Martin Committee - Richard Martin

Jack97 · Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2023 1:06 pm Post subject: Martin Committee - Richard Martin

Hello. Has anyone tried these new Martin Committees made by Richard Martin?
https://www.martinbrasswind.com/

JayKosta · Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2023 1:22 pm Post subject:

This was discussed awhile ago, and I recall it mentioned that the instruments were actually made by BAC ( https://www.coolisbac.com/ ), for MartinBrasswind .
I am not aware of any actual manufacturing being done by MBW.
_________________
Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'.

OldSchoolEuph · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 2474

Last I heard, there had been one sold - to a collector.

BAC may have built another one for trade shows, I am not sure. When the original was shown at trade shows, those who played it were highly complimentary. (There's a thread here somewhere, but I cant find it)

Martin Brasswind Co. is not a maker. It is an exclusive marketing channel - one that appears to have been a dead end. This is very sad given the work John Duda & Matt Simianer put into designing a remarkable instrument.
_________________
Ron Berndt
www.trumpet-history.com

2017 Austin Winds Stage 466
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1957 Holton 27 cornet
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1975 Olds Recording R-20

Jacko1235 · Regular Member Joined: 18 Nov 2017 Posts: 39

Does that mean Martin Brasswind Co. own the naming rights? If so I'm surpised the brand hasn't been licensed to a bigger company.

For the actual trumpet, I think they really missed the market. There are plenty of credible Martin Committee "clones" going for significantly less with good track records.

LittleRusty · Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2023 10:06 am Post subject:

kehaulani · Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2023 11:46 am Post subject:

I don't know anything about the new horn but the bush-league promotional video as their opening and best shot was a tie breaker for me. And I might add, no follow-up.
https://www.martinbrasswind.com/
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
"Well, even if I could play like Wynton, I wouldn't play like Wynton." Chet Baker

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
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Benge 3X Cornet

Man Of Constant Sorrow · Heavyweight Member Joined: 25 Jun 2023 Posts: 503

My personal opinion:

The consumer market really doesn't need any more "new horns".
(Maybe student horns ... but, I have NO IDEA what's going on there.)

Anyone want to disagree, and offer a strong, valid reason to oppose what I am stating?
_________________
Sub-Optimal Hillbilly Jazz

Croquethed · Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2023 5:17 pm Post subject:

The consumer market may not really "need any new horns," but Brett Getzen and the folks in Elkhorn seem to be having a lot of luck with the X-13. And there seems to be plenty of buzz about the new Bachs. So addressing or dismissing the market at large rather than the issue with this one particular horn doesn't address the issue for me.

As previous posters here have pointed out, other than trying to leverage the family name, there didn't seem to be a lot of logistical genius in the rollout of this particular horn. It may be a truly great horn, but if there isn't enough to meet demand (or better yet, *almost* meet demand, I waited 6 months for my X-13) and not enough credible buzz, the horn won't go anywhere.

And if it's a great horn, that's too bad. The mass consumer market may not need any new horns, but the market I'll call the "prosumer market," the dedicated hobbyist market, is certainly receptive. And who are we to tell them they don't need a well-functioning new tool that makes their hobby more enjoyable?

OldSchoolEuph · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 2474

Man Of Constant Sorrow · Heavyweight Member Joined: 25 Jun 2023 Posts: 503

LittleRusty · Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2023 7:09 am Post subject:

JayKosta · Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2023 8:05 am Post subject:

From a 'strictly business' point of view, it would be interesting to know who provided the funding and expertise for BAC to produce the new instrument.

If BAC provided a substantial amount of money for the project, then it would have been wise for them to have some contracted number of instruments that Martin Brasswind would buy from BAC, or that BAC would be able to produce and sell the instrument to others without it being labeled as a 'Martin Committee' .
_________________
Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'.

OldSchoolEuph · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 2474

Man Of Constant Sorrow · Heavyweight Member Joined: 25 Jun 2023 Posts: 503

Mike, of BAC (if he is still involved?) graduated from Red Wing (WI) Technical & Community College. Very fine training for band instrument repair. I have a relative that graduated.

HOWEVER (!!) I do not believe students receive dedicated business education.

A classic case of knowing a lot about certain aspects (mechanical/repair/assembly) of music-instruments, but little-or-no background in the deeper aspects of running a business.
_________________
Sub-Optimal Hillbilly Jazz

Liberty Lips · Heavyweight Member Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 986

Let's not forget the havoc that the epidemic wrought on everything. The deal originally was that Kanstul would stencil their 1603 (essentially) for Richard Martin if he ever came up with an order to build one (I don't know if he ever did, I kind of doubt it). Then Kanstul collapsed and BAC bought the tooling, and that's when they took the deal over, but BAC wanted to design their own Committee knock-off. The prototype they came up with, made mostly by John Duda, was actually very good; I played it at the NAMM show and thought it was nice, although I'm no expert on Committees. But that's when the pandemic hit, and BAC along with just about everybody else closed up. Whatever momentum for making and marketing the new (Richard) Martin Committee pretty much dried up.

BAC doesn't seem to have recovered from the pandemic, from what I can tell. Their grandiose plans when they bought out the Kanstul tooling has come to basically nothing. I've heard very little about their Benge line, even though they now own the Benge name. Of course, making an investment like that just before that kind of calamity would mess anybody up. But it’s a shame, because there are two pretty excellent Committee horns that are now gone (the 1603 and the BAC/Duda/Richard Martin incarnation), along with the Benge line, and BAC’s ability to make new horns appears to be moribund, in spite of all the equipment they now own.