which are heavier in their walls and knuckles then the average valve assembly.

Heavy stiff rigid leadpipe.

Heavier/thicker walled tubing then most production trumpet's.

Heavier bell with a higher copper content without being pure copper. I think red brass or bronze is a better choice in all weights then pure copper for 99% of trumpet playing. You get all 90% of the benefits of pure copper with all the benefits of yellow brass. It also is easier to work with in a mass production model since you need less freq. annealing to keep it from tearing from work hardening.

Two piece bell construction which I prefer for a number of reason's.

The use of conventional and unconventional bracing.

Priced much lower then a Monette Prana III I could actually justify purchasing a Taylor Chicago should I decide to.

I also like the sound that his bell profile produces. I have heard plenty of Chicago Standard models so it is not like I do not know what they sound like. Plus I have handled one. I doubt I will ever cross paths with a Monette Prana III anytime soon up close.......Seeing one 200 feet away on a stage is a far cry from it crossing your path and actually holding one.

I would love to own a Harrelson Bravura as well and again I could actually justify buying one given their modest price. Ken Larson's horns are great too but a different breed all together then Harrelson or Taylor and also not that hard on a pocket book compared to a new Monette and if you live in Michigan it is not that big of a deal to make the trip up to see Ken and play his horns. I bump into people from one of my cousins to Professionals in the state and Students that have various levels of Ken's work to his full blown custom models. His trumpets are underrated I think due to lack of good marketing. I think most people would be hard pressed to play on of his trumpets and not want one.
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Mr Spock
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Joined: 19 May 2011
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PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2011 6:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Have you ever noticed how the Capt can kill a thread? Everything is humming along, then he posts one of his dissertations and BAM - thread death. Used to happen aboard ship all the time!
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James B. Quick
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Joined: 17 Feb 2003
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PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2011 7:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey, how about this?..Anyone have any experience with playing or owning any of the Taylor Pocket Trumpets, or the Taylor Pocket Rocket Trumpet?

My latest trumpet dream is to have one made. I'd try to get a .470 bore with the most open bell flare and leadpipe they make. Oh, and I'd have the Upward bent bell, and the Down slanted leadpipe.

Then I'd have my mthpce size cut into a Taylor blank. Or a dupe, if necessary....

jbq
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nieuwguyski
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Joined: 06 Feb 2002
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Location: Santa Cruz County, CA

PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2011 11:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

James B. Quick wrote:
Hey, how about this?..Anyone have any experience with playing or owning any of the Taylor Pocket Trumpets, or the Taylor Pocket Rocket Trumpet?


I have a Pocket Rocket. It's the world's largest pocket trumpet. Really. Forget about having a size advantage over a short cornet. Sure, it's shorter than a cornet -- 9" from stem to stern -- but due to the 5 1/4" bell and heavy bottom caps, it's 7 1/4" tall. The bell defines the width -- 5 1/4". The height and width limit your case options. Did I mention it doesn't come with a case? Currently I stuff the horn inside the microfiber bag it came with, and stuff that into a Reunion Blues flugelhorn bag. I have a Reunion Blues cornet bag, and the Taylor is too tall for that, so the flugel gig bag is my only current option. I'm a proponent of Pelican cases for do-it-yourself instrument cases, and own two -- one for a tiny Holton pocket cornet and one for a Conn 5A Victor cornet. Due to its dimensions, the Pocket Rocket would require a larger Pelican case than the 5A Victor. So, as stated before, the Pocket Rocket has no travel-size advantage over a short cornet.

Size aside, I'm still trying to sort out the Pocket Rocket. I have yet to experience the pocket trumpet "powerful and dynamic enough to use as a real trumpet on proper gigs," as mentioned on the website. It may be a mouthpiece mismatch, but...

The included Taylor mouthpiece isn't to my liking and Andy apparently doesn't use a standard shank. The taper is standard, but the Taylor shank is slightly smaller. Most of my trumpet mouthpieces seat with a very large gap (generally around 0.25") in the Taylor. Fine, I'm willing to attribute the stuffiness to the gap...

I have some Reeves mouthpieces cut for sleeves, and with the smallest sleeve I currently have, a 5, the gap is only a little over 1/8", but the Reeves pieces I have that are cut for sleeves seem to have other specs that don't work with the Pocket Rocket -- backbore and/or cup mismatches. I'm seriously considering sending the horn off to Flip Oakes for his "total enhancement" treatment before I blow a wad on mouthpieces.

Stay tuned. I will probably pursue this to the tune of more than I should spend.

Finally: Yes I have a sickness. I should know that pocket trumpets (and cornets) are toys. But I keep buying expensive ones and being disappointed. But keep quiet. Years ago I sold my near-mint Kanstul 905 pocket trumpet (with now-unavailable Walt Johnson case) to a fellow forum member for a good price.
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