Blind test of trumpets

trumpetplayer87 · Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 7:30 am Post subject:

Thanks for the explanation

Bonnie
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"Yet to all who received Him, and believed in His name, He gave the right to become sons of God" John

Sounds: http://www.sitesled.com/members/bonniej
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bandman322 · Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 10:51 am Post subject:

Way of the subject of this thread (kind of) but last year I was involved in a blind testing of golf balls. Golfers are like trumpet players in that both sets of people have equipment they love and make them feel more comfortable. In the blind testing of golf balls a major company paid for us to play the same course 12 times using 12 different balls with no labels.

We were asked to rate the balls for accuracy and feel (sound like trumpet playing to me) and then we compared our scores. 12 local pretty good players were involved in the test, and none of us rated the two highest priced balls as the best. All of us did however rank highest balls from major makers, and those that were priced 3-6 were ranked 1-4 by all but one of us.

It's a shame we can't do some testing like this with trumpets. I think that this kind of goes along the lines of Schilke's trumpet test for finish types. It may not have been super scientific, but it was very interesting to be part of considering I'm not a super great golfer. Just as a side note, I normally play Maxfli balls and I did pick the two Maxfli balls in my top 3 out of the 12 balls tested. Maybe I was accustomed to that Revolution feel, so my comfort level was very high with those two balls. I'm almost certain the same thing would happen with Bach trumpets for me.

Maybe the ITG could arrange for some blind folded testing next year. If they got 25-50 of us to take the test and rank horns totally blindfolded the test results would be very interesting.
_________________
C - Harrelson 750 Modified Bach Strad
Picc - Schilke P5-4
Flugel - Kanstul ZKF1525
Bb - Bach Strad 180ML-37

"To be a teacher you need to be as good a performer as you can be: you'll have more to impart to your students musically." - John Haynie

Paul Tomashefsky · Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 11:25 am Post subject:

Dear Bonnie,
Having played a Bach Strad 37 Bell and then Reversed lead Pipe 25L 37 Bell for well over thirty years, I can honestly say that my New Choice of Horn (Bb Trumpet) is far superior in terms of craftsmanship, consistency, intonation and response. My Bb choice is The Yamaha "Xeno" large Bore .462 and the Bb "ShotBlast" laquer model (reversed lead pipe) .459 medium large bore. My C Trumpet is a large bore yamaha "special European model" that I acquired from Richard Dundas in Burlington Vermont. I've also tried Conn, Selmer Paris 80J and played a Getzen Eterna for a little over a year. I gotta tell ya, Yamaha makes an excellent instrument for it's price range. Check 'em out.

Paul T.
my web site
http://westborough.ma.schoolwebpages.com/education/staff/staff.php?sectionid=883

Paul Tomashefsky · Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 11:26 am Post subject:

Dear Bonnie,
Having played a Bach Strad 37 Bell and then Reversed lead Pipe 25L 37 Bell for well over thirty years, I can honestly say that my New Choice of Horn (Bb Trumpet) is far superior in terms of craftsmanship, consistency, intonation and response. My Bb choice is The Yamaha "Xeno" large Bore .462 and the Bb "ShotBlast" laquer model (reversed lead pipe) .459 medium large bore. My C Trumpet is a large bore yamaha "special European model" that I acquired from Richard Dundas in Burlington Vermont. I've also tried Conn, Selmer Paris 80J and played a Getzen Eterna for a little over a year. I gotta tell ya, Yamaha makes an excellent instrument for it's price range. Check 'em out.

Paul T.
my web site
http://westborough.ma.schoolwebpages.com/education/staff/staff.php?sectionid=883

razeontherock · Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 9:16 pm Post subject:

Not to add to confusion, but if you play "your" m'piece on all the horns, the one that "gaps" best to your m'piece will probably be the one you like best - even if you'd play a different horn better. If possible, bring a way to check this, to add some scientific control over this variable. For example, when you first decide which horn you like best, you might check the gap, and compare that to another horn you liked but not as well for some reason. Then check that gap. If it's different, that could be what your noticing. A piece of paper wrapped around the shank will increase gap. To decrease gap (w/o modifying the horn itself) you'd need a different m'piece that results in a smaller gap.
You really want the best match between you and your horn. The match or lack thereof BTW horn and m'piece can confuse things.

Switching horns can also confuse things. If possible, take time w/ your teacher to develop a way of adapting your playing from one horn to another BEFORE you go. Oh yeah - - have fun!!

trumpetplayer87 · Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 12:12 pm Post subject:

I tried the Yamaha Xeno and Woodwind Brasswind in Indiana for 15 minutes or so, I really liked it.

If I don't find a horn I like better than the one I have now, I'll just have to keep looking. Since I did like the Xeno more than my own horn, I know there is SOMETHING out there that will suit me better. It's just a matter of finding it.

That's the gap theory???

(a joke that probably won't mean anything to most of you, unless you are familiar with origins studies). I'll look into the gap and ask my teacher about it

Bonnie
_________________
"Yet to all who received Him, and believed in His name, He gave the right to become sons of God" John

Sounds: http://www.sitesled.com/members/bonniej
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