Harrelson Summit one Review

[madsbrusgaard@gmail.com]

This my review on buying a Harrelson Summit One.

If you have no time for reading my full review, then the short review will be, don’t wait to buy one. It is an amazing piece of trumpet, made of knowledge and a lot of development by Jason Harrelson.
In all aspects it lives fully up to my quite high expectations. And don’t get confused of the very many possibility’s you can get and build.
The team from Harrelson have the very best and highest service level and will for sure guide you if any doubts.

My name is Mads Brusgaard, I am a 49 old trumpet player from Denmark. I have played for more than 30 years, Jazz classical, Latin, salsa, funk etc. I am also a Broadcast engineer.

I December 2016 I started looking for a new trumpet, when my Stomvi Elite Professional from 1990 was somehow very warn out, and I had had a lot of repairs on it because of some serious old damages.

Therefore, I started looking for a new trumpet. I have played very many different brands over the years, Bach, Shchilke, Van Laar, Martin, Yamaha, Adams , Selmer among others.

As the tech guy I guess I am, I started to look for people how had been in the process of developing trumpets. I found tree places I would consider. One I thought was much too expensive the other to young and perhaps still in a process of getting there. (I won’t mention any names in respect for the brands and the trumpeters who plays these brands and will be qualified to review them).
I found articles about Harrelson trumpets and got on their page and started reading all the material. Please do go to their page harrelson.com , I found it the most documented off all the manufactures of trumpets I have ever seen. Jason Harrelson has really documented his work and the technology behind his trumpets in all aspects. Check out his videos on YouTube. There are a lot to get there and it is very educating and his is very good to explain his concepts.

In May 2018 I order my 5MM mouthpiece, made for me as my Vincent Bach 3C mouthpiece. The 5MM mouthpiece you can change the way it is put together, in rim cup, throat, back bore.
At first, I had difficulty in getting used to it, and felt it was different from my Vincent Bach, and of course it was different. I called Harrelson and they told me to try it for around 2 weeks and then see. And the 2 weeks did the job, I felt very comfortable with it, it sounded nice and gave me a very different support and flexibility on low notes as on high.

About a month later I orded my Harrelson Summit One trumpet. With a Bell 7 and a lead pipe 4.
Due to work I went to New York on November 2018 and when I finish in New York I went to Denver to pick up my trumpet.

I was terrible nervous the day I was going to pick up the trumpet. I have never bought a musical instrument without trying it before buying. But all through the process when ordering the Harrelson Summit One, I felt very comfortable because of the documentation and the guidance on mail, on telephone and on skype calls with Jason Harrelson.

On Friday the 23th of November I entered the shop and met the “Harrelsons�.
I forgot somehow my Harrelson mouthpiece in a café close to the Harrelson shop, and I thought I was going to start my new trumpet in a very bad way. Jason was so kind to and said: “we will make you a new one in 5 minutes� and so they did. Thanks again guys � .

I had a short tour in the shop, most because I was keener to try my new horn, so we went to the shop.
Jason gave me another tour in the instrument showroom, and, after that I picked up the horn. And after glenzing it with respect I tried my first notes on it. And it felt just right at the very first note. I really mean that. For me sound in music is everything. You can be a very talented player, but sound is was defines everything and is our base of everything. This piece of instrument did support me in every way.

The sound is so nice, the ease to intonate, to pitch, to play high notes and to play the high notes soft and piano is very different and easy.

I really would recommend this trumpet for everyone who wants to play trumpet beginners, professional players. All!!It is just another world.

I have now had my new Harrelson for 2 weeks and it just get better. I haven’t tried to change so many settings I could, but I will soon test all the different settings. All the venturi gab receivers rings I have to try (VGR). That is where you change the gap between the mouthpiece and the lead pipe, and on all trumpets this gap is very crucial to the sound and the ease to go to different registers. But on this trumpet, you can change it.

To me Jason Harrelson has taken the concept of the trumpet in to the new era. And made us trumpet players to have a very important choice about how we would like our instrument to sound and perform.

I hope to update my review in the near future. Do go to try a Harrelson trumpet. Please feel free to call or write me. If you live in Scandinavian or Europe and come by Denmark try out my Harrelson trumpet.

So many thanks to Jason and his wonderful team, for making me better!!

Ps. I have not received any discount on my instrument. Really just love what they made me. And I think Jason Harrelson has a concept about not giving away instrument to top players to have them playing them. Which I really like as a standard. So, go to harrelson.com to check out the facts. �



It’s all about trust!!

Kind regards
Mads Brusgaard

[bender-offender]

This is a wonderful review! I recently watched Jason’s videos on YouTube and he seems like a great person, teacher, and player. I was amazed about his story of needing to relearn everything.
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XO 1604 S-R Bb Tpt
Bach Strad 37 Bb Tpt
XO 1624S C Tpt

[shofarguy]

Good job on the review! First post, too. Welcome to Trumpet Herald. I hope you tell us more, as you go forward with this horn.
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Brian A. Douglas

Flip Oakes Wild Thing Bb Trumpet in copper
Flip Oakes Wild Thing Flugelhorn in copper


There is one reason that I practice: to be ready at the downbeat when the final trumpet sounds.

[plp]

Great review, and glad it worked out for you.

I have an old Conn 12-B, originally made in 1942, that was an absolute train wreck when I got it.

It was listed on ebay as simply 'trumpet for sale', and was in 3 separate pieces. I paid more to get it shipped than I did for the horn. Bell was crushed and no longer attached, although it looked like someone had sweated it out and removed it correctly, tail and bow were in very good condition.

Leadpipe was also bent in two places, once again were braising marks on the braces, like it had been done by someone who knew what they were doing.

A friend and I did our best to put it back together, and while it would play, was still in pretty bad shape.

I did some horse trading with Jason, and got him to put it back together, and make it a player. He did not disappoint.

He sleeved the compromised leadpipe in a heavy brass overlay, fixed the bell, rebuilt the valves ( at some point, this horn had been played A LOT, and had no pop to the valves at all, tons of compression after he rebuilt it) and added heavy braces.

It went from an unplayable trumpet to a secret weapon, roll it out once in a while if the band has a gig where the horns are not going to be micced, to make sure the solos come through.

It cuts like a laser beam, a bit too bright to be a daily player, but if you absolutely need to be heard over amplification, will get the job done.
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Since all other motives—fame, money, power, even honor—are thrown out the window the moment I pick up that instrument..... I play because I love doing it, even when the results are disappointing. In short, I do it to do it.” Wayne Booth

[cedboe]

Nice review ! Harrelson are the best trumpets ! Too bad I can't play anymore with two kids, no time !