NYTC Boston Area Trumpet Fest and Clinic - Page 3

TrentAustin · 12-05-2005, 11:39 PM

Whew!

This post is quite long... I'm sorry for making you drowsy in advance;)

What a day... I've been deep in final preparations of my new CD... I thought recording the disc was the hard part. (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... it's far more challenging after)

I wanted to give enough time for a decent review so here it goes:

I'm lucky to be affiliated with a nice church that occasionally lets me rehearse and have festivals there in exchange of a few performances here and there (it lets me dust off my p5-4 and have some fun!). The community is so wonderful there and open to letting us hold events like this. I was excited for many reasons to have the fest at that particular church, mostly because it has many rooms with different acoustical feedback so people who are REALLY testing horns will get honest results!

Felix had the hardest part of the day by far, bringing a ton of his personal "babies" far from home for players to try. He also paid my pianist's fee out of his own pocket. That's pretty cool considering the whole day's events are free. It's amazing the amount of time, money, and care put into all the horns he had. The research time on his end is amazing. I don't think I've ever been in a room with virtually EVERY great make of horn from Europe in terms of piston valved instruments. That was truly astonishing! Thank you again, Felix!

Tony G (allchops) also drove VERY far for the fest and it was a joy to hang with him and hear him play. Talk about Power! I thought Garret and him raised the roof a few times during their trials of the Stage 1 horns.I had many people send me rsvps saying that they were going to come but unfortunately the snow (only about an inch in Melrose) scared a bunch of them away. LESSON #1, the next fest will be in OCTOBER or JUNE... no snow to worry about.

I'm echoing Tony's sentiments above though, while the turnout was small the hall was just BOUNCING WITH amazing sounds. It was great to have the horns being played... and what an amazing lineup of custom instruments! Okay, here comes the fun part:

The "NEW" reliables:

That's being the Eclipse... of course! What did you think I would say? hehe. I'm such a strong believer in finding a horn that fits you (much more on this in a bit) and for me I can't dream of a better horn for me. Felix did have some horns that blew my mind but I'm so happy with my two horns I didn't bring extra room in my horn case

The highlight on the Eclipse line was trying the LB rimless. I had a lot of time on the rimless horns out in the UK and this one felt and sounded just like the ones in the UK. While I see my rimless bell as being a "specialist" model, a peeling brilliant sound... I was so intrigued by the alluring sound and projection of the LB rimless that Felix had (and sold!). What a magnificient horn, with a wonderfully rich sound that lights up so nicely and gives the player amazing feedback! A great horn for someone who's looking for a horn that will project in any situation but still retain the warmth and center that the Eclipse horns all possess.

And the FLUGEL Felix has undoubtebly is the best Eclipse flugel I've played, and Leigh knows how much I loved his Red bell when I was out there. I think this one was Yellow Brass and in that brushed lacquer finish. Drrooool. Itg 2006 can't come quick enough (other than for me getting my money ready for the horn!)

Felix had his line of Stage 1 horns there and they all played great as well! The fit and finish are excellent and they all have a nice, bright, projecting sound. I especially liked the horn that Garret ended up taking home from the fest (yay!). Hearing Tony and him two doors down LIGHT the room up on fire was amazing. I'm actually glad I didn't dare open the door during that! heheheheheheh

It was great to meet Garret for the first time and hear him play. He's a heck of a trumpeter whose band is going places. I'll look forward to checking him out in the future on the horn.

Felix also let me try a bunch of prototypes including a "classic" model (Bach fans look for this one in the future... cheaper than a Bach and the sound was killer) and a lighter Stage 1 than the California that played great tool. He's really putting out fine products and I can't encourage people to try them if they are in NYC (or ski down to your next trumpetfest )

The horn that blew me away the most was his Stage 1 NYTC model. It's probably THE horn with the most "gizmos" I've ever seen built-in standard(adjustable gap receiver which I LOVED, recessed caps, reverse leadpipe w/rounded crook, heavy caps with o-ring spacers, third valve slide lock and bottom slide configuration, etc) it played SO much better than I could have expected... A serious jazz player and small group player has to check out this horn! It's made incredibly well and plays so wonderfully with an amazingly rich and complex sound. Move over MONETTE!

The Surprises:

Probably the two horns that suprised me the most were the lacquered Fides trumpet (Felix can probably tell me which model it was) and the Gold Plated BSC trumpet that my great friend (and not much of an equipment guy) Mike Peipman bought. Earlier I had mentioned how when you're dealing with great custom horns eventually a horn will strike a vibe with a certain player. For me, Eclipse... by far! For Tony, it's the Stage 1 (by far, again! Woo-hoo!).

Mike came to the show with his 80J Selmer, a great playing horn that he's had for many years. I didn't think he'd buy anything because I know just how happy he is with his equipment. He's been playing the same mouthpiece for 20 years I think. Did he go home with a Stage 1 mouthpiece, Felix? He can play a steel pipe and make it sound great, of course. I did notice though one horn stood out every time he played it... I didn't know what it was, but his sound just lit up and filled the room on it. It was wild!

He sounded GREAT on all the horns, but this BSC gold bead blasted model fit him like a glove. WHAT a sound! And control? Forget about it. Tounging Double C's like it was my low c. Mike is a freak, but that horn LOCKED in for him. Wow.

The Fides was a great horn with an amazing sound/scale! The response was great throughout the low f#-G above high c registers (above that was a little tight for me) and even. I dug that horn, and Felix mentioned it was moderately priced. If I needed to play a horn other than my Eclipse this might be one I'd SERIOUSLY consider for it's versatility and response.

There are so many other horns that I got confused at the fest, especially coming from the place where most of my equipment needs are solved!

I did come home with a Stage 1 mouthpiece, however! He said I had to try it, and like I am with everything I was a bit skeptical at first. When you look at the initial cup and rim you might be intimidated to NOT play the peice at all. I put it in my LR Eclipse and was SHOCKED honestly by the sound that came out. Rich and brilliant! It's definitely not a piece I'd play Carmen on, but to be honest I wouldn't play Carmen on anything as I just don't do that anymore.

I just got done telling Tony and Felix about my new Monette Prana Patrick Hession piece. The thing that bugs me about that piece is that if I totally back off I can get up to G's above Double C (yep). It's scary. I actually don't play much lead anymore (except with the Shaw band which isn't a demanding book) as I like to play 4th if at all possible.

BUT....

When I push that piece the Prana shuts off. When I'm in a commercial setting with LOUD players (and AMPS) I need to push. Sorry, that's the nature of my playing right now. Maybe with more time on the Prana I'd be cool and I'm really giving this piece a shot.

The thing about the Stage 1 piece that I dig is that it has so many elements of a great lead mouthpiece in it without feeling TINY. It's a smaller piece, for sure, but the low register is fat... intonation secure and even, and sound color can be changed! My Shew 1.25 ("mortgage" mouthpiece for 15 years basically) is one-dimensional in that regard.

I can't wait to play the Stage 1 mouthpiece more and see what happens. For the price I don't think you can get a better lead mouthpiece.

Thanks again to everyone who came to the fest, who played the horns, who shared in the fun, and hopefully will spread the word for the next fest (sans snow!). Next time we'll have more events and make it into a day-long event. Clinics, and perhaps a festival of trumpets in the evening ala ITG! Bring your horns, earplugs, and chops... you'll need them to try the amazing horns!

Best,

Trent

ALLCHOPS · 12-06-2005, 07:14 AM

Trent,

Your movement on that horn is like melted butter! The Rimless is a great fit for you and your style...

The lead horn prototype California "lite" Felix brought was a scary one! He offered to let me bring it home for a few weeks but I declined due to the amount of glass in my great room! This horn is flat out dangerous with it's lazer like projection and sound! After we all had a shot at it we came to the conclusion that additional bracing near the vavle block would tame her a bit!

Felix also had his Stage 1 Classic model and a new Vintage model that prices out very nicely. Tone and response seem to be just a few of the most important aspects of a horn and both of these had that!

When Mike first picked up that Satin Gold BSC, he was a different player. Already one of the top if not the top calls in Boston anyone who is still convinced that a horn really doesn't make a difference is crazy! The response and the tone come to mind right off the bat and it was so good he went home with that beautiful dog! Oh yeah, he left w/a Stage 1 Mouthpiece that may replace his old and I mean old 10s Varicup that had a rim that was so worn it reminded me of cultured stone!!!

The Weril and Fides(FEEDUS) trumpets were very nice horns as well. Again, in there pricepoint you won't find many horns these days made by some of the bigger names that can compete...

Garret Savluk from the Boston Horns( www.bostonhorns.com )( My Funk Brother) left with a Stage 1 California that had a larger and heavier bell than what I use. He really liked the tone and response and I think the scrathed silver w/ highlights as well as the bracing that Lee from Eclipse designed really makes this horn a winner!

While there were several Eclipse models there to play the new Rimless models were there as well. A L bore and ML bore(Trent's new Model)... Lee really knows how to make a horn speak sonically and physically...

We'll do it again gentlemen and next time as Trent stated, up here in these parts we really need to do this in May or June!!!

Great meeting all of you!

Tony G

NYTC · 12-06-2005, 10:15 AM

Hey guys.
Once again,I can't thank you enough for the great time we had and Trent,you are the MAN!!
It was a long trip for me,but it was well worth it.
I want to thank everyone that came and helped to make it happen.
I am not much of a writer,so here it goes.....
THANK YOU ALL!!

Felix

Castle Bravo · 12-06-2005, 07:16 PM

Felix -
You goin' to the ITG this year?

NYTC · 12-06-2005, 07:23 PM

Hey Gary.
I am going with Leigh.We will possibly share a space,or I will just be there as an Eclipse rep.
It is about 2 hour's drive from me,so it will be a sin not to go.
Haven't heard from you in a while.
How are you doing?

Castle Bravo · 12-08-2005, 12:07 PM

Been moving across the pond. Lion's share of the work is done, and I'm kinda-settled in. Georgia is a good 20 years behind the rest of civilization, I think...

If I can get cut loose from my day job for a week (it looks good right now) I will be a rep at Leigh's booth as well.

NYTC · 12-08-2005, 01:30 PM

Cool,man.
Hope to see you there.
Felix

12-05-2005, 11:39 PM	#21 (permalink)
TrentAustin Moderator Forte User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,533	Whew! This post is quite long... I'm sorry for making you drowsy in advance;) What a day... I've been deep in final preparations of my new CD... I thought recording the disc was the hard part. (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... it's far more challenging after) I wanted to give enough time for a decent review so here it goes: I'm lucky to be affiliated with a nice church that occasionally lets me rehearse and have festivals there in exchange of a few performances here and there (it lets me dust off my p5-4 and have some fun!). The community is so wonderful there and open to letting us hold events like this. I was excited for many reasons to have the fest at that particular church, mostly because it has many rooms with different acoustical feedback so people who are REALLY testing horns will get honest results! Felix had the hardest part of the day by far, bringing a ton of his personal "babies" far from home for players to try. He also paid my pianist's fee out of his own pocket. That's pretty cool considering the whole day's events are free. It's amazing the amount of time, money, and care put into all the horns he had. The research time on his end is amazing. I don't think I've ever been in a room with virtually EVERY great make of horn from Europe in terms of piston valved instruments. That was truly astonishing! Thank you again, Felix! Tony G (allchops) also drove VERY far for the fest and it was a joy to hang with him and hear him play. Talk about Power! I thought Garret and him raised the roof a few times during their trials of the Stage 1 horns.I had many people send me rsvps saying that they were going to come but unfortunately the snow (only about an inch in Melrose) scared a bunch of them away. LESSON #1, the next fest will be in OCTOBER or JUNE... no snow to worry about. I'm echoing Tony's sentiments above though, while the turnout was small the hall was just BOUNCING WITH amazing sounds. It was great to have the horns being played... and what an amazing lineup of custom instruments! Okay, here comes the fun part: The "NEW" reliables: That's being the Eclipse... of course! What did you think I would say? hehe. I'm such a strong believer in finding a horn that fits you (much more on this in a bit) and for me I can't dream of a better horn for me. Felix did have some horns that blew my mind but I'm so happy with my two horns I didn't bring extra room in my horn case The highlight on the Eclipse line was trying the LB rimless. I had a lot of time on the rimless horns out in the UK and this one felt and sounded just like the ones in the UK. While I see my rimless bell as being a "specialist" model, a peeling brilliant sound... I was so intrigued by the alluring sound and projection of the LB rimless that Felix had (and sold!). What a magnificient horn, with a wonderfully rich sound that lights up so nicely and gives the player amazing feedback! A great horn for someone who's looking for a horn that will project in any situation but still retain the warmth and center that the Eclipse horns all possess. And the FLUGEL Felix has undoubtebly is the best Eclipse flugel I've played, and Leigh knows how much I loved his Red bell when I was out there. I think this one was Yellow Brass and in that brushed lacquer finish. Drrooool. Itg 2006 can't come quick enough (other than for me getting my money ready for the horn!) Felix had his line of Stage 1 horns there and they all played great as well! The fit and finish are excellent and they all have a nice, bright, projecting sound. I especially liked the horn that Garret ended up taking home from the fest (yay!). Hearing Tony and him two doors down LIGHT the room up on fire was amazing. I'm actually glad I didn't dare open the door during that! heheheheheheh It was great to meet Garret for the first time and hear him play. He's a heck of a trumpeter whose band is going places. I'll look forward to checking him out in the future on the horn. Felix also let me try a bunch of prototypes including a "classic" model (Bach fans look for this one in the future... cheaper than a Bach and the sound was killer) and a lighter Stage 1 than the California that played great tool. He's really putting out fine products and I can't encourage people to try them if they are in NYC (or ski down to your next trumpetfest ) The horn that blew me away the most was his Stage 1 NYTC model. It's probably THE horn with the most "gizmos" I've ever seen built-in standard(adjustable gap receiver which I LOVED, recessed caps, reverse leadpipe w/rounded crook, heavy caps with o-ring spacers, third valve slide lock and bottom slide configuration, etc) it played SO much better than I could have expected... A serious jazz player and small group player has to check out this horn! It's made incredibly well and plays so wonderfully with an amazingly rich and complex sound. Move over MONETTE! The Surprises: Probably the two horns that suprised me the most were the lacquered Fides trumpet (Felix can probably tell me which model it was) and the Gold Plated BSC trumpet that my great friend (and not much of an equipment guy) Mike Peipman bought. Earlier I had mentioned how when you're dealing with great custom horns eventually a horn will strike a vibe with a certain player. For me, Eclipse... by far! For Tony, it's the Stage 1 (by far, again! Woo-hoo!). Mike came to the show with his 80J Selmer, a great playing horn that he's had for many years. I didn't think he'd buy anything because I know just how happy he is with his equipment. He's been playing the same mouthpiece for 20 years I think. Did he go home with a Stage 1 mouthpiece, Felix? He can play a steel pipe and make it sound great, of course. I did notice though one horn stood out every time he played it... I didn't know what it was, but his sound just lit up and filled the room on it. It was wild! He sounded GREAT on all the horns, but this BSC gold bead blasted model fit him like a glove. WHAT a sound! And control? Forget about it. Tounging Double C's like it was my low c. Mike is a freak, but that horn LOCKED in for him. Wow. The Fides was a great horn with an amazing sound/scale! The response was great throughout the low f#-G above high c registers (above that was a little tight for me) and even. I dug that horn, and Felix mentioned it was moderately priced. If I needed to play a horn other than my Eclipse this might be one I'd SERIOUSLY consider for it's versatility and response. There are so many other horns that I got confused at the fest, especially coming from the place where most of my equipment needs are solved! I did come home with a Stage 1 mouthpiece, however! He said I had to try it, and like I am with everything I was a bit skeptical at first. When you look at the initial cup and rim you might be intimidated to NOT play the peice at all. I put it in my LR Eclipse and was SHOCKED honestly by the sound that came out. Rich and brilliant! It's definitely not a piece I'd play Carmen on, but to be honest I wouldn't play Carmen on anything as I just don't do that anymore. I just got done telling Tony and Felix about my new Monette Prana Patrick Hession piece. The thing that bugs me about that piece is that if I totally back off I can get up to G's above Double C (yep). It's scary. I actually don't play much lead anymore (except with the Shaw band which isn't a demanding book) as I like to play 4th if at all possible. BUT.... When I push that piece the Prana shuts off. When I'm in a commercial setting with LOUD players (and AMPS) I need to push. Sorry, that's the nature of my playing right now. Maybe with more time on the Prana I'd be cool and I'm really giving this piece a shot. The thing about the Stage 1 piece that I dig is that it has so many elements of a great lead mouthpiece in it without feeling TINY. It's a smaller piece, for sure, but the low register is fat... intonation secure and even, and sound color can be changed! My Shew 1.25 ("mortgage" mouthpiece for 15 years basically) is one-dimensional in that regard. I can't wait to play the Stage 1 mouthpiece more and see what happens. For the price I don't think you can get a better lead mouthpiece. Thanks again to everyone who came to the fest, who played the horns, who shared in the fun, and hopefully will spread the word for the next fest (sans snow!). Next time we'll have more events and make it into a day-long event. Clinics, and perhaps a festival of trumpets in the evening ala ITG! Bring your horns, earplugs, and chops... you'll need them to try the amazing horns! Best, Trent __________________ Trent Austin Taking a break to focus on my music but I am lurking around. If you want to chat PM me. http://www.trentaustin.com http://www.onlinejazzimprovisation.com

12-06-2005, 07:14 AM	#22 (permalink)
ALLCHOPS Piano User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Posts: 333	GTG Trent, Your movement on that horn is like melted butter! The Rimless is a great fit for you and your style... The lead horn prototype California "lite" Felix brought was a scary one! He offered to let me bring it home for a few weeks but I declined due to the amount of glass in my great room! This horn is flat out dangerous with it's lazer like projection and sound! After we all had a shot at it we came to the conclusion that additional bracing near the vavle block would tame her a bit! Felix also had his Stage 1 Classic model and a new Vintage model that prices out very nicely. Tone and response seem to be just a few of the most important aspects of a horn and both of these had that! When Mike first picked up that Satin Gold BSC, he was a different player. Already one of the top if not the top calls in Boston anyone who is still convinced that a horn really doesn't make a difference is crazy! The response and the tone come to mind right off the bat and it was so good he went home with that beautiful dog! Oh yeah, he left w/a Stage 1 Mouthpiece that may replace his old and I mean old 10s Varicup that had a rim that was so worn it reminded me of cultured stone!!! The Weril and Fides(FEEDUS) trumpets were very nice horns as well. Again, in there pricepoint you won't find many horns these days made by some of the bigger names that can compete... Garret Savluk from the Boston Horns( www.bostonhorns.com )( My Funk Brother) left with a Stage 1 California that had a larger and heavier bell than what I use. He really liked the tone and response and I think the scrathed silver w/ highlights as well as the bracing that Lee from Eclipse designed really makes this horn a winner! While there were several Eclipse models there to play the new Rimless models were there as well. A L bore and ML bore(Trent's new Model)... Lee really knows how to make a horn speak sonically and physically... We'll do it again gentlemen and next time as Trent stated, up here in these parts we really need to do this in May or June!!! Great meeting all of you! Tony G __________________ *Curry 600 Series Mouthpieces* *Curry Authorized Dealer* *SD Systems-Endorsing Artist* *www.SDSYSTEMS.com* *http://www.myspace.com/tonygambaro*

12-06-2005, 10:15 AM	#23 (permalink)
NYTC Forte User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Brooklyn,NY Posts: 1,037	Hey guys. Once again,I can't thank you enough for the great time we had and Trent,you are the MAN!! It was a long trip for me,but it was well worth it. I want to thank everyone that came and helped to make it happen. I am not much of a writer,so here it goes..... THANK YOU ALL!! Felix __________________ www.NewYorkTrumpetCompany.com Stage 1 Trumpets

12-06-2005, 07:16 PM	#24 (permalink)
Castle Bravo Piano User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Uijongbu, Korea Posts: 276	Felix - You goin' to the ITG this year? __________________ Gary Wilder

12-06-2005, 07:23 PM	#25 (permalink)
NYTC Forte User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Brooklyn,NY Posts: 1,037	Hey Gary. I am going with Leigh.We will possibly share a space,or I will just be there as an Eclipse rep. It is about 2 hour's drive from me,so it will be a sin not to go. Haven't heard from you in a while. How are you doing? __________________ www.NewYorkTrumpetCompany.com Stage 1 Trumpets

12-08-2005, 12:07 PM	#26 (permalink)
Castle Bravo Piano User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Uijongbu, Korea Posts: 276	Been moving across the pond. Lion's share of the work is done, and I'm kinda-settled in. Georgia is a good 20 years behind the rest of civilization, I think... If I can get cut loose from my day job for a week (it looks good right now) I will be a rep at Leigh's booth as well. __________________ Gary Wilder

12-08-2005, 01:30 PM	#27 (permalink)
NYTC Forte User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Brooklyn,NY Posts: 1,037	Cool,man. Hope to see you there. Felix __________________ www.NewYorkTrumpetCompany.com Stage 1 Trumpets

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