Schilke P7 piccolo

[tomterriff]

I recently acquired a Schilke P7 piccolo. (This is the 3 valve version of the P7-4.) It is my favorite piccolo of all time. It blows easily and slots accurately. It can be played gently and sensitively and can also open up and sound almost like a full trumpet. Mine is the only one I have ever seen. Does anybody out there have experience with this model? Does anybody know it's history?
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Bb -Bach/Blackburn 37G, Shires CLW
C -Bach Chcago
Eb/D - Charlie Melk Bach conversion
Picc - Benchmark, Schilke P7
Cornet - Getzen 3850 Bb, Getzen 3810 C
Flugel - Selmer Paris 62, Selmer Concept

[benlewis]

Here's what is listed on the Schilke Loyalist:

"P7 - This was originally a smaller bore (0.437 inch), three valve horn similar in design to the original P5 above. The first was built in 1971, but the next in 1982. It remained in the catalog, but not in the price list, and sells in very small numbers. In 2003, the P7 was built with the same valve cluster as the P5 and the bore enlarged to 0.450. Schilke provided a P7 to Rick Baptist for use in the Los Angeles studios and was thrilled with the sound and the blow. Since then, Schilke developed the P7-4"

I have a P4 with an aftermarket third valve rotor slide that lowers the pitch a minor third; so low F is 3+rotor. It's a great horn for musical theater...

HTH

Ben

[tomterriff]

Thanks, Ben. Mine gets used in musical theater a lot. It's perfect for the small pit theaters I play in. Where did you get your after market rotor slide? I would love to get one for this horn.
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Bb -Bach/Blackburn 37G, Shires CLW
C -Bach Chcago
Eb/D - Charlie Melk Bach conversion
Picc - Benchmark, Schilke P7
Cornet - Getzen 3850 Bb, Getzen 3810 C
Flugel - Selmer Paris 62, Selmer Concept

[RETrumpet]

I played on a colleagues many years ago and really enjoyed it. I talked to someone else who owned one and enjoyed it quite a bit. I like it more than the P7-4, for sure. Both players said they would never sell, and I assume that feeling is pretty common among the owners of those horns.

They are special order from Schilke and, because they are likely someone's second piccolo, they are few and far between. (Because 4th valves are a requirement for a lot of literature, probably owing to the massive success of the P5-4). If the P7 is one's main picc, that person would probably need a good short bell D trumpet to fill a lot of gaps.

Congrats on a great find!
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Bb: FrankenBach, '72 Committee, Conn 22B, King 2070SGX
C: Bach 229-MK slide/pipe, Bach 226 with YTR-9445(2) pipe
D/Eb: Bach 239 with YTR-9636 pipe
Picc: Stomvi Master, Couesnon Monopole
Cornet: Schilke A2C, '23 Buescher
Flugel: Scodwell Prototype

[benlewis]

tomterriff,

I bought the horn from a friend in Italy and it already had the rotor. If I recall correctly, he said the slide was made by one of the German custom shops.

Bill Jones has made a similar slide for my Yamaha YTR-9636 Ed; perhaps he could whip one up for you...

Ben

[Shark01]

My P7-4 is my favorite instrument bar none. It can do everything well. I didn’t realize how limited the small bore piccolos were until I played this (and learned to appreciate Maurice Andre even more).

[F.E. Olds Nut]

I owned a Schilke P4 with a Yamaha 9820 3rd rotor. It was an amazing free-blowing piccolo and I actually preferred it over my P5-4, but alas I could only justify owning one piccolo and I needed the 4th valve.
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Del Quadro "The Mother"