MFfan

Looks like the Academy trumpet is only sold in Canada? You have done a great job and surely will help your progress. I googled and got some Ottawa used stuff site. Guy was trying to sell a barely used one for $100.

Brekelefuw

I believe the Academy trumpet is a Chinese horn. I think they are also known under the name First Act.

MFfan

Thanks! I see Wal-mart sells a version of First Act on -line, but it doesn't look like yours. Has a couple of vertical braces and sells for $179 on sale. There were 3 favorable buyer reviews and 1 very unfavorable. Not that I am interested anyway!

Heavens2kadonka

Thats amazing. Would love to play something like that.

Van

MFfan

I got interested in researching First Act instruments after all this. From Wikipedia: excerpts
"First Act is a musical instrument manufacturer. They are also heavily involved in creating products which support the role of music in enhancing children's development."
" The company's current charman is Bernard Chiu. Chiu founded the company after leaving Duracraft. First Act has a guitar studio located on Boylston Street in Boston, Mass." They make guitars, basses, guitar and bass accessories, drum sets, percussion instruments, amplifiers as well as student line clarinets, saxaphones and trumpets.
"The company has received much criticism from music educators who claim that First Act Band instruments, targeted at beginning students are of low quality, are irrepairable, and that replacement parts are difficult to acquire. In 2003, First Act instruments filed a lawsuit against music retailer Brook Mays, who published a list of instrument brand names, including First Act, they percieved to be of low quality, calling them "instrument shaped objects." The lawsuit was settled with First Act receiving $16.7 million. You can find some of first Act's low cost instruments in the Wal-Mart toy section."

nuf' said, I think! As I found the concert series trumpet is sold only on-line, maybe others in the category that is subject of this thread are in the stores? I don't frequent them myself. We have a great alternative here, Meijer Thrifty Acres.

Blazing Asian

Very nice! You seem really great in your profession!

hubnub

brekelefuw,

Can you make me a Raja Samahdi or an Elysian Awesome job. Can't wait to hear the thing!

Brekelefuw

Today I redid the front sheet brace. I made a new smaller one and moved it close to the bell. The sound brightened a bit and it was much less dead sounding that with yesterdays brace. I think next I am going to make one last brace and shape it so it is long and skinny much like the S brace that came with the horn, except made out of sheet metal.

I played the horn with the new brace with my normal mouthpiece, then I tried it with my Monette B3 mouthpiece. The monette really fits the horn. Both me and my teacher agreed that the heavy monette and the heavy trumpet really suited each other, and if I still used the monette as my mouthpiece, I wouldn't have to do any more modification to the horn.
Since I don't play the monette piece anymore, and I am curious what else I can do to the horn, I am going to keep experimenting.

If I can get my clarinet overhaul project done tomorrow I will spend all of Sunday experimenting. Next on the list of mods to do is make new finger rings, hooks and saddles using brass rod stock and a pipe bending jig. I might try a few different designs for those.

I also brainstormed an adjustable brace for a tuning bell horn, which I might add to my next $50 horn should I get one.

Eeviac

Why not get some used, good American made trumpets off of Ebay or from pawn shops and work on them? That work looks COOL I bet you'd have people lining up for "hotrod" jobs on their trumpets.

nplotts1

Why use a well built horn and run the risk of ruining it when you are just playing around and trying to hone your skills?

Brek, what you are doing is amazing, did you have any repair/metal experience before starting your degree in it?