Why did Doc move away from Getzens?

[kehaulani]

Thanks R. Tomasek. I was asking as a consumer not as a personal critique.
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn

[Usedtobegood]

Tony Scodwell also tells the story of when Doc moved to Mexico he shipped 3 or 4 of his Bach belled Getzens but they never made it! Would be an amazing find if those turned up somewhere.

[homecookin]

[shofarguy]

[Tony Scodwell]

I will indeed chime in after a wonderful week in Oregon tasting pinots.

Doc was with the Getzen Company longer than any other company. Perhaps with the endorsement and appearance money now at Shires, this may be his last go around. After Getzen was sold to a fellow from Milwaukee, it was not the same great company and with the Tonight Show moving to LA Doc started back with his mix of Bachs and Bessons and tried to buy every one he came across. Danny Henkin had just bought Conn and the fellow who was responsible for all the concerts and clinics Doc was doing with Getzen now was at Conn. His name was Sandy Sandberg and had moved from LeBlanc where he brought in Maynard, Miles and Al Hirt to LeBlanc-Holton. He got Doc involved (along with Dave Monette) and the Severinsen Conn models were brought out. Never really good enough for Doc he hooked up with Dick Akrite and invested a great deal of money in the Bel Canto project. Together they made some really good horns and as usual, Doc kept fiddling with them. Dick took everything in stride and kept producing great horns. Why they split up has never been explained to me by either Doc or Dick but when I last spoke with Dick, he had nothing but kind words to say about the project. Back to Bachs and Bessons for Doc until he got the urge to make his "dream" trumpet, the Destino. He worked with Byron Autry and found a German craftsman to build them named Franzie Straub. With .460 Bauerfeind valves and a copy of the Besson leadpipe, the trumpets came assembled to California in gold plate at a cost of $4200 each (to Doc). Fifity total were made as Straub insisted on building them like he thought best and the last few were sent in pieces to Byron who assembled them and had Anderson plate them gold. Enter the new Getzen Company now back in the hands of the family. Destino II was built with input from Byron and launched. The only thing I will say about that venture is Doc got bent out of shape with the way the horns were playing for him and split the sheets six months later. I was his first trumpet player at this time and (sort of) got involved in the Destino 3* and 5* models being produced by Kanstul (much input from Byron) and marketed by Buffet-Crampon. I felt these horns were wonderful and again basically a new version of a Bach and Besson. Doc yet again got upset and some of the conversations I was privy to on our travels were heated to say the least. I believe the minimum selling price stipulated by Buffet-Crampon to dealers was too high but Doc had said to me, "I'm finally going to make some money with a horn bearing my name". Who's to blame here? It doesn't matter but that deal also went south. A mutual friend in the music business selling Shires trombones had heard they were interested in making trumpets and Doc was suggested as the best person to be involved with this. Now up to date after the bankruptcy Doc is flush and back in action with Shires with Andres Eastman now in charge. At 90 years old he's still out schlepping his beloved Destinos and good for him. No one likes to play the trumpet as much as he does.

Tony Scodwell
www.scodwellusa.com

[Brad361]

[LittleRusty]

I mentioned earlier in this thread that I had discussed Doc with Dick Akright. After reading Tony's post I just wanted to add that while I don't remember the details, I do remember thinking that Dick was very gracious towards Doc.