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So many Calicchios...



 
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kevin_soda
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2021 4:53 pm    Post subject: So many Calicchios... Reply with quote

I feel like I'm seeing a ton of Calicchio trumpets for sale right now. Can you share your experience with these horns? What you liked about specific models? Which horns are good for what styles? Any surprising configurations that might be particularly appealing? My understanding is that the slotting, response, and projection are particularly good. What are the common drawbacks?
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nowave
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2021 8:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I’ve owned three Calicchios - 1s2 (Tulsa), Trigg model (Tulsa) and a 3/9 (LA).

The 1s2 is a real unicorn, there is nothing else quite like it. I loved it for loud and hard gigs - the sound is less “bright” than just extremely present… a very compact core with lots of highs around the edges. It’s hard to describe this stuff without descending into cliche, but that’s the best I can do. Lots of big brassy sound for not a lot of effort. Fairly tight slots, which threw me at first, coming from Schilkes.

I stupidly traded it for a 3/9, which, for me, was way too much work… it’s a big blow. Great sound though.

Downsides? The valves on my 1s2 were really noisy, and it wasn’t as nimble
as I would have liked. But - I really miss that horn, and for commercial/Latin jobs where you need to have projection and accuracy, it’s a supreme tool. For improvisation I found it a bit stiff-legged.

I am curious about Charley Davis’ new 1s2, and the Van Laar CF model…

Looking forward to other comments on these unique beasts.
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Halflip
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

nowave wrote:
The valves on my 1s2 were really noisy . . .


I've heard that some players referred to them as "Clickios" for that very reason.
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nowave
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 6:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, they use metal valve guides which are inherently noisier than nylon, but they’re also a really weird 2-piece design which doubles the noisemaking potential… that said, the valve action was superb.
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Chadwick
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 8:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There's an archived/unofficial version of the Calicchio site which contains some helpful information about Calicchio's instruments, bells, and leadpipes. This doc about common standard combinations could be helpful too, though I find the last few columns about playing environments to be incomplete. You can read about the Calicchio timeline here to get a better idea of when a specific instrument was made (based on serial number).

Regardless of the model you buy, you can order a different leadpipe or other parts from BAC in Kansas City -- the current Calicchio parts manufacturer -- to get the trumpet exactly to your liking. They can make any Calicchio part for you -- bells, leadpipes, tuning slides, braces, finger hooks, etc. -- and have options on materials (yellow brass, bronze, nickel, etc.).

A few other notes from my experience:
- Valves / pistons are indeed louder on all the Calicchio models I've tried compared to those found on a modern Bach or Yamaha, partially due to tight tolerances and metal valve guides. The Calicchio valve section is IMHO usually the weakest part of the horn and may need some love from a few techs.
- Inconsistency in manufacturing should be expected; often times this was deliberate. Calicchio was known to cater to professional commercial artists, and his team frequently tailored the blow, bracing, and other nuances of his handmade trumpets to each player.

FWIW: You could also try going the route of a Calicchio "frankenhorn" by putting the Calicchio bell and/or leadpipe onto another manufacturer's equipment. Contact BAC to order a new bell and pipe, or take from spare parts on eBay. I picked up a spare .4625" bore Calicchio 3 bell last year and had it installed in an 80s Yamaha 6345S valve section with great success. YMMV


Last edited by Chadwick on Mon Nov 15, 2021 6:39 pm; edited 1 time in total
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ChopsGone
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 8:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

One note on the noisy valves: John Duda was into martial arts, and liked to show his strength. You have to tighten the top caps a good bit more than usual, and the noise will disappear. Like the ultra-thin valve guide slots, just another quirk I didn’t care for, especially considering the thinness of the threaded valve body tops. But I found this to be true on my 1s/2, R3/2, the C, and a copper 3/9 I sold recently and an A piccolo I sold much earlier. IIRC, it was true on my granddaughter’s 1s/2, 1s/7, and 3/2.
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Riojazz
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 5:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I recently decided to sell two, and that alone is a statistical anomaly when talking about a small total number of horns. I loved both, but decided to switch from a large bore (1s9) to a medium bore horn. Otherwise, I'd still have them.
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Archie Sawyer
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 22, 2021 7:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

nowave wrote:
I’ve owned three Calicchios - 1s2 (Tulsa), Trigg model (Tulsa) and a 3/9 (LA).

The 1s2 is a real unicorn, there is nothing else quite like it. I loved it for loud and hard gigs - the sound is less “bright” than just extremely present… a very compact core with lots of highs around the edges. It’s hard to describe this stuff without descending into cliche, but that’s the best I can do. Lots of big brassy sound for not a lot of effort. Fairly tight slots, which threw me at first, coming from Schilkes.

I stupidly traded it for a 3/9, which, for me, was way too much work… it’s a big blow. Great sound though.

Downsides? The valves on my 1s2 were really noisy, and it wasn’t as nimble
as I would have liked. But - I really miss that horn, and for commercial/Latin jobs where you need to have projection and accuracy, it’s a supreme tool. For improvisation I found it a bit stiff-legged.

I am curious about Charley Davis’ new 1s2, and the Van Laar CF model…

Looking forward to other comments on these unique beasts.


Quote:
I am curious about Charley Davis’ new 1s2, and the Van Laar CF model


I play a Charley Davis 1s2 model and it has amazing quiet and smooth valves, on top of the amazing Calicchio sound!
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homebilly
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 23, 2021 2:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ahhhh. the CHARLEYCCHIO
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