trumpet design

[dominicano224]

I read some where that if you adjust the brace on a horn, you can make the trp play either really dark, really bright or in between. If this is so, then why doesn't anybody make a light, responsive horn and make it dark instead of adding weight and making it not play as good. That way you get the playability of a light trumpet (like a schilke) and the sound of a dark trumpet.
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***If you don't try there's a 100% chance you'll fail***

[JasonHarrelson]

Where did you hear that heavier horns are harder to play???

Is 3 pounds really so heavy you can't hold it up?

The playability of trumpet has nothing to do with its relative weight.

Jason Harrelson
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Harrelson Trumpets
www.whyharrelson.com

[dominicano224]

From experience I know heavier horns are harder to play. The sound is good, but the flexibility isn't great and I don't like blow in the upper register. The response is also slower. But that are just the ones I played.
Since you are a trumpet designer/modifier can you answer the question? thanks
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***If you don't try there's a 100% chance you'll fail***

[hilgenboogie]

Julian- the Max horns made by Charles Colin have an adjustable brace, and I believe an adjustable receiver as well.
Matt

[Chaser]

A brace isn't going to do more than shade the sound. The moving brace should affect response more than tone. If you want that dark, smokey sound and don't want to play on a Bach 1x and manipulate your chops, the heavy large bore horn is the way to go. Generally if you are playing really darrk, you aren't going to be doing any upper register stuff, just like you wouldn't use a lightweight, bright horn to try and get that darker jazz sound.

[dominicano224]

I already play a mouthpiece bigger then a 1X. Im not looking for a new horn, im just wondering about this. The kind of manipulation on the brace can give a dark sound not just response. A large bore does not always give a dark sound. No body has yet to answer the question. If you can get an easy to play light horn that sounds like a WT or monette, etc., isn't that best of both worlds?
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***If you don't try there's a 100% chance you'll fail***

[VintagedHSRich]

I dont' know how well i'm justified... but in my experiences playing around with my friends WT, it's actually quite light compared to my Yamaha 6345HS-II.

But that's just me... I would actually consider the Wild Thing to be a light weight (if not just lighter than not).

2 cents (?)

Richie
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Rich Main
Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan
Michigan Marching Band Trumpet
Yamaha 6445HSII
Yamaha 6445S
-Warburton 4SV / 5 (Series 80)
Kanstul Signature 1525
-GR 67FL

[Chaser]

I'm not saying that you can't make a light horn sound dark. I am saying that you can't make a light horn give you the same dark sound that you'll get from a heavy horn. Personally, for me, the lighter the better, but I have yet to hear anything in the lightweight category (although I admit that I have never heard a WT) sound like a heavy Monette or Harrelson.

[trumpetchops]

[2ndchair]

In assembling custom made horns I usually ask the player to experiment with me on brace placement. The brace between the bell and the leadpipe at the flare of the bell is sensitive to placement. It's usually wothwhile to try out different spots until the desired tone quality is reached.

Heavier horns are not necessarily harder to play. Specific examples may or may not be but categorization is difficult at best. I played a Harrelson trumpet at the ITG conference in Denver that nearly played itself, heavy caps, massive bracing and all. On the other hand the new lighter weight Monette was pretty stunning and very much a standard weight horn.

Each horn stands on it's own, so enjoy trying as many as you can.