Cornet!!!

BeboppinFool · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 3:24 pm Post subject:

I am so psyched about having this forum. I feel funny sharing it with flugelhorn, mostly because I began a long and steady move away from flugelhorn about five or six years ago, and an increasingly strong affection for the cornet for about two (or maybe three) years now.

Today I was playing my 1936 King Silvertone cornet and asking myself "Why do I even play trumpet?" Of course, the answer is that I'll probably always be a trumpet player for commercial reasons. But every time I spend time on cornet I wonder the very same thing.

Anybody else share that sentiment?

Glad to be here. This is a great day for the cornet!

Rich
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Brass Monkey · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 4:26 pm Post subject:

When in 3rd grade I started on an old Holton Collegiate cornet. Not the highest quality horn in world, but it's still my favorite. I play as a community member in the local college symphonic band, and actually had a student ask me what that stubby looking trumpet was. Jeez. I think I'll start playing those cornet parts on an actual cornet. Just to be different..
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Come back player, realizing I'm not as good as I remember...
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_PhilPicc · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 5:08 pm Post subject:

Yeah, Hurray for the forum. I too am spending more time on my 1938 King SilverTone. What a great sound when combined with my Flip Oaks classic deep V mouthpiece.

Lets all enjoy

Phil
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Philip Satterthwaite

We cannot expect you to be with us all the time, but perhaps you could be good enough to keep in touch now and again."
- Sir Thomas Beecham to a musician during a rehearsal

BADBOY-DON · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 5:18 pm Post subject:

I have said it a million times....but truly, I would never leave home without a cornet.
My small cornet is just slightly larger in size that a pocket horn but the sound is huge in comparison. It will fit in the jump seat pocket of my Z car...fits easily in the spare tire compartment of my wifes Infiniti...or in a brief case that I bring into work.
A cornet is a horn that becomes like a part of you....It plays warmly, plays friendly...and if you use mutes...Well, mutes were made for cornets...etc etc etc...Gads, I can not imagine a world with a cornet.
I am a much better musician since I have gotten the cornet habit....Trust this...
You too will feel the same.

trumplyr · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 5:29 pm Post subject:

Ditto, great idea to have this new forum. I've got a Schilke XA1 that I used in the brass band for about five years. I know, all you Brits think if it's not a Sovereign with a Wick it's not a cornet

but this is one sweet horn. I also occasionally use it in quintet work for a different color. About three years ago my quintet performed the Ewald #1 and used cornets instead of trumpets. It worked great. It's also my humble opinion that orchestral parts written for cornet should be played on a cornet. Like one of my friends posted elsewhere today...........what a great reason to have another horn, you can never have too many.

plp · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 6:00 pm Post subject:

I've just about bored everyone to death going on ad nauseum about my Victor 80-A, but you asked....
If I had to go to one horn, that would be it. Tunable bell? got it. Big bore? .484 big enough for ya? Heavy valve caps? OEM on the '62 to '71 models.
My playing problems began when I listened to the advice of instuctors that told me to be a serious legit player it had to be a Bach Strad trumpet, gotta have that Bach sound. First thing they do is put me in a facemask mouthpiece to get that dark orchestral sound.....heck, I had that with the cornet! But since I'm playing a trumpet, I should get more range, right? Instead, I lose F and E, and my C thru G is weak and thin....so, I figure I'm not practicing enough, gotta get 3 hours a day of serious practice. After 3 months of this, I am so frustrated and disgusted with my sound, etc.
Now, being older and wiser, I know the answer would've been to get a different mouthpiece for the cornet and switch between the two depending on what I want to play, can you say Warburton? (not that I use Warburton 'pieces, but the system approach back then probably would've given me the flexibility I was after).

pedaltonekid · Heavyweight Member Joined: 15 Nov 2001 Posts: 1711

My very first horn was a bundy cornet. At the time I was bummed out because everyone else had a trumpet. In high school I switched to a Getzen Severinsen model trumpet and played exclusively trumpet for about 25 years. After purchasing several more trumpets I bought a DeNicola Puje and have since upgraded to a Schilke XA1. There is nothing like the warm sound you can get with a nice cornet.

Viva la Cornet.
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Best Regards, Play Well!!

tom turner · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 7:12 pm Post subject:

Hi,

This is a great development, and an area that will probably be well visited.

The cornet is my favorite instrument, though in 1972 the Army took away my cornet and made me play trumpet. I didn't own another cornet until 2000 when I stumbled into Rich Ita's Brass Instrument Workshop to check out a four-digit LA Benge trumpet he had on e-bay.

Naw, I didn't purchase the Benge . . . but got turned on to all the cornets he had laying around. I played a bunch of 'em . . . but one in particular screamed at me, "TAKE ME HOME." It was truly love at first note with that 1911 Boston 3-Star! When you play a horn that is "right," you know it. When you play a horn that's also nearly perfect . . . you HAVE to take it home! It wasn't cheap . . . but I played nothing but that little cornet for months (except for when on gigs that called for trumpet or fluglehorn).

Since the first Boston I've bought and sold several vintage cornets. My last vintage cornet purchased was my SECOND Boston that I found on e-bay. It is within only 200 numbers or so from the serial number of my first one!

I took that second Boston to Rich Ita's to have it restored when the annual cornet collector's meeting was held in 2001 in Atlanta. I also took some new horns that Flip Oakes sent me to let people at that meeting play.

"KEEP ME, KEEP ME," the little shephard's crook short model Wild Thing cornet seemed to scream! If the Boston was nearly my "perfect" cornet, then why in the world would I need another . . . and an expensive . . . new cornet??? Well . . . the WT was better for my tastes and played like a dream to the extent that I HAD to have it. No regrets either and, in the long run, it may actually have saved me lots of money . . . for it totally cured my e-bay nightly craving.

Still . . . it is soooo much fun to ALSO whip out my '61 Reynolds Argenta, '39 Conn Victor 80A "long model" cornets and my two Bostons too! All are fine horns. There are lots of fine cornets around, and with their varied "wraps," it is really fun to look at and play the various vintage horns I come across.

Gosh, with all this cornet talk . . . I need to go practice!

Sincerely,

Tom Turner

Lex Grantham · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 7:46 pm Post subject:

I was playing my trumpet in band rehearsal last week, and the director passed out "Funeral March of a Marionette" by Charles Gounod...it was the theme song used on the "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" TV progam many years ago. We had used the number about 3 years ago, and since it has a solo Bb cornet part with the melody, I decided to use my cornet to play it then. It worked very well.

Last week, the trumpet seemed wrong...so tomorrow evening, I plan to use my 1965 Olds Recording cornet instead. There is something about a cornet that is kind of refreshing.

Sincerely,

Lex Grantham

trumpetmike · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 11:05 pm Post subject:

Trumplyr
"all you Brits think if it's not a Sovereign with a Wick it's not a cornet"

Not strictly true - it could be a Maestro (Yamaha) or (if you have money!) a Prestige - these are the new top end cornet from Besson. Puts the Sovereign to shame!

I have even known people play on Schilkes

The only instruments that are looked down upon (in the brass band world!) are the long model instruments. They definitely have their place, but the feeling is definitely that the place should be outside of the bandroom!

trumplyr · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2003 7:53 am Post subject:

trumpetmike
"The only instruments that are looked down upon (in the brass band world!) are the long model instruments. "

Right you are !! When I first joined our local brass band it was made clear that I needed a shepard crook cornet, preferably with a Wick mpc attached. I could never get comfortable with the Wick so I went/stayed with Laskey's but did use a deep funnel piece. Great sound if I do say so myself.

Do you or anyone know the history of the long bell cornet? When & why it was developed? If it was for the different sound, why not just stay with a trumpet?

BADBOY-DON · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2003 8:07 am Post subject:

trumpetherald · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2003 8:07 am Post subject:

OldKid · Veteran Member Joined: 04 Sep 2003 Posts: 135

The main playing that I do is by myself from Arbin's. I had been using a Xeno large bore and making some progress. My progress really speeded up when I switched to a Bach 181S long cornet. I don't know if it sounds all that much different than my trumpet but it sure is easier to play. As to why the long bell (American) Cornet was developed, I'd like to know as well.

JackD · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2003 10:33 am Post subject:

I traded my Besson short cornet in for a Bach strad last year. Great instrument (love the tone!), but it wasn't going to get me into music college.

One day I'll buy another one though, they really are underrated instruments.

trumpetgeezer · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2003 11:34 am Post subject:

This is TOO COOL! Great to see so much cornet interest. I posted a message a couple of weeks ago asking about student cornets. I did not get any response as to the student Getzen, model 481. Anyone out there have any experience with it?

radial · Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2003 7:56 am Post subject:

Re: why was the long model invented?
As I understand it, the older cornets couldn't project as well over a jazz band. The long models gradually became so trumpet like in look and sound that people said why bother with a cornet, just buy a trumpet. It's funny but in the community jazz band I play with, I started playing my long model Victor 80A with a Wick 4-1/2 as a substitute for a fluegel. Now two other guys are doing the same. The sound is in between a trumpet and a fluegel, but is much better in tune and easier to play than a fluegel. A lot less expensive too.

giakara · Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2003 10:28 am Post subject:

My first cornet was a eterna 800s after that sound shock!!!!! i order the next getzen model the eterna 850 and last winter i bought a denicola matt laq cornet , i still love my first horn i enjoy to play dixie/swing gigs and i play trumpet/flugel only when i have to do for comercial reasons .
I love that horn and i realy want to have more and more horns ( my next target is a wild thing long model)
Regards