Holton Maynard Ferguson Models

adagiotrumpet · Heavyweight Member Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 908

I had a chance to try a friend's Holton ST 308 and I thought it was quite interesting to play. I never knew much about the Holton MF models, so I started looking on line for info. Evidently, the ST 308 is a.459 bore. My friend also has a ST 307 which has a bore size of .468, the same as the Martins Maynard use to play. Evidently there is a ST 302 that is also .468, so how does that horn differ from the ST 307? And if that isn't confusing enough, there appears to have been a ST 301, ST 304, ST 305, and an ST 306, if not even more that I couldn't find. Which model(s) did Maynard usually play?

Is anyone familiar enough with the MF Horn "series" by Holton to be able to describe the similarities and the differences? Thanks.

spitvalve · Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2020 1:26 pm Post subject:

I think the 307 and 308 have reversed tuning slides and/or ovate tuning slides. Not sure; it's been years since I've seen the ads.
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1991 Bach LR180 ML 37S
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1969 Getzen Capri cornet
1995 UMI Benge 4PSP piccolo trumpet
Warburton and Stomvi Flex mouthpieces

John Mohan · Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2020 1:34 pm Post subject:

Maynard played on the 301, and then the 302 when it came out, and then the 307 when it came out. These were all .468 large bore horns. When the medium large (.459) bore horns came out, he would have them on the band stand and play them occasionally for certain songs, but to be honest, I think his use of them on stage was mainly for promotional purposes. I'm pretty sure the medium large bore horns were added to the lineup to sell horns to those who felt intimidated by the (erroneous) idea that large bore horns are "hard to fill with air".

I'm not sure what the difference is between an ST-301 and an ST-302 but it might be just a difference in the trim on the horns. The ST-307 is pretty much and ST-302 but with a reverse lead pipe and brazed on third valve and first valve throws.

I played an ST-302 back in High School (I thought it was a move up from my Bach 37).

And after all, the Holton SALES brochure (capital letters on purpose) made the claim, and I quote: "It's upper register is astonishingly easy to play." Sure...

It was a great horn and I have no idea what I did with it! I must have traded it on a different horn, probably a silver plated Benge CG I bought around 1981 or so as a back up horn to my Benge CG I bought new through Claude Gordon in 1980.

Here's a picture of me playing that ST-302:

https://i.postimg.cc/Wp5M9pXT/Trumpeter-John-Mohan-does-his-share.jpg

And here's a picture of an ST-307

https://i.postimg.cc/RZghmqJZ/483822000420000-00-1600x1000.jpg

It probably will eventually disappear, but the Webpage for the ST-307 is still up on the Musician's Friend Website.

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/brass-instruments/holton-st307-mf-horn-series-bb-trumpet

Best wishes,

John Mohan
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cheiden · Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2020 1:55 pm Post subject:

nieuwguyski · Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2020 11:21 pm Post subject:

The ST 301 was the original .468-bore MF Horn. The ST 302 was originally offered as a more-resistant model, described as the "little big horn" (a line I believe Holton recycled for the later 550 Admiral model). The ST 304 was a .465 bore, again with the goal of offering a smaller model with broader appeal.

The ST 301, 302, and 304 were offered at the same time, at least for a while. At some point the ST 301 disappeared and the ST 302 became the basic .468-bore MF Horn. The ST 303 Firebird -- the valve/slide trumpet -- appeared after the ST 304. The .484-bore ST 305 Banana Horn appeared in the catalog around the same time. The ST 302 was redesigned and became the ST 306, though the lightweight version was the LT 302.
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OldSchoolEuph · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 2441

http://www.trumpet-history.com/Holton%20Models.pdf
Page 55
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cheiden · Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 9:12 am Post subject:

adagiotrumpet · Heavyweight Member Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 908

RussellDDixon · Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 5:51 pm Post subject:

KUDOS to whomever put the hours into that PDF !! I use to own two ST-302 MF Horns and loved them even though my Bach #37 playing friend told me how bad they sucked.
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khedger · Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 6:38 pm Post subject:

spitvalve · Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 6:44 pm Post subject:

I knew a couple of guys in college who bought MF horns. They could play really honking loud and one guy was an absolute screamer on it--about twice the volume of the horn he'd played before, which I think was a Yamaha or Schilke.
_________________
Bryan Fields
----------------
1991 Bach LR180 ML 37S
1999 Getzen Eterna 700S
1977 Getzen Eterna 895S Flugelhorn
1969 Getzen Capri cornet
1995 UMI Benge 4PSP piccolo trumpet
Warburton and Stomvi Flex mouthpieces

OldSchoolEuph · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 2441

HERMOKIWI · Heavyweight Member Joined: 24 Dec 2008 Posts: 2581

OldSchoolEuph · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 2441

rhjimmy · New Member Joined: 11 Nov 2022 Posts: 8

I know this is an old thread, but somebody may still be interested.

I had an ST302 I played through high school, I can't remember anything bad about it. I traded for a Selmer K Modified in 1980 - I wish I hadn't. Marketing is what it is... I couldn't play F above high C with any consistency back then, and the MF Horn made no difference at all in range. I bought an ST307 around 2000 and played it for over 20 years. I still have it, but I prefer my Schilke B1 now. I like the firmer valves. The bell flare on my 302 was much flatter than the 307, and if memory serves, I think it did have a little more resistance. Not much more though, it was a pretty open horn.

I think the whole idea of a .468 bore horn taking "more air" is simply nonsense. Whatever size horn you have, all the air goes through a #27 (or thereabouts) hole in the mouthpiece. The larger bore may give you slightly higher amplitude in the sound vibrations, so it may be able to play a little louder, but that's about it. I think bell flare drives the resistance more than anything IMHO. I can't feel any real difference in resistance between my Schilke (.460) and the 307 (.468), but the sounds are quite different. All things being equal, the Holton is (surprisingly) darker sounding. With a 1.5C it blends nicely with a section of Bach 37's. With something shallower, like a Curry 70M, it brightens up considerably.
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Tony Scodwell · Heavyweight Member Joined: 17 Oct 2005 Posts: 1961

A good friend of mine and a registered nurse was playing with Maynard the last six months of Maynard's life. My friend was certainly a great player and his nursing background was a comfort to Maynard and he played my Scodwell trumpet. He was warming up outside of Maynard's dressing room and Maynard came out and asked what horn he was playing. He told him it was a Scodwell and Maynard asked to play it saying "I see why you like this". Then Maynard said, "let me have it because Dave (Monette) is due to arrive". Monette walked in and there was Maynard holding the Scodwell trumpet and an awkward moment was obvious. After Monette left the room Maynard told my friend to get his Holton out saying, "if you want to play a really good trumpet, try this".

Tony Scodwell
www.scodwellusa.com

terrys17 · Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 8:35 pm Post subject:

I bought mike's back up scodwell when he first came off the road. Sorry to hear of his passing

JetJaguar · Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 1:03 pm Post subject: Re: MF Holtons

chase1973 · Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 8:44 am Post subject:

Michael Manthey was a good friend-we met when he lived in south Fl. in 2001-2002-then he left and went out w Maynard. We lost touch, then in 2014 we hooked back up. He had quit playing for a bit after Maynard passed and was doing the nursing thing full time and was just starting to get back to playing when I last spoke w him. He passed away less than a week later.

Speaking of the Holton MF Horns. Alan Wise told me when he was first on the band in 1980, he went through about 10 or 12 a year they were so bad. When he found one he REALLY liked, Maynard would take it for himself. Alan helped design the MF Admiral Horn in '83 and played it for a year before setting on a Schilke.

Anybody play on the ST301-those are hard to track down

Brent · Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 9:50 am Post subject: MF

"Meaning Maynard wanted to hold onto the Scodwell? (I'm notoriously dense)"

I think Maynard was referring to his Holton MF horn. I've heard this story before. I'm not sure Maynard was totally sold on the Monette horn he played on at the end of his career.

He did like the Monette mouthpiece, though.
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