Posts made by Richard III

@Dale-Proctor Sometime ago I was helping clean out my brother-in-law's storage unit. There I see an Olds Ambassador cornet in a case. It belonged to my nephew when he was in middle school or something like that. I took it home and had it cleaned and straightened. For the last few months it has been sitting by my side in my practice room. It does everything I could ask a horn to do and it does all that easier than all my other horns. It sort of feels like I don't need the twenty something trumpets and cornets I have sitting around. Who knew a little cornet like that would be that great.

I suppose the good news when spending large amounts of cash for a vintage trumpet is that when you have to have the valves rebuilt, the cost seems less?

I'm not buying anything vintage anymore because I'm tired of that problem. I have one trumpet built in 1937 with perfect valves. How that happened, no idea. But all the other horns built before 1960 have some level of issues.

In 60 years of playing, I've never seen red rot. Some of my horns are well over a hundred years old. I don't swab or put oil down the lead pipe. I rarely give my horns a bath. If they get gunky, I'll then do the bath thing.

So that brings up a question, how common really is it for those of you that have had the problem?

@Kehaulani-0 said in Jazz, Blues practice:

Learn the six-note Blues Scale and start playing simple blues with these notes. You'll discover that a basic Blues has only three chords and the Blues scale fits over it very easily.

I started with blues in C, F, G, Bb, Eb and Ab. Amazing that it covered most of what I ever came across in real music. My band has a common warm up exercise. Our piano player picks a key and starts playing. It's up to the players to figure out the key, figure out the progression and play appropriately. I think audiences think we are actually starting our gig at that point. It makes me wonder if we could just do that for two hours and have a pretty nice performance.

In my world, that means whenever you are doing anything like driving, chores, working out or any activity where listening is possible, immerse yourself in the target music. The next time you pick up the horn, that music will come out. Happens to me all the time.

@ROWUK said in Goodbye adjustable finger ring:

@Richard-III I am not sure that we should move things so quickly. The human state for the most part is infinitely adaptable and there are A LOT OF PLAYERS young and old that play stock Bach Strads or Yamaha Xenos without mods.

I will admit that I mainly play vintage horns without rings, hooks or any device in the way. So much more comfortable. When I grip my old Conn 80A, it is like coming home and putting on my favorite slippers. It is a combination of wide space and no device in the way. Plus the slightly closer valve block to face intimacy that cornets provide just makes life better.

So if I buy a horn with a fixed ring and the ring is in the wrong position for my hand, I have to get it moved. Then over time I change my mind and have to get it moved again. And on and on it goes. I vote for adjustable rings. Or even better, give me a trigger. I've never liked rings anyway. Changing from gripping to extending seems wrong. Gripping and gripping a little harder seems more intuitive. I'm going to go play my York Eminence cornet now with a main tuning slide trigger and enjoy the obviously better design.

You know where every note on the horn is because you've played them so many times. For me G# doesn't come up very often. So my knowing is weak. Play it a bunch and gain the knowing of what it feels like.

Think of all the things that have to line up to play a certain note. That's a lot to coordinate. Another note for me is high C#. I have no clue where that is.

And then there is the issue that tighter slotting horns are usually also horns with more braces and/or weight added yielding fewer high overtones. Yes, the core remains, but the spectrum of the sound is lessened. Does that bother you? It does me.

Also, not everyone is as perceptive about tuning, so a tighter slotting horn can be a very good thing for those with less ability to tune themselves on the fly. Teaching those folks to use the appropriate slides and alternative fingerings can be invaluable.

For those of us who are primarily jazz players, and players of vintage horns, most of this is not as important. Tone being the number one desire and tuning next. Having a horn a little looser in slots allows for easy tuning on the fly and the freedom of expression. Plus vintage horns with their slightly different architecture results in none of the notes being completely right or completely wrong in tuning, with the understanding that the player will make the appropriate adjustments when needed. I'm so used to this that I never really think about using any slides if rings/hooks are even there.

@J-Jericho said in Matt silver American Standard High Grade Cleveland:

IMO this is not a peashooter. One characteristic of most peashooters is that the lower tuning slide enters the valve block on the same side as the bell. Another feature is a tight bell crook wrap. A smaller bell diameter is not uncommon. Also, the valve body is usually short, with bottom sprung valves. Peashooters are known for their bright sound, as well. A quick internet search reveals these examples:

This American Standard has the tight wrap, but with a customary tuning slide entry:

trumpet-history.com

Here is a Bohland & Fuchs with the opposite tuning slide entry and all the valve slides on the same side of the valve block:

trumpet-history.com

Interesting observation. I recently went on a search for trumpets with the tuning slide in that position. I described it as first and third slides on the right side. I have a Nova (Los Angeles) brand cornet and trumpet in that configuration. Since the maker was a music store, I've always wondered where the valve block came from.

Regarding Cleveland instruments, I have many and all seem to have really well functioning valves with remarkable compression despite being 70-80 years old. And I'm not talking remarkable for their age, but equal to most current horns.

@Boolawan said in Play Through or Rest:

We must respect to the letter what C. Caruso says

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Bad tone means you are doing or have done something wrong. Re-examine and change what you are doing. What is that? No clue. I don't know the routine you are following. But I've sat next to endless players whose first notes were terrible. That screams bad things were happening or have happened. Just logic.

XStream mouthpiece. Same answer as on TH. Have fun!

You bought it for $25. Sell if for the same if you can. Done.

Does anyone out there play one of these currently?

Buck Clayton, Sweets Edison and Roy Eldridge are some of my favorite players to listen to. They all played Al Cass mouthpieces.

What is the magic that these mouthpieces had that worked so well?

Everybody is on Trumpet Herald. I still check this site to see if anything is happening.

I'm primarily interested in jazz and equipment discussions.

@kehaulani said in I cannot find a 28b Connstellation anywhere. Is there a way to "create" one?:

Interested in a Cornet?
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/109527462399665/?hoisted_items=748387889831393

Good grief. That is a ridiculous price for a 28A. I would sell mine for $500. I just got it and had it completely worked over including valve alignement. I just have too many horns.

Wow! Just wow! Thank you for posting that. I'm passing it around to my trumpet playing friends.

Fixing Bach mouthpieces is what Curry did and does. The ability to have consistency across the board with sizes and configurations allows us to have dependable results in our playing.