Bach Strad. Friends?

[trptfun]

With all this talk about the Wild Thing trumpet and the new Xeno's, is there anybody pout there who is still a fan of Bach Stradivarius horns?

Sean

[Webbsta78]

Hi

Yeah, I still love my bachs!

I have a (recently acquired) Bach 72 Bb

and a Bach 229GH C, and I dig them both.


Jason

[Lazarus]

Hey there,

In my humble opinion, the bach strad is still most likely the most popular pro horn on the market. It has been widely marketed and has a long history of serving the trumpeter with grace. Most likely many of the people now who play different horns used to play a bach strad at one time or another. They are great horns and I respect them. However, as it has been said before on this board, "Different strokes for different folks." People are always going to use what works for them. I think the bach strad is just so widely used that people don't have to go to the net to discuss them, they have a wealth of information locally. This is just an opinion though.

Now for my own experience with strads:

I am one of those people who used to play a strad. I would still be playing a strad if my case had not been different however. The strad I played on was third hand. It was my private teacher's who used it for 13 years and it had been a pro player's before his for another 14-15 years. I played it for about 5 years. This trumpet had basically been played every day of its life, and not just everyday, but played ALOT everyday. It is one of the few trumpets I've played that has actually been worn down because of how much it had been played. The metal of the bell was worn down to literally being paper-thin. It was a great horn and played sweet for me for 5 good years, but it started going a tiny bit downhill as the instrument lost more and more metal. The cool thing about my bach strad was that is had had a special tuning bell conversion done to it and had two bells. The two bells were the standard 37 and a 43* (lightweight). I loved the 43* and it worked very well. I think part of the reason it wore down was because of the conversion (these generally tend to make horns more fragile). At any rate I still have a very high place in my heart for bach strads. The reason I switched? I needed a new horn and fully intended to keep playing bach strads. However, I happened to be in Aneheim, CA and stopped by the Kanstul factory to play some horns. I fell in love with the 1500A while there and no one could change my mind. I still like the strads, I just like my 1500A better. IMHO the older strads are better. The only thing I have against bach is that their quality control is on the poor side of things. You can get really sweet playing strads that will match up against anything, and then you can get some lemons. My favorite setup has always been either a 43* or a 72 on a strad. Well, thanks for listening to my ranting!
_________________
God Bless,
Stephen O.
_________

Bb Trumpet - Kanstul 1500A
Cornet- 1939 King Master
_________

[trickg]

Hey, I'm still on a Strad, but then again, I'm a decent player but I'm certainly not a cut above so I'm not sure that I would be doing justice to anything more.

I think that the neat thing about the Bach Strad is the ability to do just about anything with just one horn. I've heard tell that it doesn't lend itself well to playing lead, but since I'm not really a lead player, I can't vouch for that, but I have played Latin Band, Big Band, Concert Band, Marching Band, Top 40/Dance Band, Brass Quintet, Church solos and Taps all on the same horn and it conformed to every situation quite nicely. It also seems to blend better than other horns for whatever reason.

The Bach Strad is a time honored and battle tested design and it's too bad that it gets slammed as much as it does. How old is the design anyway?

Lately, I've been getting the itch to try something different, but for now, my Bach does everything that I need it to do. Oh, I have yet to play a Bach with bad valves.
_________________
Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
- Brasspire Unicorn C
- ACB Doubler

"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP

[SHS_Trumpet]

I play a wildthing for solo, jazz, and concert band and I still play a trusty old bach 37 for marching band. I think it's one of the best horns I've ever played. I plan on trying to march with the wildthing this year so the bach is just going to rest up for a while.
_________________
Andrew Fowler
MYNWA
"90% of trumpet music is below high C"

[stickyvalves]

Just remember the Bach is the horn that 95% of all pro trumpet players still play. It's the horn you hear on most of your favorite recordings, and with all the money you saved by not buying a Monette or "Wild Thing" (whatever that is) you can fly all over the country to take lessons with the great players..and you won't have to take a second job to pay off your $10,000 Monette..this gives you more time to practice!

[mafields627]

I've never been quite happy with my Bach. It was what our local repair shop guy brought out in when I was in ninth grade. I knew it wasn't an extraordinary horn but until recently, when I played a Kanstul, I never knew how much of a lemon it is. I was able to add three notes, from High C to High F immediately to my range. Now, let me say that I have been able to "hit" the high F, not "play" it. On that Kanstul, I was able to go right up the scale and hit the sweetest high F I've ever played. In four more years, when I become a band director, unless Bach significantly improves their quality control, I'll steer my kids toward Yamaha, Kanstul, or Getzen. Yes, there are good Bachs out there but, a director can't play test everyone that comes out. Heck, with what I've been told about Bach trombones, I'll make the same statement for them too.
_________________
--Matt--

No representation is made that the quality of this post is greater than the quality of that of any other poster. Oh, and get a teacher!

[tom turner]

Hi,

Actually, I LIKE the sound of the Strads and still own a great one. If someone had told me a year ago I wouldn't retire one day from playing on that horn I'd have thought they were crazy. I'd just put a custom leadpipe on it and added a gold trim kit. Wonderful horn.

Then . . . I stumbled onto the Wild Thing. The WT didn't make the Bach a lesser horn--the Strad is still a great one, its just that the WT is built at a different level, hand tweaked by a single individual "master" and marketed to a different and smaller segment, and . . . if it didn't perform to the higher price it commands, it surely would quickly go out of business.

The Bach remains a wonderful choice at its going price range . . . and has stood the test of time since that first one in around 1924.

They've evolved into several bell flare options that can cover the field pretty darn well from the narrow, focused long-projection sound of the Model 43 for lead to the broad, powerful solo sound of the 72. The 65 is under-rated because it is the "darkest" (but it sounds SOO good) and the 25 is a great LB bell model (ala Model 72). However, most people "split the difference" and buy the middle of the road (and most popular) 37 that's neither broad nor narrow, large or small . . . just, in-between and thus versatile). My favorite is a 72! Great valve action too, though my '72 Benge smoked it and the WT does too.

Like any mass produced horn, you never know the experience and level of skill of the person who actually built the one you bought and the horns vary in quality because of this. However, keep trying 'em til you find a great one and don't just buy the first one off the shelf.

Sincerely,

Tom Turner

[ This Message was edited by: tom turner on 2002-02-09 00:40 ]

[Eric M. Parise]

I have found in my Bach Strad 65G tuning bell a perfect match to my sound concept. All the other bell options, to my ear, sound -- well, too much like a trumpet...bright, piercing, narrow in projection. For the conversational approach I believe in, the 65G speaks most eloquently...

[Yoinks]

I play Bach's and ONLY bach horns. This is not because I haven't tried others, or have been brainwashed. It is not necessarily anything about them besides the sound that keeps me there. Frankly, I have tried almost every other horn on the market, WT, Monet, Top of the line Yamahas, Benge, all UMI horns, european models. Ugh, frankly, nothing has even come CLOSE to the full, centered sound of the Bach. Monete's and Yamahas both sound really spread, with no core. The WT and the European horns, and the Callet horns, back up on me really badly, and also lack that core sound, with even overtone distribution. Also, people talk about how some of these horns have much better "response" or "openness." Ha, I think most of the people who bash them are really just trying purposefully to be "outside the bandwagon" so to speak. Being different just to be different, and not because the other horns are actually that much better.

[ This Message was edited by: Yoinks on 2002-03-02 17:10 ]

[Quadruple C]

[ This Message was edited by: Quadruple C on 2003-10-05 19:12 ]

[Larry Smithee]

There is no doubt that the Bach models are by far the most popular trumpet out there. This is most apparent when you consider the mountains of them that are dumped on the resale market. One thing to consider in terms of this popularity...the several thousand band directors around the country who are NOT trumpet players, who were told by so and so in college to recommend Bach as the BEST horn when their trumpet band students are ready to move up to a pro instrument.
Larry Smithee

[crazyhorns]

<font size=-2>[ This Message was edited by: crazyhorns on 2002-02-09 10:30 ]</font>

[_PhilPicc]

I play a Bach Strad Bb circa 1972 and it has been a very good horn through the years. Being from the Detroit area I relate it to a car. With the Bach being a Cadillac. Just because there are Rolls Royces out there that does not mean the Caddy is a bad car. They can both get you from point A to point B in style.

If a horn fits you, play it.

Philip S.

[MightyDon]

Listening to the HOOTS-N'-TOOTS about BACH instruments on this thread, kinda sounds like a BACH-A-HOLIC session.
Almost like a deeezzzeeeeezzzz' )))

But after all is said and dung'....I think if I had to choose between a brand new BACH, and a brand new YAMAHA, I would just have to take the BACH...BACH!!!! )))

JUST JAZZIN

NOTHING BEATS...BACK-BACH TALK:)))
Thankfully....the world has available such wonderul instruments to choose from and many remain a very good bargin. (in comparison to the good old days) and all that jazz.
Bottom line: Its the chops that do the talking and not the horn and "Pops" way back at a Don Jacoby clinic at Drake University in 1956 was pretty right on when he saw me whining about how terrible my old student horn's valve keep sticking.
He walked over and took that horn from my snotty little hands...and said to me after he removed my sticky-coke and cookie infested Olds Ambassador 3rd valve and cleaned it with his hanky... quickly re-oiled it from a funny looking little round shaped bottle of valve oil that he had taken out of his pants pocket- quickly reassembled it and then took his mp outta his pocket, popped in and blew a really cool little cadenza thing...and smiled and handed it back to me saying something like...
"Nuttin' bad about that nice little horn of yours, son, except the way you take care of it and your teeth.
That horn of yours plays good enough for any kid like your or even more than good enough for an old gate like me!" Take care of your teeth and that horn of yours. Wash out your mouth before ya even pick it up.

He smiled when he noticed me wiping my nose with my sleeve and mentioned to all of there that also a clean horn will keep ya from gettin sick like this young man. Although I was imbarressed a bit...we all laughed and had a great day.

Jacoby made sure that we had some pretty good seats that night at the Ella Fitz and Satchmo performance at the concert hall there at Drake Univesity that night.

Opps! hows that for getting waaaaaaay off the BACH POST...daaa!
So yeh OK! OK! YOU BACH-A-HOLICS!!! I KNOW.....Nick Payton, Dave Douglas, and many other Bach players rule...but so do other great players on other major brand horns.
It remains that no matter the brand of horn, be it a BACH, OR AN OLD BESSON..its still the chops behind the mp. that does the "Wild Thing!"

[MightyDon]

Listening to the HOOTS-N'-TOOTS about BACH instruments on this thread, kinda sounds like a BACH-A-HOLIC session.
Almost like a deeezzzeeeeezzzz' )))

But after all is said and dung'....I think if I had to choose between a brand new BACH, and a brand new YAMAHA, I would just have to take the BACH...BACH!!!! )))

JUST JAZZIN

NOTHING BEATS...BACK-BACH TALK:)))
Thankfully....the world has available such wonderul instruments to choose from and many remain a very good bargin. (in comparison to the good old days) and all that jazz.
Bottom line: Its the chops that do the talking and not the horn and "Pops" way back at a Don Jacoby clinic at Drake University in 1956 was pretty right on when he saw me whining about how terrible my old student horn's valve keep sticking.
He walked over and took that horn from my snotty little hands...and said to me after he removed my sticky-coke and cookie infested Olds Ambassador 3rd valve and cleaned it with his hanky... quickly re-oiled it from a funny looking little round shaped bottle of valve oil that he had taken out of his pants pocket- quickly reassembled it and then took his mp outta his pocket, popped in and blew a really cool little cadenza thing...and smiled and handed it back to me saying something like...
"Nuttin' bad about that nice little horn of yours, son, except the way you take care of it and your teeth.
That horn of yours plays good enough for any kid like your or even more than good enough for an old gate like me!" Take care of your teeth and that horn of yours. Wash out your mouth before ya even pick it up.

He smiled when he noticed me wiping my nose with my sleeve and mentioned to all of there that also a clean horn will keep ya from gettin sick like this young man. Although I was imbarressed a bit...we all laughed and had a great day.

Jacoby made sure that we had some pretty good seats that night at the Ella Fitz and Satchmo performance at the concert hall there at Drake Univesity that night.

Opps! hows that for getting waaaaaaay off the BACH POST...daaa!
So yeh OK! OK! YOU BACH-A-HOLICS!!! I KNOW.....Nick Payton, Dave Douglas, and many other Bach players rule...but so do other great players on other major brand horns.
It remains that no matter the brand of horn, be it a BACH, OR AN OLD BESSON..its still the chops behind the mp. that does the "Wild Thing!"

[evolution]

I tried a Bach with a standardseized Sterling Silver Bell for a couple of weeks. The horn just played great but the first owner destroyed the valves so it was to expensive to buy and repair. The other Bachs I tried played well. But the qualitycontrol is really poor for professional horns. If you find a good Bach it's great. If you don't want to search one buy another brand. I play a Getzen and i love it. The valves are awesome and the sound is sweat.

johannes

[tcutrpt]

I play on a Bach 37 and a Bach 229G. I love my C trumpet. The sound is very pure and it projects very easily. My Bb is not nearly as good as my C. It was a mess before i sent it up to The Brass Bow last summer to have the valves aligned and chem cleaned. It gets me by now, but I still feel like it inhibits me musically to a certain degree. I do love Bachs, but it takes a lot to find a good one without getting very lucky with the first one or two that one tries. Good thread!

matt Cyr

[OCTA-C]

I play a model 43LT (silver) with a #43 reverse lead-pipe and a #43 bell. I also have both the standard and rounded tuning crooks with Amado water-keys. I also replaced the standard finger buttons with Curry "lites". It has a very big open blow. I am very, very, very happy with it! I should note that I did not buy it off the shelf but ordered it from the Selmer factory through my dealer with the options I specifically wanted. I am also in the process of having my 1968 model 37 Bach stripped of its lacquer and completely done over. It was sitting in my parents' attic for over 20 years! No "red rot"! Bach gets a bad "rap" a lot of the time but I think it"s still the most widely used horn at least on the East Coast! Thanks.
_________________
Jay S.

"May the good sound be yours!"

"Always remember to blow into the proper end of the horn!"-circa. 1900 (Harry Gardoon)

[jgadvert]

I played your standard 1970's silver 37.
Many of the guys I know that play in club dates bands consider it stuffy(particularly on upper octaves). Its good for concert band/symphony work

I was killing myself with my strad, maybe I got a lemon(I doubt it though). I think of it as a lower level pro horn.

PS: Its not the difference between a Cadillac and a BMW(say). It like trying to run a car race with a real race car versus a fast domestic car.

Many of the custom horns simply blow it away.
That is a fact. Love to elaborate on that statement!

PS: One more thing, as the story goes(cant believe everything you read) the horn was designed (for business reasons) as the next level horn students buy when they want to get serious. This is why the rich kids in my school
all had the strad while I made due with my olds ambassador

[ This Message was edited by: jgadvert on 2002-02-14 14:52 ]

[ This Message was edited by: jgadvert on 2002-02-14 15:35 ]