plp
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 11 Feb 2003
Posts: 7023
Location: South Alabama
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 Posted: Tue May 26, 2020 8:04 pm Post subject: |
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| nieuwguyski wrote: | Decades ago I saw the Dirty Dozen Brass Band at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, CA. The trumpet soloist played an Olds Ambassador all night. I don't know if that was his regular horn or not, but it didn't seem to hinder him at all.
I do think that the Ambassador is designed to play in a way the Olds company thought would suit beginners, but I have no problem accepting that those same playing characteristics might suit some much more accomplished players. I'm not one of them. I played a Recording trumpet for years, and still play a Recording cornet, but I never played an Ambassador trumpet (and I've played a few) I liked very much.
Personally, I think you're making too much of the last bell-to-leadpipe brace. The Olds Special was the step-up from the Ambassador and as far as I can tell the main difference was the elimination of the additional bracing on both ends of the valve block (and yes, the other bell-to-leadpipe braces were different). And just because a brace is "stressless" doesn't mean its mass doesn't have a dampening effect.
If I had the yen (and the disposable yen) to hot-rod an Ambassador, I'd set it up with Special-like bracing and try a leadpipe swap -- either a Bach 43 or one of Rich Ita's Pilczuk pipes. Like it or not, I wouldn't pursue it any further than that. |
#1. That cat could make any horn sing, really didn't matter what he was playing, could work around it. Wish I could remember his name, but damn, was killing it every time I saw him play. Bought him more than a few shots of Crown and have heard him a dozen times back in the day. He was playing a 1948 Los Angeles Ambassador, hardly a student horn, used the same bell as the Recording of the time. He said it just worked for him, and had had the leadpipe replaced with an identical Ambassador leadpipe due to redrot, only mod he had had done.
#2. At his recommendation, bought a 1949 Los Angeles Ambassador, and have to agree, hardly a student horn. My only issue is how tight the blow is, like my .438 Conns, just backs up on me, my fault, if you learn how to ride the resistance, is magical and just rings out. Cat and Maynard both proved that.
#3. With the exception of Gary Stoner and Jason Harrelson, have not had a custom mod horn play any better after being modded than it did before it was 'tweaked'.
KansasTrumpets talked me into going stock with a Conn 6B he brought back from the dead, and he was exactly right, had all kinds of major mods I wanted to do, custom copper bell, heavy caps, cost himself money because he knew better. Sent back an incredibly well playing trumpet because, he knew his stuff and kept it stock.
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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 |
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