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!

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…..

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!

There are a few problems with looking for them though: 1) They are getting expensive (usually US$1600+ for an average example) 2) They are getting harder to find in nice condition 3) Red Rot is present in quite a few of them.

So what’s on offer in the Martin line that is an option?

I plan on discussing a few options in installments over the coming months so that people can get a better understanding of what is available. There are a number of great options in the range out of the following Handcrafts, Imperials, Indiana’s, Standards and more.

There are a few pitfalls to look out for when purchasing these horns so I plan on identifying a few things that you need to keep an eye out for also.

On top of this I’m also working on a project horn that will comprise of a number of sourced parts that will detail building somewhat of a Martin “Frankenhorn”.

I plan to detail that with photos etc also.

Stay tuned for details!

Mind you there is good reason for that…..in the last 3 months I had the birth of my first Daughter (Ayaka) – she’s now two and a half months old.

I also changed day jobs for looking after a business that does close to 10 times the dollars of what the previous one did.

In amongst all that I was trying hard to cram in what I could in terms of trumpet related activities.

The flip side of this was I have been buying a lot of great vintage horns lately – as it’s pretty much the only thing I can squeeze in here and there.

New Zealand will be receiving two great examples of a Blessing Super Artist and Artist Cornet soon – along with some additional mouthpieces to match.  In Vancouver I have a growing collection of Martin horns. (Pretty sure I added at least four instruments in the last 3 month)

If you like Dark and smokey sounding horns and don’t have the budget to buy a Committee I am happy to report that there are other options within the Martin line. I’ll be writing a more detailed description with images about the Martin Handcraft Standard trumpet soon – a seriously underrated instrument.  In short the Standard is the same as the Imperial line minus the nickel trim sections. I would actually say that currently they seem harder to find than the Imperial line from the same era (Late 1930′s).

On the newer side we added an extended range of Carolbrass trumpets to our stock. We’ve slowly been clearing out the old model numbers and moving into the new brand. Carolbrass is really picking up steam globally now and the factory is starting to back up on some custom orders. Needless to say they are putting out some great stuff. NZ now has a beautiful satin flugel in stock and also has the lightweight Bb trumpet CTR-5000L-YST.  The 5000 is a great all-round commercial horn that you would be kicking yourself for not checking out if you put down $3K for a Bach or Yamaha – they are seriously that good!!  An interesting option that I had made up at the factory recently is the full Satin Lacquer finish. (Pictured Below) It looks and plays great.

Model CTR-5000YST-SL

Now, if you went to the latest ITG you probably would have seen these already as they were revealed there. Hopefully a lot of players got to check these out.

For my NZ friends, who most likely did not attend…..

Let me tell you that these pieces take everything that is good about the Wedge mouthpiece and translate it into a much more affordable option.

You get the same rim as you would on a metal Wedge, backbore and even the look. (Except it’s in a cool matt black plastic. Note – the white writing in the images below is chalk for photographing – the letters appear black as they are etched out of the plastic)

These are extremely comfortable to play on and give you almost the same amount of power as the metal counterparts.

In fact the only downside of these pieces is that they play a little darker than the metal version. (Not necessarily a bad thing).

Don’t let this put you off though – these will blow you away for how well they play! They are also a lot less than a metal version and allow you to get a great mouthpiece for not too much of an investment.

These are presented in a variety of standard sizes (Bach 1.5C, 3C, 10.5C, Schilke 14A4a etc…)

Well worth taking a look at!!

I originally did a post about this horn back in October 2010.

Since then I have a better way to photograph horns  in the form of a studio light box, lights and better camera so I thought I would do a quick update on this post. Here’s some better images on the horn:

Also, I gave some incorrect information about point #2 on the initial post stating that the 3rd valve throw was longer than a standard committee – not in fact the case at all.  It’s the same. (Shame on me for messing that up)

Also, point #1 about the bell – was correct it’s yellow brass.

What I failed to point out though was that it’s a larger bell than a typical committee coming in at a full 5 inches.

It also has a different style flare in comparison to the standard Committee that is best illustrated in the picture below:

The mouthpiece receiver is also a modified receiver – I initially write that it was set up for Schilke mouthpiece – but after having picked up a Holton Heim #2 mouthpiece recently and testing it I am more confident that this was in fact set up with this style of mouthpiece with the tapered shank setup instead.

The last point is that the bottom valve caps are more like a Deluxe Committee version than a standard.

This horn still to me sits nicely between the tone and color spectrum of a Schilke and a normal Martin. Having found a better match in mouthpiece it has shifted more towards the Martin sound by about 10% but has a little more power with the larger bell that projects a little better.

If anyone else out there has examples of Schilke custom/modified horns I would love to hear about them!

Final Pic is of my 46 Committee in the foreground and the Schilke X Horn in the background.

Don’t read to much into the size difference – that’s just the camera giving you the illusion that there are a different size due to depth perception.

I first started my introduction to cornets about 15 years ago – like most in NZ I started on a trusty Yamaha 231 Bb Cornet that was owned by the school.

That thing was at least 10 years old and had seen a lot of action in it’s time.

Needless to say I didn’t last very long on it and quickly moved to trumpet as I preferred the brightness of the trumpet in Jazz Band.

In the last year or so I really started to rethink cornets and that has let me to purchase more than a few to test and see if I like the darker tone and playability of it vs. a Martin Committee trumpet sound.

As of yet I have yet to find anything that get’s me the same tone characteristics – so I am definately sticking with the Martin and Harrelson for now – but my search has turned up a few interesting finds.

One of these finds is the Classic (some would almost say legendary) Conn 80A Cornet.

This little guy has been around in various designs, names and designations for almost 100 years.

Now I could prattle on and give you a whole back history here – but to cut a story short there are 2 versions designated the Early 80A and Late 80A.

I would highly recommend checking out the Conn Loyalist Website for a complete backstory on everything Conn (Links on the Early and Late provided above) .

So what’s so great about these horns?

1) The are build solid

2) They are relatively inexpensive

3) They are very versatile in the sound department.

Now before you rush out and buy the first 80A you see – bear in mind that when shopping for a vintage instrument (especially in New Zealand) you want to get the best example you can find and go for that one.

There are plenty of horns out there – and they are cheap, but by the time you get them all fixed up you might as well have bought the one in good original condition.

I personally try and hold to this philosophy as much as possible when purchasing vintage instruments to ensure that I am getting a good example of what is a horn that has been well maintained and cared for over the decades that it has been around.

So how does it play?

Well, that really depends on your preference of mouthpiece selection.

I would say a lot more than usual as these horns are very, very mouthpiece sensitive. Put in a deep cup and you get a beautiful warm and rich sound ideal for Jazz Solo, Combo work and even Brass or Concert Band.

If you switch to something shallower you get a horn that is great for Dixie, Jazz and can almost hold it’s own in a section against some of the trumpets.

Because of this mouthpiece sensitivity you get a greater range of tonal colours than most instruments – this is what makes it a great option to own in the ‘tool kit’.

Valve action on these is good and smooth if the instrument has been well cared for and you look after basic maintenance (oiling and regular cleaning).

So what era is the best?

I have not played enough version to answer this – but off a general comment I like to find vintage instruments ranging between 1945 – 1954 where possible. I am just starting to dabble into the pre-war phase with a few late 30′s instruments so this may change – but in general I find the quality of workmanship, engravings and styling to be appealing.

So in summary:

If you are looking for a good value cornet that has a variety of tonal colors, is reliable,  has an abundance of parts still available (they made a ton of these horns over the years) and will last you your lifetime then you might want to check out the Conn 80A and get one in your gig bag.

A couple of horns have always been on my ‘want to play’ list since I started listening to jazz trumpet players about 10-15 years ago.

Namely the Blessing Artist series trumpets that were made famous by their association with Clifford Brown back in the 50′s.

(Blessing Super Artist Cornet from the late 1940′s pictured below)

Being in Canada these days certainly has it’s advantages as I have access to a who plethora of instruments from across the border – so when I spied a couple of these horns for a reasonable price I just had to get them for a test run.

Of course to do the ultimate test I required as standard series Artist and the Super Artist.

Luckliy enough I happened upon both within the space of a week and bought both for ‘comparative purposes’

Both the horns I got – were bought for a fraction of what they should go for – it seems that everyone is after the trumpet versions today (especially Committee trumpets) and has forgotten what an absolute bargain some of these horns can be had for if you look around and do your research (and due diligence of several days of sifting over endless internet pages)

These horns are both great – and great value to boot.

Now, just to be clear I am talking about the pre 50′s versions of these instruments – they are easily spotted by the mico-tuner ring at the bottom of the main tuning slide.

Most have the underslung 3rd valve ring also. If you are looking to pick up one of these horns – these are the ones to go for!! Be wary of this as there are a lot of much later produced horns under the same name that are IMO no where near as good as these older versions.

The major difference between the two at surface value is the addition of the Nickel Plated slides on the Super Artist vs. the all Brass of the Artist.

What the nickel slides seem to do from a playing perspective is to allow for a more solid tone and core to the sound – and the notes slot noticeably easier on the Super for me. The sound is also a lot fuller on the Super and the projection seems to be better.

Having said that, if it’s smokey and intimate you are after with a noticeable warm edge to the sound then the Artist is a great choice.

A lot of people love the all brass versions of these horns, and I can see why. One top of the advantages in price (usually at least half the price of the Super) you get a whole lot of horn for your investment.

Both of these horns seem to be some-what mouthpiece sensitive – so be prepared to spend some tiem dialing in the sound with a properly matched mouthpiece shank (far too many people write off good horns without looking at this area and the valve alignments)

So that puts it totally down to personal preference about what you are looking for out of these horns. If it’s a more all-round horn you are looking for perhaps the Super Artist is the way to go. If it’s jazz and Dixie style horn you are after see if you can track down an original Artist.

Better yet – save up a few pennies and get both! – It will probably cost you less than a new intermediate horn from a major manufacturer and give you years of service, and when you are done you might even get more than what you paid for it back.

Here’s something a little different for you all that you really should check out if you are in or around the area of Tauranga next weekend.

This is a charity concert put together by local artist and performer – Hiro Kobayashi

It’s for a great cause and I am sure that they will put on a fantastic round of performances.

You can find out a little more about Hiro at the bottom of this post – he comes highly recommended.

Hiro Kobayashi was born in Japan and has been living in New Zealand since 2005.

In Japan, he was a principal trumpet player with Jeunesses Musicales du Japon Orchestra (yearly selected youth orchestra, under 30 years old) several years in Tokyo. He studied trumpet with Miroslav Kejmar, former principal trumpet player of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and Tsuyoshi Hirabayashi, freelance trumpet player in Tokyo.  His performances were on TV with Jeunesses Orchestra (NHK) and TV advertisement, Suntory Wine “RESERVE” in Japan.
In New Zealand, he has performed for Tauranga Big Band, Tauranga Musical Theatre, , Tauranga Civic Choir, Tauranga Performing Art Trust, Opus Chamber Orchestra and several brass bands (Tauranga, New Plymouth, Manukau, Whakatane, Matamata  and Waitakere). As a soloist, he has performed concertos with Bay of Plenty Symphonia and United Youth Orchestra.  And also he is performing with a professional brass quintet, Waikato Brass Quintet in Hamilton.

Hiro is an excellent trumpeter and a fine musician. As an orchestral player he shows mastery of the idiom, and in chamber music he always contributes to the ensemble with sensitivity and musicality. Not only is he a oustanding exponent of the standard Bb and C trumpets, but excels in the demanding piccolo and Eb instruments. I recommend that you make the effort to hear him as soloist – you will not be disappointed.  Rupert D’Cruze – Conductor and Trombonist

It gives me great pleasure to endorse the efforts of trumpet player Hiro Kobayashi in organising a fundraising concert for the earthquake-ravaged citizens of our Japanese Sister City, Hitachi.  Usually when we contribute to a worthy cause we do so without expectation of any form of return for our generosity of spirit other than the pleasure of giving and of providing much needed assistance. In this case we stand to gain more than we have given because, in addition to his own considerable talents on offer, Hiro has assembled an exceptional line-up of local musicians to support him in what promises to be an outstanding and varied concert. For those people who have had anything to do with Hiro and his lovely wife Yasumi since they chose to live and work in Tauranga, it feels like the most natural form of Karma to give something back to the country that has given Tauranga such an outstanding gift as the Kobayashis. Since their arrival they
have been an integral and important part the Brass Band, Orchestral and Big Band music scenes and have accumulated an enormous number of friends and admirers as both musicians and citizens. I urge you to support their concert. You will be well rewarded.  Murray Mason – Director Tauranga Big Band