patdublc

I agree - picc's tend to be even more personal than other horns. I have played a Schilke P5-4 for about the last 20 years. It is quite excellent and deserves its reputation.
I don't have any difficulty switching between horns. At my recurring Easter gig, I set my picc on top of the organ console when I set up in the morning. It sits there until its time for the Hallelujah Chorus. In between, I'll play 8-10 other pieces on Bb or C. When I pick it up, I just blow a little air through it and open the spit valves. This goes on for three services. I hope that I didn't just curse myself for this year..............
As much as I like the Schilke, I often recommdend the Getzen 940 which can usually be purchased for about 1/2 the price of a P5-4. It is a very good quality horn and the price makes if more affordable for college students looking to get their first start on picc. I took a student in to Chuck Levin's a few weeks ago to try out some piccs. He played about 10 horns & really fell for a P5-4. He's trying to get the money together over break so I hope to take him back to buy one in February.

trumpetmike has a pretty good list there.

trumpetmike

Tony - I find that comment very interesting. Of the guys I know who specialise in piccolo playing, more of them don't use a Schilke than do.
I am a piccolo specialist and would class the Schilke as probably not in the top 10 of piccolos I would be looking for (definitely not in the top 5), but that is me - for someone else the results could vary greatly.

Of the guys who dabble in piccolo, but mainly play the big Bb - the Getzen piccolos seem to be the most popular. Fantastic instruments that are relatively easy to double on.

rjzeller

Anyone try the Getzen 3916 (custom Pic)? Maybe it has a different model number now, dunno...but I've played it before and was quite impressed.

I borrow a Getzen 940 from a friend any time I have a wedding gig, and it's a good horn for the price, but definitely not one I would consider buying if I had the money and were in the market -- you'd pay more for a better horn, no question about it, but if I had the money for the one, I'd save a little more and get the 3916 instead.

I think the best Pic I ever played was an old Shilke a comrade let me borrow one time for a gig. It was older than the hills and I don't recall the model number, but the sound was beautiful and the intonation quite fine. It looked like a scrunched up version of a short-bell picc, even for a pic, but it played well....

So I guess "try before you buy" is really the only sage advice here....

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Eclipsehornplayer

Nice post Dave...

I'm sort of in the market so I'll be watching this thread with great interest...

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

sublmbadfish

I just got the Yamaha 4 valve custom model and i love it. You'll need to have a ring put on the 3rd valve slide but once thats been done it has good intonation and combined with the right mouthpiece it has a good range of timbre and a fairly easy upper register.

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Butler converted Bach 25H 229 C
Yamaha YTR 9830 Piccolo
Yamaha John Hagstrom Signature Mp
Bb??? maybe sometime soon.

40cal

Mr Kadleck brings up a very good point.

When I think of purchasing a Pic, or a flugel one thing I need to be cognizant of is the fact I will be putting very little time on these horns. As much as I would like to say money is no object, in the cases for these two particular horns I don't think I can justify paying top dollar for two horns that will fill a very limited role.


This is not to say that I am going to buy a piece of junk, but price is a consideration.

I do appreciate all the input. It is an outstanding resource to be able to hear from such a diverse and talented group of players.

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MJ

I would agree with Tony. The Schilke P5-4 seems to be the bench mark in the US for professionals. I play one and I like it. I have also played some really nice Yamahas.

The Getzen has been brought up. 40cal if you are looking for something to play once ine a while this would be great. They are built like tanks and blow very nice especially with a Blackburn leadpipe.

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trumpetnick

There was in an impressive list of pic brands...Nice list TMike!
As rotary trumpets are concerned, the Scherzer are not the only one, though they make one of the best rotaries: probably one should try a Schagerl too (I tested a piston valve shagerl piccolo which was quite impressive, but it is possible that they make a rotary too. Lechner is another brand which is quite good. Years ago they used to make a rotary pic which you hold as a piston (my trumpet teacher had one - great if you had not experience with rotaries!)

Another one I personally like very much is the Spada pic (for the moment they have only one model B flat/A as far as I know, so there can be no confusion). It is a piston valve, but it has relatively big bell which makes it to feel much closer to big trumpets feel (B flat or C) than Schilke. It is quite easy to play even in the high register but the price is as high as the notes you can get on (about 2400Euros). Still quite cheap in comparison to the Monnette instruments...

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Spada Bach B flat 72, leadpipe 2L/DWMM1.5C
Spada Bach C 256, leadpipe 2LQ/DWMM1.5C
1956 Olds Ambassador Cornet
Spada Custom Piccolo

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trumpetmike

Nick - I knew I'd forget some

(and it's always the rotaries I forget - silly when I have tried the Lechner and Schagerl piccolos and been very impressed - would gladly take either over the Schilke P5-4)

miles71

When I was in the market for a Picc. I was very aware of the fact I would play it only at certain gigs. I played a Gold Plated Schilke p5-4 that was GREAT, but the tone was to round and dark. Lets face it, a picc. shouldnt sound like an Eb, it should sound like a picc. The silver p5-4 was also very nice, but the price tag....................

I ended up with a Stomvi Elite that had been used by a guy one time and then put in a closet for a year. It is a Schilke copy and I put a Blackburn leadpipe on it, which made it play very close to the schilke model. I have used it ever since in almost every situation a picc is needed. Recently I was given a GR picc mouthpiece for Christmas and man................did it help out. I am in no real need for a new picc.

I have played the rotary piccs and think they have a great sound, but have a problem with the valves keeping up with fast lines. The moral................look at stomvis and used piccs.

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