Night out with the VSO and Chris Botti

Chris Botti & Band were in the house last night – and when I say house (with a Canadian twang) I mean the stunning Orpheum Theatre here in Vancouver.

Unlike last time I planned ahead and bought my tickets as soon as they became available (around August 2011).

Being super prepared and dedicated afforded me and my wife one of the best seats in the house – front row.  (Classy!) – Above is a photo taken on the sly (as they don’t allow pics)

What unfolded over 2.5 hours was a fantastic concert – it had a bunch of the classic tracks – plus a few of the new tracks from the new Impressions album in for good measure.

The great thing about this band is that every musician in their own right is an awesome soloist – Billy Childs, Robert Hurst, Mark Whitfield and Billy Kilson – then you have Caroline Campbell and Lisa Fischer in there as guest artists also. Each soloist at some point almost store the show with each of their respective solos.

The show was mixed with some high energy songs like – When I fall in Love, The Look of Love (this was worth the price of admission alone – Lisa Fischer is amazing on this!) and Why Not where the band was just smoking hot. If you can get in the front row it’s totally worth the price of admission as you can see the expressions, hear the hidden comments and share much more of the experience. I especially loved watching Billy Childs on the keys. He is just a blur of hands in some songs – and he decides in a couple of sounds that he’s run out of keys to play – so he starts plucking or strumming the piano strings directly for additional effect.

On the slower/softer side there was – Italia (feat. Lisa Fischer & Caroline Campbell), Venice, Emmanuel (Feat. Caroline Campbell), Cinema Paradiso (Feat. Caroline Campbell) and a few more I can’t recall at the time of writing.

Being up close to Chris is a thing in itself also – I knew that he has a great sound (and I am not talking the electronics or reverb) – but the soft edge and fullness of the horn and how he creates that sound is testament to the time that he has put in on the horn. He’s also found a way to deliver percussive phrasing and runs on the horn unlike most horn players why try and fit in strings of notes. I must have looked like a weird guy in the front row staring intently at all the actions, nuances and phrases taking down mental notes on everything.

Seeing him live is a totally different experience to listening to a CD as you realize he can do all that, run the stage and the sound guy and the audience all at the same time.

From the new selection of songs on the Album the track – Prelude No.20 in C Minor is haunting and is a must listen track – we were lucky enough to get the live version played on the night.

To finish the show – My Funny Valentine (My all time favorite) with just him and Billy Childs. – Great!

What an awesome show!

Afterwards you get the opportunity to meet Chris (Billy was out signing too) and have him sign records and take photos. And he stays till the last person – which is nice as that takes about an extra hour to run through 150-200 people and all the photos. I didn’t want to miss out so I bought a CD and also brought along an old playcard bill from 2001 from his opening concert of Night Sessions which got a good chuckle as it was from 10+ years ago and he hadn’t seen it essentially since then. (Thanks Ebay!) Both now signed.

What I should have done was take along my Martin Committee Prototype horn built by Reynold Schilke and had him play it.  I have a small collection of interesting Martins brewing so he probably would have dug that

Thanks Chris

Hope to see you again next year!

Lightweight, Cost Effective and Does the Business! – What are your options?

Correct me if I am wrong – but In New Zealand a lot of players tend to be involved in playing a variety of different musical styles.

What that means for a Brass player in general is that sticking to the ‘middle-of-the-road’ option for choosing your horn means you generally end up looking at a Bach, Yamaha or Schilke option. All 3 of these brands are know for  producing professional horns that are in gig bags all over the globe.  It’s safe to go for a more commercial style horns as the sound is generally consistent and there are less inherent ‘quirks’ if you stick with them.

Out of those brands lets dig a little deeper into them and look at what you are paying for them:

Yamaha – good options for all-round playing are more than likely the Yamaha Z series (8310Z) and the Xeno (8300 series and above) Horns. These are great horns and are well made.

But let’s look at some costs I found for these from online retailers:  8310Z  $4095.00 RRP (I am guessing street price is about 10% less than that – so $3600 ish), 8335 in lacquer is $4995.00 RRP (So around $4,500).

Bach - most common option would be the Bach Strad 180/37 $4299.00 in lacquer with standard tuning slide (Street price is just below $4K). If you want a reversed tuning slide setup it’s about $100 extra.

Schilke - B Series is still the classic choice $5299.00 (Guessing street price again is about 10% less). Let’s be fair that’s in silver plate – but still quite a bit of outlay.

I’m not against any of these brands – I have played them all in the past (I’ve literally played the entire range of Yamaha horns at the Super Store in Japan – and owned a 6310Z for over 10 years) – I am merely pointing out that there are options out there in the big wide world that are only just now being discovered!

This is the CarolBrass CTR-5000L-YST-SL Bb Trumpet. (The series is CTR-5000)

It’s going to cost you around $1300+ NZ at the time of writing  (Photographed option SL is approx NZ$300 more).

It’s a Lightweight Bb Trumpet that will blend with most other horns, sounds great and is built to last.

These also have Stainless Steel Valves – so will outlast any of the monel options and give you a better valve action.

On top of that they come a few options that frankly embarrass the competition:

• Additional Main Tuning Slide (You Get 2 in the case – so you can choose which feel you like better). If you have ever looked into after market parts these usually cost around USD$170 alone
• Lightweight Finger Buttons (You get a standard MOP set on the horn also) – A set of these are usually US$50+
• Lightweight Valve Springs (Again you get to choose how you like you valve action)

So, you not only get a comparable quality horn, but you also get more options that some of the others for less than half the price?

Makes you think twice about splashing for the Big Brands I hope.

If you are looking to put a kit together you can probably get 2-3 horns for the same as one.

For example (all with Satin Lacquer Bell Finishes – that’s an extra $100 per horn)

Carol CTR-5000L-YST-SLB NZ $1395.00 – Bb Trumpet

Carol CFL-6200-GSS-SLB  NZ$2395.00 – Flugel

Total Price for 2 horns = $3790.00

Getting back to CTR-5000L horn specifically you can dial that horn in a variety of different ways should you wish(For an additional cost – contact us for details) – for example with the finish options:

P – Raw Polished Brass, L – Lacquer, SLB – Satin Lacquer Bell, SL – Satin Lacquer, S – Silver Plate - they also offer a Black Nickel Finish with Gold Trim or Silver Plate with Gold Trim.

You can also adjust the Bore Size – Medium Large, Large or Xtra Large.

You can adjust the Bell – Size (2 Sizes – available – Standard or Large)

And Lastly the Bell Material (Yellow Brass, Gold Brass, Red Brass or Phosphorous Bronze)

The reality is though it’s a great horn straight out of the box – no tweaking required.

So if you’re thinking about changing your horn with Lightweight, Cost Efficient, and Does the Business are your criteria –  give this horn a go!

CarolBrass – new horns for New Zealand/AUS

Just thought I would share with you that there are a number of nice Carolbrass horns on the way to New Zealand at the moment (ETA 18th March)

Coming soon:

CCR-3880-SLB

This is a nice Intermediate to Pro cornet with a Satin Lacquer Bell. I am bringing in this model as I think it would make a great all-round horn for people who like Jazz, Play Dixie or even Brass Band (it’s available in Silver Plate).

CTR-5000L-SLB (Pictured)

This continues to sell well worldwide – it’s an awesome lightweight commercial horn for almost half what you would pay for a Yamaha/Bach option and it plays every bit as good – if not better than the more expensive options. Well worth checking out if you play any style of Lead or Jazz. Bringing in the Satin Lacquer Bell version as I think it’s a tasteful difference to all lacquer and will stand out from the rest.

CTR-7770L-YST

This is from the ‘Materials’ range of instruments – these are finished just a little nicer than the styles range and represent some of the finest horns that they make. This is a ligtweight all yellow brass option with special bracing and new style bracing. Sure to be another killer horn from CarolBrass.

CTR-6580H

I’m really excited about this horn and bringing it into NZ.  I played this horn in Silver Plate in Vancouver – it’s a really really good horn.  I have to admit though – it’s quite heavy.

This horn will be ideal as an all-round horn for anything. It slots incredibly well and has an even tone from pp to fff. I doubt you will see a horn like it available on the market in NZ.

All horns are available for purchase/testing* – just drop us a line via the website.

(*conditions apply)

Creating something new with something old…. Pt.2

Ok,

So I finally managed to find a nice set of valves (from a HC Imperial of the same era) to match the project horn – at $69.00 (+$10.00 postage) for a set all the way from Poland.

That meant I had all the parts together that I required – next step was to contact a good brass tech that I know would be able to carry out the job. First to my mind is Josh Landress in New York.

Josh handles Martin Committees all the time and is the’go-to’ for a lot of professionals in the New York area – and he’s also a pretty nice guy. I’ve dealt with him the past and will continue to do so in the future.

So here’s the list of ‘To-do’s/brief’ I sent Josh to apply to the horn:

Looking for a cross between a Martin Committee and a HC Standard.Strip horn and parts to raw brass

1. Strip horn and parts to raw brass
2. Clean out parts
3. Make new leadpipe for horn in HC Committee style (match tuning slide). I sent the original for reference.
4. Remove non original knob from 2nd valve slide.
5. Check valve alignment matches and valves are ok – I have an extra set of original valve guides if required.
6. Sent bottom caps to match – top caps are from a Martin Imperial these may not work – or will require some tweaking to work. I can source top trim if required.
7. Braces on the horn – would be great to get some that look like a Martin Handcraft. I am 100% ok with fabricated vs original as long as it looks similar.
8. Finger ring for leadpipe – One from. Martin Custom or Magna would look good. I know where to source one if required.
9. Waterkeys as is.
10. Finish of horn – can be raw polished brass or brushed raw finish. This horn will be played rather than for presentation – so whichever makes sense for you.

And there you have it.

Now I just need to sit back and see what the results will be!

Once I get the horn I will of course post photos and do a comparison test vs. a Committee and a HC Standard.

What’s in-store for 2012 for Trumpetgear?

What’s in-store for 2012?

Greetings fellow brass players.
I thought I would give you a quick overview of the plans that I have in place for 2012 and Trumpetgear.
If you have been following us for a while you will have noticed that we have been changing around our assortment quite a bit since we first started a few years back.

Now that we have some history to go by it’s time to make some important decisions about the directions about where we are headed in terms of what we can offer.

In for 2012:
Carolbrass Instruments
More options in stock for 2012:
Here’s a short list of all the instruments we plan to have in stock for trial or purchase.
‘Styles’ Bb Trumpets

• CTR-5000L-YST Bb Trumpet (Available in Lacquer, Satin Lacquer Bell or Silver Plate)
• CTR-5060H-GSS Bb Trumpet (Available in Lacquer, Satin Lacquer Bell or Silver Plate)

Materials Range Bb Trumpets

• CTR-7770L-YST Bb Trumpet (Available in Lacquer)
• CTR-8880H-GST-S Bb Trumpet Trumpet (Available in Lacquer, Satin Lacquer Bell or Silver Plate)

Flugel Horns

• CFL-6200-GSS-SLB (Gold Brass Bell) (Available in Lacquer or SLB)
• CFL-6200-RSS (Red Brass Bell) ) (Available in Lacquer or SLB)

Cornets

• CCR-3880-GSS-SLB (Available in Lacquer, Satin Bell or Silver Plate)

Wedge Mouthpiece Plastics

• Trumpet – Bach 3C, 10.5C, Schilke 14A4a + more
• Flugel – Bobby Shew
• Cornet – Denis Wick 4B

Vintage Instruments
We’ll be looking to drop more great horns into NZ from around the world as we source and purchase them.
In particular keep your eye out for upcoming Martin and Blessing Vintage Horns. (I am particularly fond of these brands so will look to source these first and foremost – Shawn)
If you have a request for a particular brand let us know and we can look out for those also.

Used Mouthpieces
We will continue to source and find a hand picked selection of great mouthpieces – Al Cass, Bach, Denis Wick, Martin, Schilke, Yamaha and more!

Method Books
The Basics will stay in stock – Arban’s, Herbert Clarke, Real Books & Abersold Play-alongs.

Out for 2012:

Trombone mutes or accessories
Sorry Trombonists but it’s just not our area of specialty – nor do we have the time or $$’s to commit properly to this area.
Instrument Cases
It’s been hard to find good quality, affordable cases – the search continues for now – but we will clear out existing stocks early 2012.
Brass Music
I’ll leave the sheet music to the specialists. Anything we have will be cleared out early 2012.
Phaeton Instruments
Happy to source if requested but will not advertise for sale (haven’t had a request in 2 years for one)
Ultrafast Oil
We still have quite a few bottle left – this stuff has a limited shelf life so it’s time to start moving them out.

Also, I (Shawn) am planning a trip back to NZ sometime in Mid April 2012 – so I will plan to bring back some additional goodies from North America at that time.

Thank you to all the people who supported us yet again in 2011, and we look forward to serving you again in 2012!

Creating something new with something old…. Pt.1

So, this project has been on my ‘To Do’List for a while.

As I starting collecting various Martin horns and interacting with other people who also collect/play the horns I soon discovered that a number of parts are interchangeable with most of the various lines.

That got me thinking…….if the parts are interchangeable and there are various models that are not as popular as say the Committee model – how hard would it be to create my own version of a Martin that plays great – costs well under what a Committee is selling for (about USD $1.5K – $3K at the time of writing) and will give me the qualities of several horns in the line in one?

I thought some other people might appreciate me sharing my experience in this process in case they had thoughts of doing the same – so here is Pt.1:

The opportunity to start presented itself when I came across essentially a ‘shell’ of an old Martin Handcraft Standard for a mere US $25.00.

This was part of a deal with me purchasing several horns – so at that price I was game for even buying it for the bell. Unfortunately the lead/mouthpipe was damaged – so this involved

With this came the challenge to find a Lead/Mouthpipe, all the tuning slides a complete valve set and a full trim kit. No easy task even with friends and contacts who buy and sell these all the time.

Funnily enough what I thought would be the hardest part to find surfaced first – a repaired Lead/mouthpipe and main reversed tuning slide from a Martin Handcraft Committee.  This part I was able to get as a unit for US$75.00 – not bad when you consider a new pipe alone will set you back $150 – $200.

Of course when you get a deal like the ‘Shell’ what of course happens is 1-2 weeks later the same complete horn turns up on Ebay and you end up buying another whole trumpet again ($220 ish at the time)  :-)  - that particular instrument turned out to good to be true – it had been restored poorly and the 3rd valve was completely shot.

Took me a while to work out why is was playing so bad- but swapping some bits and pieces around (a bonus of having multiple instruments the same) and the problem soon unfolded. Anyhow – I managed to salvage that by pinching all the other slides off the horn for the project and 2 valve pistons (still looking for a third – but have a lead on a set now)

So with the new(old) pipe in hand I took them over to a Brass Tech and had the old pipe removed and a few things straightened out – plus had the HC Committee pipe soldered together  (about $90 all up)

That left the trim kit.

Trim kits for Martins seem darn hard to find- especially the Handcrafts. Thankfully the fact that the parts are interchangeable means that I can use pretty much anything for the trim kits off any Martin.  I tried some Indiana trims and didn’t like it. Then I thought to try a trim off an old Blessing Artist stencil – yep that works and looks a little different. I may change it back later to originals – but right now I am digging the look.

So investment to get to the current stage:

1x Shell $25.00

1x Lead/mouthpipe and tuning slide $75.00 (+$115.00 for solder work, strip old pipe and create an extra sleeve)

1x Trim Kit $0.00

1x Donor Horn $220.00 (not necessary at all – and unplanned – but I pinched half the parts off it)

Freight for all the shipping of parts etc – approx $60

So current spend is around $495.00 – that may seem like a lot for what you see – but the potential is much greater than the $$ sum. You can get horns for less than that for sure. But where’s the fun and learning in that?

Besides what I am looking for is a horn that feels like a Martin Standard – yet plays more like a Committee – the key is finding the balance.

After obtaining all the parts I am debating having everything stripped and re polished – that will depend primarily if the horn sounds good. Alternatively I may leave the whole thing looking like an eclectic mix and just play as is.

More to come…..

The Martin Handcraft Standard Bb Trumpet

The Martin Standard

This horn comes from a totally different era – some 80+ years in the past and pre both WW2 and the Martin Committee as most know it.  Around the mid to 30′s the Standard and the Imperial (Handcraft) both existed.

The Standard was essentially an ‘all-brass’ version – where the Imperial had nickel slides and trim. (The exception to this is the mid 40′s models which had nickel trim also).

They were very much a pro horn at the time and were built in such a way.

One giveaway to this process to me is the fact that you find hand stamped serial numbers not only on the side of the horn – but also on the bottom caps and the side of the actual valves. (Having said that tolerances of the later Committees were better as machinery improved etc).

Buying Tip:

When considering such a horn always ask if the number stamped on the valves matches the outside number.

The top caps will also have the same number – those are common areas that are consistently swapped out over the years.

Comparison vs a Martin Committee:

• More in tune – the mouthpipe/leadpipe contributes to this as the Committee tapers quite a bit vs, this one which looks like it’s a more ‘traditional’ style setup.
• The valve block is in the more traditonal position vs. the Committee which is actually drawn back towards the player.
• Mouthpiece receiver is different – the Standard has a receiver more like you would find on an oldConnof that Era.
• Waterkeys – are the more traditional setup vs. the Martin ‘Trombone style’ side dumps (Very cool loking but almost impossible
• to replace)
• The Finger Ring is on the top of the valve slide – Committee is off to the left
• Trim is different – the standard has small finger buttons vs the wider and thinner versions on the Committee
• The braces are very different. The Committee has very light style bracing – where the Standard has decidely larger bracing.
• Bellflare – although similar (Bell Diameter is the same) the flare is less drastic as you approach the bell on the Committee.

So how does it play?

That’s a hard one to pin down as it all depends on the player.

I will say that the Standard is easier to lock notes in – so it gives a much more defined scale – hence more in tune.

To me it also plays a little darker than the Committee – as in it has less edge but more power.

I also feel the projection is slightly better on the Standard than the Committee.

For what you will pay for one of these horns (about a third of the price at least vs. a Committee) these horns are real sleepers. Unfortunately as they didn’t hold the same prestige as the Committee there are far less examples that seem to be available. (Mind you at the time of writing there are 2 on Ebay at the moment).

It seems weird to me that so few of these are available when you can readily find a raft of Martin Dasants from 10-20 years prior to these horns coming out.

I suspect that there is a very good reason for why there are so few Standards out there – yet so many Handcraft Imperials and Committees – but that’s for another time to explain

Happy hunting!