OMG, this is so funny

PatchesTheCat · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2003 7:58 pm Post subject:

I can't believe this guy did this. A student horn crapped up and it looks awful. My roommate and I laughed at this one for like 5 minutes nearly bringing tears to our eyes.
Enjoy!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2366526208&category=41400

ps. the description is priceless

tomterriff · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2003 8:22 pm Post subject:

Don't knock it 'til you,ve tried it. Dave Monette got his start mucking about with old horns trying to find out where to let the vibrations go free and where to hold them in check. Did you ever see the two-belled monster he made for Bobby Shew, (the original Shew-Horn?) And look where all that messing around got Dave. I have a colleague who has the most preposterous looking horns with tape and corks stuck in strange places and they play really nicely.

I'm not ready to spend $995 for a modified Bach TR300. But if I had a horn shop and some old parts and a bunch of free time, I'd love to be cranking out similar oddities.

Laugh away but I'll bet the sucker plays.

Happy blowing, Tom

Tim80 · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Nov 2001 Posts: 1415

Yeah,
I'm still regretting not sending a Schilke to him to have it modified.

_________________
All murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.
Voltaire

smokinschilke · Regular Member Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Posts: 43

What a joke..........I feel sorry for anyone who buys a student model horn (with a bunch of junk metal on it) for much more than it is worth!! Did you happen to see the Yamaha student model that he was trying to sell for $4000??? This guy is crazy. That has to be THE ugliest trumpet that I have ever seen!! Probably plays like a student model.......DOH!!! IT IS A STUDENT MODEL!!!!!

the chief · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2003 9:06 pm Post subject:

I personally believe it doesn't matter if you play on a student-horn or not, but a pro-horn is always nicer.

As far as the Harrellson's go, I 've never tried one, but they look very radical, even to the point of looking silly.

I don't knock it, but I can't see myself ever buying one or endorsing it (unless they paid me to

ARB · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2003 9:08 pm Post subject:

What's with the bars attached to the bell? Does he know something other horn makers don't; or is he just flat our crazy?
_________________
Allen - 'Chops-in-Hotlanta'

00 Schilke S22
77 LA Benge 5X
63 Burbank Benge C

"It's what we think we know that keeps us from knowing"

smokinschilke · Regular Member Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Posts: 43

The bars are to hang your socks on......LOL

JasonHarrelson · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2003 9:20 pm Post subject:

Patches....are you kidding? This TR300 will play circles around your Schilke. Sure, it doesn't have the greatest valves in the world nor the polished silver finish so many of you equate with quality. But it does have several times the response, dynamics and slotting of your B6. I admit the horn doesn't look like a normal trumpet, but it is a prototype....that means that I BUILT IT AS AN EXPERIMENT. Actually, I have re-built it several times experimenting with various bracing configurations until I settled on what worked best.

I guess now is a good time to mention that have finally started checking out this webpage. Many concerned clients have sent me links to garbage posted on this site. The truth is that I'm too busy to sit around and chat with close-minded info-geeks. And my clients are professionals not interested in slanted public forums. However, I am willing to answer questions from legitimate musicians seeking answers.

I haven't quite figured out why so many people here act so immature? Perhaps many of you are in fact very young? Trumpets are the tools we use to express ourselves. We hold them sacred and they somehow define us individually. So let us each have our own opinions and not lash out at every opportunity. This site has the potential of gaining some very prestigious members, but respect and honor are lacking pre-requisites.

I guess I can't blame some of you for dis-liking my horns. After all, you've only seen photos of prototypes....never have you played one on a gig. And my prototypes have looked pretty strange. Hey, they're prototypes...why can't we have fun? Does everything have to look like a Bach? In fact, we do build polished silver and gold horns that look very conservative...some look almost identical to standard horns, but play much better.

Before everyone puts in their two cents, let me state that I am not here to end the debate. I fully understand that there will never be an end to debating which trumpet is best. There's no such thing as best...we're all different and there's always more to learn, try and understand. What could I know about trumpets? I only practice 2-4 hours/day, teach a brass studio of 35 and play-test/disassemble/measure/re-build & re-test nearly every make of trumpet sent to me by reputable clients from around the world on a daily basis. I am no different than most of you...I'm in pursuit of making great music on a great horn. Some days that's a Strad, others a Monette Shatki and in some cases on a cheap TR300 that I modified to accomodate the lead part on West Side Story.
_________________
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www.whyharrelson.com

PatchesTheCat · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2003 9:23 pm Post subject:

Come on Tom, there's no way you can tell me by him slapping on a bunch of bracing it's magically going to turn a poorly made student model into a great playing horn. The guy isn't altering leadpipe configurations, he is giving it a heavy sleeve to go over the crappy leadpipe it has. He isn't re-doing the valves to give them closer tolerances, he isn't doing anything to the valves. He's just making the horn heavier. He's soldering trendy bracing in the same places everyone else is putting them. The locations are just based on room availibility on the horn and positions where they would stand out. The whole bell thing baffles me, those metal chopsticks aren't stabilizing anything.

If I saw that he strategically did something I could give him some credit, say for example a heavy valve cap on the third valve because that will absorb the first impacts of vibration on the valve cluster. Come on, the guy needs to give us something better than what he is doing. Dave's horns at least have eye value to them. I'm not an expert on Monette Instruments but there is no way you can put this guy on the same field. This is such a mind boggling premise.

The answer to all revolutionary trumpet-physics is not to add more weight and crazy looking bracing!!!!!
But I digress. I need some sleep. My "scientific principles" of math tell me that I can't be wrong, and that some poor chap is going to pay $1000 for a student horn. GRRR

Regards.

PatchesTheCat · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2003 9:31 pm Post subject:

So he does exist. It will play what around my Schilke. You can't be serious.

I don't think our ages have anything to do with this. It's really bedtime now. I'll reapproach this trainwreck in the morning.

Circles around my.... unbelievable. I can't believe you said that. Bill Chase is rolling in the grave right about now.

edit for awful spelling, i hate typing angry

[ This Message was edited by: PatchesTheCat on 2003-12-14 00:33 ]

smokinschilke · Regular Member Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Posts: 43

Man,
What a joke!! A Bach TR300 for $1000? A student model Yamaha for $4000? A TR300 outplays a Schilke??? Keep posting those replies, I cannot stop laughing!!

[ This Message was edited by: smokinschilke on 2003-12-14 01:12 ]

[ This Message was edited by: smokinschilke on 2003-12-14 01:16 ]

trombapaul2 · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2003 10:35 pm Post subject:

Welcome aboard Jason. I think many of us were wondering when you were
going to show up.

Paul

Emb_Enh · Veteran Member Joined: 29 Oct 2002 Posts: 455

Dave Monette got his start mucking about with old horns trying to find out where to let the vibrations go free and where to hold them in check
========================================

Yep and when I met him in '86 and tried a 'FRANKENSTEIN'...sorry..'FRANKENSCHTEEN' ..I told him it was crap and he's never hget anywhere trying to sell a horn with no laquer/plating --ahahahhah!!!!

ps...mind you I never thought THE BEATLES would amount to much either!

_________________
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"E M B O U C H U R E___E N H A N C E M E N T"
BOOK 1 also... BOOK 2 + demo CD

[Self Analysis and Diagnostic Trumpet Method]

trumpetmike · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2003 1:12 am Post subject:

Welcome to TH Jason

Nice to see that you arrive with sense
"Before everyone puts in their two cents, let me state that I am not here to end the debate. I fully understand that there will never be an end to debating which trumpet is best. There's no such thing as best...we're all different and there's always more to learn, try and understand."

I, for one, would like to try out one of your trumpets, just to see what the differences are - has anyone in the UK got one, as far as you know?

They are not conventional looking instruments, but so what? Sometimes it's fun to play something a little "different."

I think one of the things that people on here (and elsewhere) have a problem with is the use of a student trumpet for the modifications. If you had based them upon a Bach, Schilke (I'm sure Patches would send you one

) or similar then I doubt there would be as much negativity.

JackD · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2003 2:27 am Post subject:

I'm not going to jump into the argument, but Jason, what are those bars on the bell intended for? I am genuinely intrigued - are they to concentrate resonance?
I have to say I am sceptical about how much bracing can improve a trumpet, but I too would like to try one of these.

ARB · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2003 2:38 am Post subject:

Hey, this one actually doesn't look half bad:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2366256692&category=16214
_________________
Allen - 'Chops-in-Hotlanta'

00 Schilke S22
77 LA Benge 5X
63 Burbank Benge C

"It's what we think we know that keeps us from knowing"

MaynardProdigy · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2003 5:41 am Post subject:

I also think that the Harrelson 905 is a classier looking horn. Not something that looks like it can fly in space. If his prices where in the normal range I'd probably pick up my old TR200 and send it to him to get it modified. Just to see what the deal is. I wouldn't pay more that 200 bucks for the mod and I'd be the one picking the design.
_________________

Silver/Gold Bach Stad 43
81' MF ST-302
51' Olds Super (LA)
631 Yamaha Flugel
***Working on***
Yamaha Xeno
Martin Committee

JasonHarrelson · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2003 5:55 am Post subject:

Mike,

We have 3 in the UK, with a few more orders to be delivered in the coming months. The vast majority of ALL my modifications have been to pro horns. We only used intermediate and student horns for our prototypes. I didn't have $35,000 to buy 50 used Bach Strads....so I used student horns. All the principles are the same and we used many student Bachs with the same bore size as a Strad and traded out the leadpipes and bells with various used Strad parts. If any one of you were to visit the shop today (and I encourage you to do so), you'd find every horn on the shelf to be modified is a pro horn from a pro or semi-pro player.

Jack - The bell flare rods do in fact change the way the trumpet plays and sounds. To put this very simply, the trumpet bell actually vibrates at a lesser amplitude where there are braces, creating a rich vibrant sound and great stability. I have experimented with many bell flare bracing designs, most of which you will never see. This configuration may look strange, but it actually works. I received many compliments on my playing and sound on West Side, but the audience never saw the horn as we were in the pit. Good thing, the horn was REALLY ugly then!

Another note....I've seen a debate on adding removable bracing... This is very simple to do, but it is only a temporary, experimental solution. You can try many various types of bracing by cutting 1/8" wooden dowels to length and gluing them in place with rubber cement. This will not harm most lacquer horns, silver or gold or raw brass. Be sure the brace fits exactly, not too snug and not loose.

Jason Harrelson
_________________
Harrelson Trumpets
www.whyharrelson.com

Waxer · Regular Member Joined: 15 Nov 2003 Posts: 26

If three "bell rods" are good, are four rods better? Is there a way to improve thier appearance by giving them a '57 chevy fin style? Maybe you could give them a helical twist like on laundry machine agitators. The X shaped braces are cool, but a dood named Malcolm already used that letter. A corkscrew shaped brace has never been used, to my knowledge. A spring, if you will. (An interesting idea that you'll probably steal) You should call that thing the Buck Rogers Souper Duper.

GordonH · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2003 6:55 am Post subject:

I have seen rods like that on a european made flugel.
I think it has a similar effect to the co-axial bell design.

Gordon