Posts made by adc

After an absence of 50 years I started again 8 years ago at the age of 70.

When practicing music I omit pieces that have more than 3 flats or sharps. The return on investment is just not there. Clark's books are loaded with 3 flats/sharps+. Especially at my age and really mostly a waste of time for younger players to concentrate in this area.

Better to learn to play FASTER with good articulation.

Thoughts?

@_mark_
I really did not see a question. I saw venting. And that's fine.

Couple things..youtube. Now the guy that repairs my horns repairs them like a person like you or I can not nor ever will. Goes with the territory. However this gentleman is always willing to show me how he does stuff. And another thing..to fix stuff you need tools. Tools (micrometers, bore gages, granite blocks, etc are not cheap and you need them. I have many hundreds in just these "simple" tools. Sounds like you could not afford them..so why complain.

The other thing. You can not hope to progress beyond a certain level of proficiency without good instruction. Take that to the bank.

But there are avenues out there. You just have to ask.

@barliman2001
I restarted replaying around d 5 years ago. I bought lots of cheaper horns and gave around 20 away to underprivileged or talented kids

Some I remember:

Strad Trumpet (sold)
Eterna Trumpet(sold)
Cornets:
Capri (2)
Committees (2)
Conn Concert Grand
New Proportion

Current (cornets) in my collection:

1900 Boosey & Fuchs
1910 King
1906 Conn Conquest
1908 Wonderphone
1910 Perfected Wonder
1911 Perfected wonder
1929 (York Improved Perfect) My steady Player
Dont remember dates off top of head):
Committee
King Master (2)
1954 Concert Grand (Near Brand New-100%perfect)
1954 20A
1984 Bach Strad M 184G Other Steady Player

@flugelgirl said in Differences between grades of instruments:

I really don’t think vintage horns had a higher quality level for intermediate vs. pro - some of those were still no more than fancier plating. A Martin Committee in perfect condition will not make you sound like one of the greats if you are a marginal player,

I have very old (before 1920) Conns, Kings, Yorks. They are in extremely good condition..valves are 'good'. None of them can rival my Strad Shepherd's crook. My almost unused (near mint) Conn Concert Grand is a touch below my Strad.

It well could be that valves are an issue. But two of my older ones have been refitted with valves. Al my horns are Cornet.

I had three Committees. all had very tight valves (that was their forte') They all played mediocrealy the same. Who would have thought.?

@fels Funny (not really). I had Mohs surgery on the rear of my scalp for basel cell. I have had two others. So jfar so good. In that location I will be ik.

I wish you well my friend!!

@shifty My 06 is nicely engraved. Very ornate. The Conqueror was discontinued in 1907 (I believe). I believe the Perfected Wonder and the Wonderphone eclipsed it.

I have 2 extremely well kept Perfected Wonders and a very very nice Wonderphone. the Conqueror is a very inferior playing horn compared to these 3. And notice how nice the valves are in the Conqueror. All my old Conns have loose valves.

Just MY experience.

@dale-proctor Sweet!!!!!! Congrats!!!

@flugelgirl I have one. Its unique for sure!! Conn experimented a lot. I think this one will go down as a loser. Never had a horn that played so badly

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/523RP0Hf/IMG-4273.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i.postimg.cc/zfGP4rWK/IMG-4274.jpg[/img]

@kehaulani said in I found my way back... Sorry, it's been so long!:

I've been battling with some very serious sight issues. Only have about 30% of my vision. at the moment. A spin-off is I can't play because of eye pressure. Can't write 'cause can't see well and no bands to conduct because of Covid. So - next to nothing. Yea it sucketh mightily.

Sorry man

@chelpres Thank you. I looke up that info!!

I have to say, in the last 4 years I have owned and played 30+ cornets..Kings, Conns, Committees, Ambassadors, Yorks, Holtons, Getzens, Bach.

My conclusion:

Four tiers:

I. Superior. My 1982 Bach Strad 184G
II. One notch about Average. My Conn Concert Grand
III. Average. (probably 95% of horns out there( 26+ Horns I owned fall into this catagory. ) Pick any two and you can usually pick out the better player.of the two.
IV, Clearly Inferior. 1890 ish Bo, and 1906 Conn Conqueror.

I have gone back and started Arbans (again) from scratch. It is frankly tedious and more difficult to play a lot of these exercises with all my average horns.

My message. I always felt that if you were good the quality of the horn was not a big factor. Pretty much changed my mind. An up and coming very talented HS student needs a horn like the Strad to advance to the top tier. I thought in HS and College I was "Good". I realize that a great horn could have put me above "good"..certainly not great.

You comeback players should consider forking out the extra $$$'s. You can't take it with you.

@flugelgirl said in Just Purchased a Conn 20A.:

I did one of these a while ago - cool horn but not a great player. Played best with an extra deep short shank mpc.
https://www.brassandwinds.com/blogs/news/1921-conn-20a-flugelhorn

Yea, I know what you mean. I have a Yahama Short Shank MP on it with a medium depth cup.11C4. Doesn't play like my Concert Grand but cool horn..lol.
[img]https://i.postimg.cc/rFH2hXt2/IMG-4194.jpg[/img]

@j-jericho Yea the link did not work yea it is this one:
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/JvgAAOSw3Zpf1ve5/s-l1600.jpg

I think I am good fore mouthpieces. I use a short shank Yamaha 11C4. I really need to pull the tuning slide an extra inch but it blows so much easier.

Take care!!!

Anyone have one? I swore I would never buy another horn but I couldn't resist it..$300

[img]https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/JvgAAOSw3Zpf1ve5/s-l1600.jpg[/img]

@j-jericho said in Special music reading glasses:

@adc Thanks for your encouraging words. I was hoping that I could use them for shooting, also. Tilting my head back to get a clear picture of the front sight is awkward and quite distracting.

I bought these shooting glasses at Amazon. They are +2.5 but can get other strengths. The reading glass covers almost the entire vision area.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082B75FSZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You will love them. I do the same thing for shooting. Same reading spec (2.0) but they are not prescription.

I did same as Dale. Prescription glasses focused at the right stand

I just continue to practice 1/2 hour or so every day.I also try to use a different horn say for 4 or 5 days in a row. Currently though I have been playing my Conn Concert Grand for a week and a half. Doesn't play quite ass good as my strad but I just like it.

With the berp..once a week (4 hours of playing). I probably put about 6 drops in each valve.

@stumac
Seems a bit over thinking. Half the charge will go out of the valves on the first blow. More oil is better than less oils. But to each his own.

I have a dozen horns. I like to play each each month. I find with the Berp they are good without oiling for a month. But I oil them anyway.

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