40cal

Have a good trip. Looking forward to hear what new stuff is being thought up out there!!!

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“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day so that my child may have peace.”

Thomas Paine 1737-1809

“That’s all the bullets we had, or we would have shot him more,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd

Nordic Trumpet

He's on a diet...? Too much cholesterol?

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Stage 1 New York Bb trumpet
Stage 1 Classic flugelhorn
GR mouthpieces

Manny Laureano

That was very funny, TMike. Good one...

I had a great time with Dave and also Dave Bamonte who, as usual, graciously accepted another invitation to drop by and lay more stuff down on video a few hours before having to play a Sunday night concert with the Portland Symphony Orchestra. DM hopes to have something up on the News portion of the website by December as a year-end treat for web surfers.

I tried out the new LT and the updated version of the XLT which is what I'm playing on now. I also tried the Prana 1 which I played for a season and it's richer and sweeter than ever. It's by far my favorite horn. But, as I've explained before, Osmo has a different sound concept in his head and the XLT and LT fit that better.

One rather stunning moment in the play testing I did was when i had decided i liked one horn's sound more than another. Dave had me go out to the other end of the shop while one of the very accomplished workmen/players played on the horns. My opinion was completely reversed when I heard it out front, something Dave has said all along since I've known him. The horn I thought was broadest in sound shape was the one I thought was most narrow. It confirms that when play-testing a horn you need:

A large room
Another pair of ears
Objectivity

If you don't have those things you may wind up wasting your time and selecting something that's not what you thought. I'll likely be switching to the LT as it has a very similar quality to what I'm already playing but a broader shape to the sound and just a bit more richness than the XLT. I'll get it in silver to keep the worldwide trumpet sherriffs and conductors off my back.

Another fun thing was trying out the MF Prana that was designed for Maynard Ferguson. It's a wonderful instrument that I'm going to borrow for this week's concerts at the Hall for our Casual Classics series and the Weekender with Doc. With a "classical" style mouthpiece, this horn has a fantastic presence and remarkable freedom in the upper register. Doc and I have another duet to play this weekend so I think it'll be a good match. Whichever of you local guys that decide to come can weigh in and let me know what you thought of the horn as I play it side by side with Doc.

So, that's the report for now.

Manny

Eclipsehornplayer

Manny,

Weather you know it or not; you lead a charmed life!

It must be something to be able to work with the greatness that you encounter in your daily life. Of course I realize that you, yourself have attained a certain level of greatness that permits this. None-the-less all I can say is you are the man!

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Eclipse MHY Bb Trumpet with interchangable leadpipes
Bach 229 25A C Trumpet
Getzen Capri Bb Cornet
GR & Monette mouthpieces

B15M

Ditto !!

Rimshot

Manny wrote: "I'll get it in silver to keep the worldwide trumpet sheriffs and conductors off my back. "

Hmm, could it be that you are planning a touch of deception here--or perhaps it is really a humanitarian effort to rescue conductors and other arms of the law from their own SELF-deception...?

Manny Laureano

Uhh... no.

Deception would be me saying "No, I'm not playing a Monette trumpet". Playing a horn that doesn't look like the typical Monette horn is leaving people to assume what they have already decided.

ML

tpter1

Manny, I can't help but be refreshingly surprised at how you can still see something from a new perspective. It shows me that even at the top there is still room to see more in a different way.

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-Glenn
"Roses have thorns; shining waters mud. Clouds and eclipses stain the moon and the sun; and history reeks of the wrongs we have done. After today, after today, consider me gone."- Sting

camelbrass

Manny,

Your observations opens up the horrible question:

'Do any of us really know what we sound like?'

I remember that you once replied to a very similar question that I had put to you and your advice, as usual, was sage (not to step on EC's advice, you're both sage). I hope I paraphrase this adequately but ultimately it was along the lines of 'play correctly and trust' and that's exactly what I do.

I must admit that as a Bach player the LT really does appeal although I've never played one. That's proabably a silly thing to say but, heck, a Bentley appeals as well and I've never driven one of those either (but I'd look soooo good in it!!)


Looking forward to oggling DM's new C's online.


Regards,


Trevor

rowuk

If all of us had unlimited opportunity to try every great brand of trumpet, I think there would generally be less bashing.
Maybe we need a library of playing examples. Dave Monette has done it, I am sure that Eclipse, Taylor....... could follow suit. They all sure have enough qualified "artists". Of course it makes no sense to compare 2 different players or manufacturers as the recording techniques and acoustics will be different, but the difference in sounds on the Monette site was an ear-opener for me. If someone was interested in an Eclipse, they could hear what differences one great player could get out of the series.

I really wonder if DM made a silver Prana1 or Prana3, if Manny could fool the conductor or even his colleagues? I am sure that the eyes affect the ears when a gold trumpet is played.

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.