40cal

I had the good fortune of trying an Eclipse MR.

Those on the forum who know me know that I don't subscribe to a school of playing or a certain brand of horn. I also do not have a problem calling something a piece of junk if I think it is junk. I should mention that I have a BM in performance. I am by no means the best player or even a great player by any stretch of the imagination. I am now more of a comeback player/weekend warrior, but I am confident enough in my abilities to know when I am playing a good horn (end of disclaimer).

Bruce Lee hooked me up w/still trying, another member of the forum.

The fit/finish was great. Right up there w/any other fine horns I have had the pleasure of playing.

The sound color was rich and warm but not dull. The horn was free blowing w/minimal resistance. I should point out I was using a Monette B 1-2 for this portion of the test. The sound stayed consistent throughout the high/lows and loud/softs. Where the horn seemed to really shine was playing lyrical or ballad type music. The sound is just gorgeous.

I played some lead parts from some big band stuff on a Monette BL. If you work it right you can still get some zip on the sound, but not so much that the horn sounds strident. I don't know if the MR would be my first choice for lead playing, but it would definitely hold its own in the lead role.

The horn slotted well for me with both mouthpieces in all registers.

Intonation was fantastic throughout the range of the horn. (at least to my rusty ears).

I don't know jack about valves, but one of the technical aspects of the horn that I liked the most was how quick the valves were.

What I did notice is that the description on the eclipse website for the MR was right on the money. This gives me confidence that the other descriptions are just as accurate, which for me is a huge bonus due to my location relative to the eclipse dealers.

I owe a debt of gratitude to bruce lee for hooking me up w/still trying and a big thanks to still trying. He came out to my house on short notice and let me play his gem of a horn. Still trying is a true gentleman.

Would I purchase an eclipse? YES! With the type of music I play in ensembles right now coupled with the parts I play I don't know if the MR bell would be my first choice. Reading the eclipse site I think I would gravitate more towards the MY but the MR is a versatile horn that would fill in a principal or lead role without a problem.

If for some reason I was in a situation where I could only have 1 horn the MR would do just great.

I appreciate craftsmanship and the artistic ability of the person(s) who build fine products whether it is a high quality trumpet, or a custom firearm. Eclipse is certainly one of those fine products.

40

mike ansberry

Nice review, 40cal. I had the good fortune to win and Eclipse a year ago. I got an MR in scratch gold. Like you said, it is a free blowing horn with good slots. I play mainly jazz and some church stuff, but some ocassional lead in an R&B band. The horn seems to blend well in every situation. I play a 3B for my legit and bebop stuff. It has a big, warm sound. When I play lead I use a Vizzutti Marcenkiewicz. With that piece the sound will blow a hole in the wall, but there are still low overtones in the sound so it isn't strident. The guys in the band have noticed the sound of the horn when I play lead. They like the sound a bunch.

__________________
"Music is a fire in your belly that has to come out of your mouth, so you'd better put a horn in the way before someone gets hurt" (paraphrase of Bleeding Gums Murphy)

Still Trying

As I drove up to 40 Cal's home, I had no idea he was a trumpet performance major in college. I mean, how good do you expect a State Trooper to play? But as soon as he started playing, I could immediately recognize talent, expert instruction, and long hours of practice. It turned out that his list of excellent instructors includes some guy named Manny something or other. I think the last name started with an "L".

40 Cal is a professional class musician, and I am very happy I got to share my trumpet with him for about an hour. It was a pleasure listening to him play.

And I'm glad he enjoyed playing the Eclipse. They really are fantastic trumpets.

__________________
S.T.

What do we have that we did not receive, and if we received it, why do we glory, as if we received it not?

40cal

Still Trying is much too generous w/regard to my playing.

Also to clarify I don't recall ever taking a "formal lesson" from ML.....but I do remember just about every youth symphony rehersal, and bringing in parts I was playing in school to get some instruction (or maybe a clue would be more accurate) from a true guru of music.

I never woulda thought my Getzen Capri Bb would sound so good. I about passed out when ML took it and played stuff from Dvorak's New World Symphony, which was something we were doing in high school.

As I have written in other posts...I have been blessed w/some very good trumpet instructors over the years and owe a debt of thanks to all of them (including the ones I did not like).

And kudos again to Bruce and Still Trying.

Bruce Lee

40cal,

I'm glad that it all worked out! Still Trying is one of my very favorite people in this world, and I'm proud to call him my friend! He is one of the reasons why I decided to move to Texas. So, keep in mind that he's only a short-timer in Minnesota.

As Mike pointed out, a lead piece with have some flames coming out of that red brass bell... but, they're not quite enough to do a lot of damage to the trombone players who sit in front of us. However, you will have their undivided attention. Now, yellow brass... that's another story!

Thanks, Still Trying and 40cal!

Bruce

__________________
brucelee@northernbrass.com
ECLIPSE TRUMPETS - AUTHORIZED DEALER
The "TEATRO", by Lee/McKinney
GR Technologies/Northern Brass Mpc's - Dealer
http://www.northernbrass.com
(281) 485-1919