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Tristram Brass is building horns! What do you want to see?



 
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TristramBrass
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Joined: 17 Jan 2020
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2020 3:56 pm    Post subject: Tristram Brass is building horns! What do you want to see? Reply with quote

Just wanted to take a moment to toss out a shameless plug to the trumpet herald and ask an important question at the same time. I am going to offering custom instruments made in the US.

What in the trumpet world would you like to see being made? Are there any materials or designs that you have wanted from other manufacturers but havent been made.

If anyone is interested in helping me beta best my horns. I will have three prototypes that will be completed in March a two piece copper/Nickel bell horn, A modular trumpet with multiple interchangeable one piece bells, and a classic all around horn with a one piece gold brass bell. These will be available for in person trial in Chicago,Kansas city, and Houston. I would really like input on these horns when they are finished!


What I will be offering:

Hand hammered and spun Custom bells one piece and two piece
Hand drawn leadpipes
hand bent and drawn tuning slides
Unique and exotic materials
Custom tailored and designed leadpipes
Players choice of valve block

All major components other than valve blocks will be made in house custom to order.
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J.D. Heckathorn
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2020 4:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've always been keen to try a modular horn, if I lived in any of those cities I'd definitely give one a spin. Got any more info you can share on potential design?
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OldSchoolEuph
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2020 5:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A horn with the flexibility of an original Olds Studio, built to modern intonation and balance, or the pure trumpet tone of a Conn 22B Early without choking off in the upper register would be nice. But realistically, I miss the F.O. Wild Thing & Inspiration, the Callet Jazz, and other horns of that bent. And the Kanstul .018 Phosphor Bronze bells were amazing, but made from a stash of material Zig had laid up that is now gone. What are you doing that might address those recently abandoned markets?
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TKSop
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2020 5:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know everyone needs a niche...
But playing with a plethora of combinations sounds like a heck of a lot for a new business.

If you're building a reputation from scratch, surely you want to keep it relatively simple to begin with? Put out a small number of designs that play great and people will want to try your others?

Being handmade and your own design will generate enough interest, playing great will spread it...
Gimmicks like wacky materials and refusing to decide on a standard valve block will turn off more serious players than they'll attract IMHO.
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Liberty Lips
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2020 5:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are you sourcing the valves from Getzen?
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TristramBrass
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 7:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

@ J.D. Heckathorn
The modular horn and the two piece are actually going to someone who will be selling my horns in Asia. I think Modular horns are awesome for people who are intimately familiar with what their gear choices does to their sound. It allows a person to alter their sound on a gig to gig basis. It also makes adjusting your sound more affordable because with the purchase of just a bell or a new leapipe you basically have a whole new instrument. This modular horn is going to a retailer so they can test out multiple bell and leadpipe variations without purchasing multiple valve blocks and horns. However if someone find themselves buying a modular horn without the intention of often swapping parts I would try to guide them to instead order a traditionally assembled horn as modular horns have drawbacks that should be considered.

@OldSchoolEuph
I am a big Olds fan one of my favorite horns of all time are tricolor specials. As I create standard models I'm sure inspiration from Olds will be visible. The core principle I want to offer to players is to be extremely customizable. At this stage If someone wanted me to make a horn to a similar flame as something that is no longer available I would be happy custom make it. Of course I will need to have a few standard models that I produce. There will be designs that I will be making in the next few months that will be answers to demands I'm already aware of in the community. As those are developed they will be shared with the community. As far as the phosphor bronze goes I hope to be able to offer materials that would otherwise be hard to convince larger companies to produce. Your input has been taken seriously and I will consider the instruments you brought up as I prototype horns over the next few years!

@Liberty Lips
I will be primarily using Kain valves from *Germany*. Since my goal is to allow the player to have the final say on the horns they play I am willing to use any valve block the player wants as long as I can get ahold of them. I personally prefer Kain and meinl blocks however is someone was more comfortable with Getzen I would use that or if they wanted it more affordable I would be fine with using something like Carol.

@TKSop
I was very fortunate in that I was able to have a customer who wanted to pre order instruments from me. This is allowing me to make more instruments and varieties than I would have been releasing at this stage.

I do not see it as refusing to settle on a standard because I do have one that I am " standardizing" on. These first 3 released horns will all be build on Kain valves . I however do not want "No" to be in my vocabulary when it comes to what a customer wants. As long as a customer has a reasonable want for a different valve block and that company will sell it to me I do not see why I would not use whatever they want me to it largely does not add much difficulty to the whole process and as far as I'm aware no one offers that in the business.


Last edited by TristramBrass on Mon Jan 20, 2020 1:11 pm; edited 2 times in total
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deleted_user_48e5f31
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 8:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Deleted by dfcoleman

Last edited by deleted_user_48e5f31 on Tue Jan 05, 2021 7:01 am; edited 1 time in total
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TristramBrass
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I will be posting about the first frw of those excotic offerings very soon. Once the website is online.
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delano
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 6:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

TristramBrass wrote:

@Liberty Lips
I will be primarily using Kain valves from Switzerland.

These first 3 released horns will all be build on Kain valves .


As far as I know Benjamin Kain produces only rotary valves for trumpet and doppelhorn in Markneukirchen, Germany.
There is also Hubert Kain who produces all kind of valves (and instruments), also in Germany, in Eurasburg. I don't know another Kain in Switzerland.


Last edited by delano on Mon Jan 20, 2020 6:51 am; edited 1 time in total
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Gabrieli
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 6:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

They make piston valves for other manufacturers

http://musik-kain.de/en/maschinen/

And they are fairly near Munich actually.
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delano
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 6:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gabrieli wrote:
They make piston valves for other manufacturers

http://musik-kain.de/en/maschinen/

And they are fairly near Munich actually.


So you can call him also Austrian.
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TristramBrass
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Im ordering frim Hubert Kain in Germany. That was just a typo.
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Turkle
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 1:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've always thought that the most interesting small horn makers are the ones that pick one thing and really, really do it well. This, as opposed to those that create a line of 400 weird trumpets that have nothing to do with each other.

So, for instance, Lawler with their Committee-type horns. Or the Wild Thing. Or Mr. Scodwell's horns. DQ's horns with those enormous copper bells. Charlie Davis' commercial Calicchio knockoffs.

You get the idea!

I think that people on this forum tend to talk a lot about weird and exotic horns, which is fine, but 95% of people need a trumpet they can take into any environment whatsoever and be comfortable playing it. So most people (myself included) go with Bach or Yamaha.

That said, I'm sure glad that there are trumpet manufacturers that are pushing the envelope and making super-cool horns! But if that's going on, there should be a clear purpose in mind, I think. Not "here's something wacky, check it out," but "trumpet players have a specific need and this horn helps solve one or more of their real-life musical challenges."

Good luck, and I'm very much looking forward to learning more about your horns!
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DJtpt31
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 4:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In the category of designs:
rotary trumpet
kuhlohorn (circular flugelhorn)
corno de caccia
TARV trumpet or cornet
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DJtpt31
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 09, 2020 11:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TristramBrass wrote:
I will be posting about the first frw of those excotic offerings very soon. Once the website is online.


website up yet?
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HERMOKIWI
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 12:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There's definitely a market for highly customized horns both in terms of design and materials. This is not something likely to appeal to the masses due to lack of experience and knowledge coupled with the ready availability of more mass produced horns. However, for those who are very particular customization is very appealing.

Adams makes many models in standard configurations but they do customization, too. The player can specify a range of materials and design elements even to the point of radicalization. Adams made me an F2 flugelhorn with one-of-a-kind bracing to match the bracing on my A8 trumpet. Their only requirement was that the finished product meet their standards for playability.

As for Tristram Brass, interchangeable bells, leadpipes, slides and custom design coupled with exotic materials all sound like fun to me. I'm looking forward to seeing their website.
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rick.willoughby@cox.net
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 8:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My go to is a 64 Olds Special Tricolor Cornet an outstanding instrument! Make the tricolor a standard build for sure. Maybe add some options like heavy caps to a tricolor trumpet, simple. Do you have any pricing information?


@OldSchoolEuph
I am a big Olds fan one of my favorite horns of all time are tricolor specials. As I create standard models I'm sure inspiration from Olds will be visible. The core principle I want to offer to players is to be extremely customizable. At this stage If someone wanted me to make a horn to a similar flame as something that is no longer available I would be happy custom make it. Of course I will need to have a few standard models that I produce. There will be designs that I will be making in the next few months that will be answers to demands I'm already aware of in the community. As those are developed they will be shared with the community. As far as the phosphor bronze goes I hope to be able to offer materials that would otherwise be hard to convince larger companies to produce. Your input has been taken seriously and I will consider the instruments you brought up as I prototype horns over the next few years!

@Liberty Lips
I will be primarily using Kain valves from *Germany*. Since my goal is to allow the player to have the final say on the horns they play I am willing to use any valve block the player wants as long as I can get ahold of them. I personally prefer Kain and meinl blocks however is someone was more comfortable with Getzen I would use that or if they wanted it more affordable I would be fine with using something like Carol.

@TKSop
I was very fortunate in that I was able to have a customer who wanted to pre order instruments from me. This is allowing me to make more instruments and varieties than I would have been releasing at this stage.

I do not see it as refusing to settle on a standard because I do have one that I am " standardizing" on. These first 3 released horns will all be build on Kain valves . I however do not want "No" to be in my vocabulary when it comes to what a customer wants. As long as a customer has a reasonable want for a different valve block and that company will sell it to me I do not see why I would not use whatever they want me to it largely does not add much difficulty to the whole process and as far as I'm aware no one offers that in the business.[/quote]
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adagiotrumpet
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How about bringing some horns to ITG this May?
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Andy Del
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 12:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I suspect people get all caught up in materials and finishes and things like this as they are easy to catagorise. If (big IF) I were to make instruments (and never ever will) I would look towards the playing experience which can be cartagorised: things like a more open blow, more resistent, super efficient, etc.

Sitting down with one colleague, we noticed that we want radically different things in our horns: he tighter, me much more open. He called it 'big'. You could also try for a model which has more defined slots, a-la Bach or loser, more flexible feel like a B model Schilke...

So, why not a model with is sort of Bach 37-ish? On the tighter side of things. Then a much more open and free blowing open. en add slotting and you maybe 8 different models...

cheers

Andy
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trumpetplanet
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 4:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

For the sake of getting some variety in opinion you would be doing yourself a favour by investigating what Jerome Callet has to say about modern and old instrument design.
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