Those who find Bachs stuffy

[CJceltics33]

If you find Bachs stuffy, do you sound/play better on other horns, or does it just feel better?

[shofarguy]

[Pete]

I own a Bach 43* with a 43 leadpipe. It isn't stuffy. It is mouthpiece/gap sensitive though.

Pete

[khedger]

I've never found a Bach trumpet that I could play comfortably. It's not that I don't like Bachs or think they're bad horns or anything, they just don't seem to work for me.
The best mass produced horn I've found for me was a Benge. I felt more comfortable playing it, and because of that, I sounded better.

[Evinerate]

You think the 37 is tight, why don't y'all try a prewar Besson Meha Rapuano? Now that is one tight blow. I do like resistance though, offers great control throughout the registers.

[INTJ]

If by Bach you mean the typical 37/25 MLB, then yes it’s stuffy for me as are the plethora of 37/25 clones. It is probably the most common configuration of trumpet out there. I struggled to play in tune on horns like this however, believing all the propaganda against open blowing larger bore horns, I stayed away from more open horns.

Then one day I played a Bach 72/43 LT Large Bore. The difference was instant and dramatic. I could all of a sudden relax and play in tune above the staff. After that experience I moved to Flip Oakes Wild Things and have never looked back.
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[qcm]

I recently played a whole bunch of Yamaha Xenos at a trumpet show. I was absolutely SHOCKED how tight and stuffy they played for me. Key phrase being "for me". The only Yamaha I actually did like, was the Bobby Shew model. I was pleasantly surprised by it.

My daily horn is an LA Benge 3X, which has the same bore as the Xenos. And for me, it plays very open.

This is NOT a knock on Yamaha, as they make some of the highest quality horns in the world. I own one of their cornets, and have also enjoyed playing their long bell picc and their pro flugel.

YMMV.

-Dave
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Dave Edwards

Kanstuls, LA Benges and a Selmer picc.

[LittleRusty]

This is an interesting question. The same could be asked about any brand or just about stuffy trumpets in general.

That the OP specifically asks about Bach, to me, this implies that the OP might play a Bach that he finds stuffy and is looking for answers. Possibly to justify purchasing a new horn.

If this is the case perhaps there is something about the horn in particular, or the mouthpiece/horn pairing that is causing the issue and a less expensive solution might be found.

It is also possible that the OP has run across one of the Bach dogs and another Bach of the same model will play well for the OP. Or changing brands might be the answer.

[sounds7]

Yes for me the back pressure is a bit much on the stock horn, You can get a more open lead pipe and an MK drawing tuning slide and it opens up a bit.
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[Speed]

Yes, I find most 180 or 190 Bachs with a 37 bell and a 25 leadpipe stuffy. Most, but not all. I played a 19037 Anniversary model and thought to myself, "This is the most open Bach I've ever played." I bought it, but it developed some valve issues, and to their credit, Bach covered it under warranty VERY quickly.

The replacement was not quite as open, and it developed the same valve problem. Seems that the silverplating on the inside of the tubing was flaking off and getting into the valve body, on both horns. Go figure.

Again, to their credit, Bach replaced it yet again. The third one is in fact NOT the charm, at least from a resistance standpoint. It was the stuffiest of the three, but at least the interior silverplating is not flaking off into the valves. A trip to Osmun for blueprinting, a "C" shaped tuning slide and a 25-0 leadpipe have made it acceptable for me, but I certainly would not characterize it as being "open." I like the sound and response, however, which is why I kept tinkering with it. It has its place and its purpose.

[p76]

I'm another one who struggles with the standard Bach 37 setup, I too find it stuffy.

It's not a Bach thing, as there are other Bachs that are fine, and as Dave points out there are some Yams that are the same.

I've always blown open horns, and play a lot of cornet, so I don't like resistance that's in your face. I definitely play with a better tone and more in tune on more open equipment, but not super open. My Kanstul Chicago 1001 is perfect, as is my Yam 634.

I have the large bore Selmer Radial (the 99), which is a great horn, but right on the edge of being too open for me.

Everyone is different, and has been brought up on different equipment, vive la difference!

Cheers,
Roger
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Bb - Selmer Radial, Yamaha YTR634, Kanstul 1001, Kanstul 700.
C - Yamaha 641.
Cornet - Olds Ambassador A6T, Besson 723, Olds Ambassador Long.
Flugel - Kanstul 1525
Mpc. - ACB 3CS, ACB 3ES, Curry 3BBC, Kanstul FB Flugel

[dstdenis]

I got a Bach 37 many years ago, when I was still in high school. When I first got it, I found myself struggling to push through the resistance.

My teacher also played a Bach 37, and he sounded great, with no signs of struggle that I was experiencing. He play-tested my Bach and said it was a good one. This convinced me that the problem was me, not the horn.

I adapted my approach to playing the instrument. Rather than trying to bulldoze my way through the resistance, I would just lean against it and find my equilibrium. Once I finally figured this out, it worked great for me, and I've preferred this kind of blow in a trumpet ever since. It gives me more support and is less tiring to play than the more-open trumpets I've owned.

Now I play a Yamaha Xeno (ML bore, std leadpipe, yellow brass bell). It's slightly more open than my Bach 37, but it still gives me a level of support I like.
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[cbtj51]

I can only speak to specific personal horns when addressing this. The 2 Bachs that I own, a Large Bore C 229/25A and a Large Bore NY7 (my daily player) are very open, no stuffiness at all. Before these 2 horns I played a few ML bore horns that supposedly had more resistance, an early 1970s new Getzen Eterna Doc Severensin that I played in Army Band for a while as well as a new, local Music Store provided evaluation Holton MF Horn that I played for about a year during the same period. The Benge 5X that I bought new in 1971 and still play regularly has been called by some as a "more" resistance oriented horn. Same for the Yamaha 6335S that I bought new in 1984. I would not classify any of those MLs as having any objectionable resistance. They all had/have different playing characteristics, but nothing I haven't been able to learn to use to my advantage. Same for my personal Bachs. I either like a specific horn or don't for whatever reason. I would not have kept any of them for very long otherwise. I use everything I own for specific situations, so they all work great for me. One size does not fit all.


Addendum: My Benge has recently had a valve rebuild at Osmun and a Large Bore Tuning slide replacement (because of part availability) and is just incredibly open and fun to play.

Mike
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'71 LA Benge 5X Bb
'72 LA Benge D/Eb
'76 Bach CL 229/25A C
‘92 Bach 37 Bb
'98 Getzen 895S Flugelhorn
'00 Bach 184 Cornet
'02 Yamaha 8335RGS
'16 Bach NY 7
'16 XO 1700RS Piccolo
Reeves 41 Rimmed Mouthpieces

[CJceltics33]

Yes, I play a 37, and yes, I am wondering if I should switch horns. I find the 43 to work much better for me. I’ve tried Yams and Schilkes and they also feel better. It seems the consensus is it would be most beneficial to go with a different trumpet.

Side note: it feels the same on all the mouthpieces I’ve tried, I currently play a Curry 3C.

[INTJ]

If you want a more open horn that still has some gentle resistance, that has a valve alignment, an enhancement, and is around $2500; take a look at a Flip Oakes Legend.
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Wild Thing
Flip Oakes C
Flip Oakes Flugel

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[CJceltics33]

I can’t seem to find it anywhere online. Is it for sale yet?

[Betelgeuse215]

Buy a different Bach, Change your mouthpiece to something more standard or modify it to be a bit more open, practice and sound better/get used to it. Unless you are specializing in something very specific, Bach is a very good horn. No need to go to another company

[qcm]

[shofarguy]

[Andy Del]

A few years ago, my community orchestra hosted a professional player from the Czech Republic as soloist for a couple of concerts. He played at the time on a Bach 72 with a 25R leadpipe: quite an open setup.

We had a bit of a play fest of my gaggle of trumpets and he noted that almost all of my instruments were very very open, usually heavier and warmer than his choices.

I own this many Bachs: 0/52. Works for me.

cheers

Andy (I like coffee)
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