are American horns popular in other countries?

jamesfrmphilly · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 12:09 pm Post subject:

do other folks play our horns or do they play locally made gear?
just curious.

trumpetmike · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 1:16 pm Post subject:

The Bach Strad is used all over the place and the same discussions occur worldwide about them.
In many European orchestras the rotary valve instruments are much more popular, often being used exclusively - so no Bachs there.
In piston based sections they appear with great regularity.

From my experience, brass band cornet players (from the UK anyway) are much more biased towards the traditional UK brand (Besson - Sovereign & Prestige models), but the Yamaha Maestro is also very popular.

jamesfrmphilly · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 1:47 pm Post subject:

rotary valve? trumpet? wha' dat?

alwyswinn · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 2:00 pm Post subject:

while you mentioned that can you buy a rotary valve trumpet in the U.S.? Do they sound different?

jamesfrmphilly · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 2:03 pm Post subject:

where's NE when you need him?

supportlivejazz · Heavyweight Member Joined: 05 Jan 2003 Posts: 3757

There are usually several rotary valved trumpets and flugels on ebay at any given time. They are quite simply horns with the directing of the air flow done with a lever operated rotating cylinder as opposed to a plunger operated vertical piston. Brasswinds sells at least one by Yamaha and perhaps others.

trumpetmike · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 2:19 pm Post subject:

Do a search for rotary valves and you will discover a wealth of information.
Yamaha produce a very fine one (which I have and use regularly), but the finest models are found (and played) in Germany and Austria - Monke, Lechner, Schagerl.

Bach did make a rotary C trumpet, have never played one so won't comment on it's performance. It looked quite pretty though.

jamesfrmphilly · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 2:22 pm Post subject:

did Rube Goldberg have a hand in the design?

alwyswinn · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 2:32 pm Post subject:

very cool thanx. I might try that someday. Is it just the pistons that keep Europeans from playing our horns then? I can't see how it would affect the sound terribly. Is it the general consensus of this forum that American horns are superiior to others (not just the piston valves but over all construction)

wiseone2 · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 2:35 pm Post subject:

wiseone2 · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 2:47 pm Post subject:

jamesfrmphilly · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 6:21 pm Post subject:

i went to that shop on 13th St when i was a kid.
now i have to go all the way to NY.

i studied with Tony Marcheone who also taught Lee Morgan and Randy Brecker.

[ This Message was edited by: jamesfrmphilly on 2004-02-18 08:57 ]

_PhilPicc · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 6:50 pm Post subject:

did Rube Goldberg have a hand in the design?

French horns are rotary, no new concept.
_________________
Philip Satterthwaite

We cannot expect you to be with us all the time, but perhaps you could be good enough to keep in touch now and again."
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allstarbugler · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 7:47 pm Post subject:

Buescher horns are highly in demand in Europe, especially in Switzerland.

Levermann · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 8:59 pm Post subject:

Buescher horns in demand in Europe ? Are you kidding ?
American trumpets superior ? Why ? And how ?

alanbach · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 12:27 am Post subject:

Two of my big band colleagues have recently bought Stomvi. I'm not keen on them apart from the Mambo. I have bought an Eclipse - I can't fault it - however I do like Schilke and Bach.

samlg · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 2:06 am Post subject:

i have a schilke, and you cant go far wrong with a bach. the smith watkins 4v Eb is the best i have ever played. but id kill for a martin schmidt rotary just because they are so good looking. given the choice to play rotary or piston i would go rotary just because they look better. i suppose im quite shallow!

have fun, sam

[ This Message was edited by: samlg on 2004-02-18 05:07 ]

Graham Altham-Lewis · Regular Member Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 31

Lots of people in the UK are bought up musically through Brass bands where Cornets are played not trumpets. In the States you call our Cornet the English Short Cornet and we call it a Cornet. We call your Cornet the Long Cornet!! We therefore probably have more cornet players and the tradition always used to be either Besson/Boosey and Hawkes. I have been out of the UK Brass Band scene for about 10 years but sat in on a rehearsal at my old Brass Band a couple of years ago and Yamaha Cornets are much more popular than they used to be. Perhaps someone in the Brass band scene in the UK can let us know if that has changed?

As far as trumpets go people also play Boosey and Hawkes/Besson but I would say from experience the most popular models are from Yamaha and Bach which I would guess is identical to the States. One from the US, one from Japan.

As far as the more exotic trumpets go we have all the same models that you have and people buying those do their research and try them out just as you do. They are from a variety of countries - Schilke from the states to Taylors and Eclipse from the UK etc. Which is best? Thay are all excellent but different as we know! These trumpets are I would imagine sold in much fewer numbers than Yamaha or bach which are probably the worlds best selling trumpets.

In the UK I do not know anyone who plays a Rotary trumpet so the valve ones are certainly the norm in Orchestras, Brass bands etc. (I do know what a rotary trumpet is though!)

There are many fine trumpets out there and from a variety of countries. Me I own a Yamaha and a Schilke trumpet and a Besson Cornet!

Cheers

Graham

Martin · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 2:30 am Post subject:

Regarding rotary trumpets:
These are standard equipment for orchestras in Germany and Austria and also widely used in Italy and Eastern Europe. Why we so stubbornly held onto the rotary valve system when the rest of the world happily adopted the easier to manufacture and easier to maintain piston valves is unclear. It´s probably because the "perinet" valve as we know it today was invented by a frenchman whereas rotary valves are of German origin.

For classical players who have/want to use a piston valved instrument, it´s true that Bach trumpets are still regarded as the #1 choice in Europe, although (or because?) they have a quite ridiculous price tag over here. The Bach representative in Europe recently said that the majority of Bach trumpets sold in the US are student horns, whereas in Europe, they sell mostly Strads.
_________________
All the best

Martin
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"I have found that it is enough when a single note is beautifully played." - Arvo Pärt

wiseone2 · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 4:10 am Post subject: