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Adams A2 vs Bach Artisan New


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bebop
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Joined: 20 Jan 2002
Posts: 654
Location: St Johnsbury Vermont

PostPosted: Sun May 16, 2021 3:19 pm    Post subject: Adams A2 or Bach Reply with quote

I haven't tried the Adams A2 but I wonder how it would compare to a Yamaha 8335RGSII. The Bach has not been on my list.
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Kumara999
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Joined: 11 Mar 2019
Posts: 137
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

BeBop - not sure how the Adams would compare to a Yamaha 8335RG but I do have a Yamaha 6345HS.

I just received a used A2 on Monday and am blown away with how easy it is to play. The Yamaha is a really nice horn and is easy to play as well - but the A2 just feels better, easier to slot the notes - overall just easier to play.

I give it a few weeks before I make a definitive decision but super happy so far.
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kehaulani
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Joined: 23 Mar 2003
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Location: Hawai`i - Texas

PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2021 1:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

@Kumara999. You may be talking to air. These posts ended seven months ago.
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Chumpet
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Joined: 13 May 2021
Posts: 26

PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2022 8:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to check back in for those that wanted to know. Last fall I got the real Covid (ended up in the hospital), so all this was just left alone.

I ended up buying the Manchester Brass RLGB trumpet from Trent Austin's shop, and my daughter has been using it for the last six months. It is a really good horn, especially for $1000, but I never did anything for myself.

A couple of weeks ago I ended up deciding it was time to actually upgrade mine, so I went back and forth with Josh at ACB and ended up ordering the Sonic (looking to save money). It came in, and played well, but that left me wondering about the A2 again. So I bought an A2 and they shipped that one as well for me to compare for a trial.

The results are - A2 is the best overall trumpet, but the Sonic is easier to play and the valves are smoother at the moment. That could be a difference in new trumpets and not being broken in yet, but it is rather noticeable to me. The surprising thing is that the Manchester is closer to the A2 than the Sonic is in terms of sound.

I wanted to get a proper comparison of how it should sound, so I invited the band director over. He is the College professor that has a doctorate in music and is a professional trumpet player. So the horns were pushed properly. Also, his wife came with him and she is a professional flute player. He played all three horns back and forth, and we quickly ruled out the Sonic. It has a more tinny sound than the others and at louder volumes has this harshness to it that can make you cringe. My wife who plays piano even noticed it and cringed some. The sonic isn't bad, but we didn't really enjoy it. For reference, I picked the Sonic out listening online. There is no substitute for listening in person. So, next we did a blind test with him playing the same thing back and forth on the Manchester and A2. This is where we found the Manchester is a really decent horn, but the A2 won out for having a fuller sound and being the better trumpet (but not by a lot). He said there was definitely a difference playing them, but listening we didn't hear a huge difference. I was tempted to just settle for a Manchester Brass as well, but they said the A2 is the better horn and would end up being better long term. I actually picked the sound of the Manchester more than the A2 I found out in the blind tests, but I'm not nearly as trained as they are. They both picked the A2 every time. I do know when I went back and forth playing them, the A2 just had something special about it and you can notice it while playing it.

So my summary is this: The A2 is the best, but not by a large margin. It is definitely the most professional/fine tuned horn of the bunch, but between the Sonic and Manchester, the Manchester has a more pleasing sound to it (In our opinion). The Sonic is easiest to play and had the best valves at this point. I hope the A2 valves improve. I even tried to clean them out and reoil them and it did help some. Especially second valve. It kept lagging a little. I noticed after it was played again tonight, and cleaned and oiled again, it is getting smoother.

So, There you go. If you want a high quality horn, go for the A2. If you are on a budget and want a really good horn that just lacks some refinement and overtones (just a little less in the iPhone app comparison), go with a Manchester Brass RLGB. I really like that horn. My daughter liked the A2 so much she decided she would like to upgrade, so she is paying half. I am planning to sell the Manchester to pay for the half I'll cover. I'll take $850 for it if anybody here is interested.

P.S. We are going to the college concert hall Monday or Tuesday to do another comparison with his Older Bach he loves, as well as a nicer Yamaha and another Bach 72 he doesn't like as much just to get a comparison. I also plan to have another friend come over with his Bach 180 and compare. I'll report back after all of that, but it looks like I'm likely keeping the A2.
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njt
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Joined: 14 Apr 2004
Posts: 37
Location: New Hampshire

PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2023 6:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chumpet wrote:

P.S. We are going to the college concert hall Monday or Tuesday to do another comparison with his Older Bach he loves, as well as a nicer Yamaha and another Bach 72 he doesn't like as much just to get a comparison. I also plan to have another friend come over with his Bach 180 and compare. I'll report back after all of that, but it looks like I'm likely keeping the A2.


@Chumpet Any updates on the play test comparisons?
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