Posts made by tjveloce

@Dr-GO said in Martin Committee Club:

@bobmiller1969 said in Martin Committee Club:

@tjveloce
I have only had it back for just over a week, and following his advice with trying different backbores, I seem to have the horn dialed in to my liking. I'm using an old H.N. White 11 mouthpiece that I bought on a whim for about $25 on eBay.

I agree. Finding the perfect mouthpiece for this horn is an art, but well worth the experimentation, because when you get it right, Man is it right! I had the original Martin 10 mouthpiece that came with the horn's original owner from who's estate I purchased the horn. That Martin mouthpiece does little justice to the Committee's sound. And you are right, its matching just the right backbore.

With that said, the Kanstul G2 I found is just perfect. Its the Miles copy of his Gustat Heim Mouthpiece. And let me tell you, Miles too made a good mouthpiece choice....

Hey Doc-since I know you’re online right now, I’m curious if you have had experience with, or know anyone who has had experience with Legends Brass mouthpieces. They seem to have a G2 replica of sorts. I’m loathe to go on a mouthpiece safari but kinda curious to see if the Committee would approve.

-tj

@Dr-GO said in The new Martin Committee "thread" from a TM emigrant:

@tjveloce said in The new Martin Committee "thread" from a TM emigrant:

@Kehaulani
... Compared to the Yamaha it’s more work, but once you change your approach and learn to be efficient, the rewards are worth far more than the effort.
-tj

It is, but that's the beauty if this horn! The work you put into it pays you back in so many pleasurable ways!

Agreed brother!

-tj

@Dr-GO

Interesting-was it sticky? Are you referring to the inner bore of the outer slide or the internal bore? Cutting grooves in it would reduce surface area thus reducing friction.

-tj

I’m going to NAMM for the first time in my life and I’m very excited. Who else is going? It would be fun to have a meet and greet at some point. I’ll be there Thursday and Friday.

-tj

@Kehaulani

I don’t know why it took me over two months to reply to this....but I was obviously confused about the third valve slide. I thought I recalled someone talking about shortening it, but I can’t find that reference anywhere.

My horn remains original except for the reduced gap (to almost zero) that I achieved with a gap shim kit from Harrelson. Now I just play it and love every note.

They definitely take a different approach than a modern horn and with my Miyashiro still being at Yamaha to have the lead pipe replaced the Committee has been my daily horn. Compared to the Yamaha it’s more work, but once you change your approach and learn to be efficient, the rewards are worth far more than the effort. In fact, I blew a few notes on my buddy’s Miyashiro the other day and it felt strange to me.

It will be interesting to see how my Miyashiro blows when it comes back.

-tj

@barliman2001

Got it. Thank you!

-tj

@barliman2001

TSO? What is a TSO?

-tj

@flugelgirl Interesting. Maybe it’s a skin chemistry thing?

-tj

@J-Jericho

Best reply ever.

-tj

My Committee is unlacquered and my hands never turn green after playing it. It only needs maintenance if you want to polish it. I like the oxidized look of brass.

-tj

I recently found myself in need of a new straight mute and during my research found the Soulo Mute brand online. Given the then unresolved situation with my harmon mute (it needed a thicker cork installed so it would not go so deeply in the bell of my Committee) I decided to buy both a harmon and a straight mute from Soulo. The brand is used and endorsed by Wayne Bergeron, so I figure, "if they're good enough for Wayne...."

The box arrived yesterday and my very first impression of it was positive. From the first note I blew it felt less stuffy, easier to modulate, even down to pianissimo, and had a fuller sound. Back to the Jo-Ral copper bubble I'd been using, it was obvious which mute sounds better with less effort.

If you're looking for a new mute, be it straight, cup, bucket or harmon, check out Soulo Mutes!

-tj

By way of an update, Yamaha is still working on my horn but they said that they'd be happy to strip the lacquer off the horn for me and return in it in raw brass. They indicated that there would be no negative side effects from a performance or lifespan perspective so I took them up on the offer. I'll post photos and a ride report when she's back in my hands.

-tj

I took my mute and the Committee to my horn tech today and in less than 30 minutes he cut and glued another layer of cork on to the mute. It now has enough "standoff" or gap and the horn blows much more freely and sounds better. Problem solved.

-tj

@Dr-GO

I'm resigned to the same approach. I'm curious what kind of harmons you're using and how deeply the one for the Committee fits in the bell. Again, mine is so far in it makes the horn extremely stuffy. That mute is the Jo-Ral as you can see in the photo above. I'm going to add another thin layer of cork to see if I can open it up a little and will use another harmon (I ordered one from Soulo) with my Miyashiro.

-tj

@Shepherds_Crook

Yup. That’s the only solution. My Miyashiro is at Yamaha having the lead pipe replaced. I don’t recall the Jo-Ral having fitment problems with it, but I’ll wait until it’s back to make a decision about which Harmon mute to get. I’m curious about the Soulo mutes that Wayne plays, but having a Harmon mute that fits a Committee is not a nice to have, it’s a NEED TO HAVE.

-tj

@Kehaulani

The problem is that the mute goes in too far....there's about a sixteenth of an inch gap between the mute and the bell....so it's SUPER stuffy. So I need more cork, not less.....

The first photo is of the mute in my Recording, the second in the Committee.

-tj

I was playing a 2 valve G bugle but without a doubt my favorite musical memory was being part of the Santa Clara Vanguard 50th Anniversary Alumni Corps and our performance at the end of DCI Semi-Finals at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 11th, 2017.

-tj

@Dr-GO

While we're on the subject of the Committee's design, do you have any problems with your harmon mute in it?

It's a bit ironic to me, that the mute most closely associated with a guy whose name is almost synonymous with the Committee, Miles Davis, does not work well in my horn.

My harmon is a Jo-Ral Copper Bubble, and the flare on my Committee swallows the mute so much that it takes a lot of air to get it to speak. I mean I really have to work to get any kind of volume out of it. I haven't added cork to it because that would probably make it not well-suited to the Miyashiro, which I usually play in ensemble pieces with mutes. I don't use the harmon much on the Martin because I don't get ballad solos in the big band and I'm not really ready for up tempo stuff on that mute.

What is your experience?

-tj

@Dr-GO

Yeah man. I'm guessing yours is similar, given its vintage, that the horn feels soft in my hands....something about brass that's been in the hands of humans for hundreds or thousands of hours. The valve block is certainly up front, and very different from the Olds which is obviously right in the middle.

I do have a bit of a hard time with the third valve slide as I have to use a band on it to keep it from falling out when doing plunger stuff, and I'm just not great at moving it like I am my other horns. It slides very freely, just something about the way my left hand fits in it.

In any event, it's my "ONE" and I can see why people collect them because I'd hate to think of not having a playable Committee in my closet.

-tj

@Dr-GO said in The One:

I stopped looking once I took delivery of my Harrelson. There is no better modern horn that I have played, with a range of versatility, amazing dynamics and slotting control and design options that allow for fine adjustments. With that said, my Martin Committee still is the one. That horn really understands me.

Same for me. My Benge is like a well worn pair of boots, my Yamaha is like a well built tool or Bob Kramer knife, but my Committee helps me make the kind of sound I yearn to make, and the way it feels in my hands, resonates on my chops, and the feelings it evokes are unparalleled.

-tj