timbo

Thanks to Eclipse and the Trumpet Master site for putting together this competition. I'm sure that there are many of us out there who could not normally contemplate owning an Eclipse trumpet, but you've given us a chance. Cheers!

1. Tell us how you would improve a trumpet with a new feature or design.

I'm not an expert on trumpet design, and Leigh probably already makes the best trumpets on the planet, so it would be churlish of me to suggest he'd missed something. I would be looking for a versatile trumpet that could be used for everything from the smooth and silky, through to the bright and brilliant, and capable of cutting through any band or ensemble. I usually play in our church where the rest of the instruments are amplified, but the trumpets are not, so we have to ring out above the rest of the band.

To this end, I would suggest:
- an gold plated Equinox type body with a large bell for maximum projection (or should that be a small bell? What do I know? Leigh, which one works best?)
- third and first valve triggers, like some cornets.
I find rings or saddles difficult to operate (but perhaps that’s because my 30 year old Yamaha 232 just has slides that are too stiff to operate quickly, despite how much I grease them!)


2. Give us a theme for a trumpet!

The "Ring of Fire", or Annular Eclipse (well, the other types of eclipses are all used up, apart from partial, which doesn't sound very good anyway!).
The name reflects the versatility of the horn, dark and powerful in the centre, but able to set any stage alight when required.
The horn should be bright gold plated like the sun, with a darker copper-coloured bell and a fiery ring decoration round the edge.


3. (back to school time!) Write a short story using each of the following at least once.

A. A TYPE OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENT - trumpet, naturally!
B. A COUNTRY OR CITY – Los Angeles and Plymouth (two for luck!)
C. A FORM OF TRANSPORT - car
D. AN ITEM OF CLOTHING - shirt
E. A FOOD – barbecued sausages, spare ribs and chicken legs

Wow! Have some people written some great stories! Entering late gives me the chance to peruse the other entries - not sure some of them qualify as "short" though! Here’s mine…

Los Angeles, January 4, 1992.
The sun is setting over the ocean. Gradually, as the sun comes down towards the sea, a dark shadow spreads across the face of the sun. As the sun plunges downwards into the water the shadow moves over the centre of the sun. However, instead of obscuring the whole face of the sun, a golden ring of fire shines out from around the edge of the shadow for a brief moment before the fiery ring is extinguished in the Pacific Ocean.

Fast forward to Plymouth, England, 11 August 1999
As they gathered in the small garden of the house in Plymouth for the first total solar eclipse England had seen for over seventy years, Stephen thought about the moment a few years earlier that he had witnessed the majestic Ring of Fire sink into the ocean. He described it to his younger brother, searching for some words that could describe the majestic glory of the image. “It was like the halo of God descending to earth – there should have been angels there sounding trumpets to herald the coming of the King”.

Tim listened intently. He’d been anticipating this eclipse since boyhood, when he had first realised it would take place. Now, some thirty years on, he found himself living in the path of totality, not even having to drive anywhere. The roads would be clogged with cars anyway, so that was just as well.

The weather had other ideas. The clouds had gathered, cloaking the earth in a dismal grey blanket. The television showed pictures from various vantage points as the moon’s shadow sped across the Atlantic. The only pictures worth viewing were those from an aircraft, high above the clouds.

Several families were gathered in the garden for the event. As the sky grew strangely dark, the anticipation grew, but the clouds didn’t part. They knew the eclipse was well in progress at this point from the time, but they couldn’t see the sun.

Suddenly, the sky went black. Everyone was surprised how quickly this happened, even with the clouds to obscure the view. The birds stopped singing, and everything became eerily silent. For a minute all was calm, still, like night. It was cold, and Tim shivered beneath his thin shirt – it was not normally this cold in summer.

Then as quickly as it had come, the darkness vanished. Looking up at the clouds, Tim could see a dark shadow racing away to the east. The totality was over, and it was time to begin cooking. Together the families gathered in the garden shared a barbecue – juicy sausages, spare ribs, and chicken legs roasted over the charcoal, and talked about the amazing experience of the eclipse that not even the clouds could dispel.

Historical note: The two eclipses were real events, and in the places mentioned. The two brothers, Stephen and Tim are real people (I am Tim), and Stephen was in the right place to witness both eclipses – although both times it was cloudy (how unlucky can someone get?!) The barbecue in Plymouth did happen (in my garden). The rest is artistic license.


4. And last but not least! Apart from your brilliant answers to the above, please tell us just why you feel that you should win this contest.

I'm not a professional trumpet player, just an ordinary guy with a day job and a family. So why should I win over anybody else?

Well, because I am not a professional, I couldn't normally justify the outlay on a trumpet like an Eclipse. Therefore this contest is a one and only chance to play something other than my trusty Yamaha 232 (this was my 11th birthday present, and has served me very well over almost 30 years - so you now know how old I am).

While I know that it is the person who plays the trumpet, not the other way around I do feel that I am at the point of being held back by my equipment, and that having a top-of-the-range instrument will allow me to reach my potential (no slur intended to Yamaha, who have given me 30 years of playing pleasure).

I will promise to use it regularly - I currently play most weeks in our church in front of 400+ people, so the trumpet would certainly be heard.

And lastly, because I live in England, I can save you the shipping costs – I’ll even come and collect the instrument! OK, I know that’s not a good reason, but it was worth a try.

Whatever happens, Leigh, thanks for reading this, and best of luck with picking the winner.

Mr. Stomvi

1. Tell us how you would improve a trumpet with a new feature or design.

As I have been a Stomvi fan for a while now I am particularly attracted to the "modular" approach in design however I feel that we can take this approach even further.


Name of the trumpet - Deep Woods


1. The trumpet will be based on your "Equinox" model.

2. The trumpet will have interchangable, one piece leadpipes like the Stomvi Master series or maybe Smith Watkins cornets. Three or four options available.

3. The trumpet will have a tuning bell design.

4. The trumpet will have interchangable, screw on bells with mounting like the Stomvi Master. I figure three different materials (solid sterling silver, silver plated copper, and most importantly - wood). Wooden bells are easy to make as they can be turned on a lathe. I have one on my Stomvi picc and it is gorgous. This will look spectacular on a Bb trumpet !!! The bells will have a taper and size that will produce a response and feel of a Bach # 72 bell.

5. Water keys on both 1st and 3rd tuning slides will be "Saturn" type

6. Triggers on both 1st and 3rd tuning slides. This will be a cornet players dream trumpet.

7. If possible - valves will be of the top or bottom sprung type (perhaps like Yami flugelhorns). Valve guides will be of the same type and design (nylon running in a slot) used in Yami flugelhorns which provide better rotational valve alignment and are quieter than normal center sprung design.

8. The horn chassis will be double gold plated over silver.

9. Now to tie the whole concept together. The top and bottom valve caps will be made of wood (same wood as bell) but heavily weighted internally. Essentially heavy weight caps with a wooden covering.

9. Valve buttons will also be of matching wood with gold plated inserts on top. Eclipse logo on buttons of course.

10. If possible - we could slide matching thin wooden sleeves over all the valve cylinders (before assembly) and bond them to the metal. This would really add to the whole concept. Would also provide a soft, warm feel to the hand.

11. Mouthpiece would of course be a wooden "Benterfa"


Theme or concept

"Deep Woods" is a warm, organic concept which is very different from the usual "brassy" or "metallic" concept that we normally think of as a trumpet. I feel that the entire concept succeeds on many different levels which I have attempted to list below.

1. It is a new and unique concept in trumpet design. Not just a tired old reworked design from the past.

2. The concept is flexible because of the modular design.

3. Most importantly - the concept can be added to your existing product line. Instead of just producing a "one off" design that would appeal just to me - this horn (because of it's modular design) can be tailored to appeal to a wide variety of potential customers.

4. We are creating a whole "NEW" tonal concept with the use of the wooden bell but we can also if we desire, tailor the sound to a more conventional tonal concept just by switching to one of the other bells.

Short Story

The Last Minstrel


It had been a perfect day for swimming with the stingrays. We had docked early at GEORGETOWN in the Caymans and immediately boarded the BUS for the short ride to our small boat, without stopping to visit the shops. The boat's operators were two delightful young women from South Africa who asked us to give them a good reference, otherwise they would have to return home and take "real" jobs where SWIM SUITS would not be proper attire.

We motored about two miles from shore where the water, surprisingly,
was only chest deep. A tight throng of swimmers awaited us, encircled by a variety of boats. There were so many rays gliding softly underfoot it was difficult to avoid stepping on them. They would take the octopus meat we held in our hands or lay on our outstretched arms - all six feet of their diameter. Their gentleness and the softness of their fins are unforgettable.

Back on the ship, after our mind-blowing experiences with the rays,
we decided to take advantage of the sunny afternoon and have our
SHRIMP SALAD by the pool where the marvelous reggae band was holding forth, just one of the many venues aboard that offered music.

Later, when cocktail time came, we gravitated to a lounge from which
great music of a small group was emanating - a small group consisting of a GUITAR player and a keyboardist who played the keys with his left hand and a trumpet with his right! Quite a feat! One is constantly surprised at the variety of minstrels who travel the cruise circuit.

However, the truest and best minstrel came last. At the evening show,
after the dancers, singers, comedians, juggler, etc., a small elderly man
entered the stage alone, into the spotlight. From the pocket of his tuxedo he pulled his tiny harmonica and played it as we hadn't heard that instrument played in many years. He held us spell bound with his virtuosity and his tales of life on the road with his group that had had a hit with "Peg O' My Heart". No one left the show early!

The next day, as we stood in line at the airport, we saw the old man
alone, waiting to board the plane, to land at the next island, to board
the next ship, to play one more gig. Behind him he pulled his little
valise, which must have held his tux and his instrument. There were
no charts. The Last Minstrel didn't need them!

Why I should win this contest

1. My trumpet concept is a new and novel design.

2. It will not be that hard (or costly) to manufacture. No Star Wars technology needed.

3. The features and design could be integrated into the rest of your product line if you wish.

4. The horn will be a beauty to behold and hopefully play. A real "Masterpiece" for your company photo album !!!


Thank you for your consideration

Sincerely

Seth Moore
Dayton, Ohio, USA







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__________________
The "Flattergrub" or literally, the "uncouth flutter" was the very descriptive term that the Germans had for the pedal tone. Apparently some players could produce a "Flattergrub" and nothing more.

Richard I. Schwartz
"The Cornet Compendium"

shopharim

1. The improvement I recommend is to redesign the 2nd valve slide to be parallel with the rest of the instrument. The flow of air is all in one plane except for these 2 to 3 inches of tubing that jut out off to the side. I was thinking that perhaps the slide could be attached to the 3rd valve, but that the holes in the valves would be set so that the air only reached that tubing when the second valve was depressed (pushed down, not saddened).

2. This trumpet would be known as "The Weather Vane" because the entire air flow is in one plane. The braces could be cut like a rooster. Even the octave key could have an arrow head on it.

3. It was just moments before dawn on the farm and every creature awaited the sound of the rooster to start the day, as they did every day. But this day was different. ..the rooster never showed up. After a few hours the animals were getting worried. Could they wake up? Could they begin their activities?

They needed a plan. They needed a replacement for the rooster. They needed a wake up call.

Then it hit them...all at once. They reaaly need a car, a shirt, a tuba, some pizza and a ticket to Italy. Why?

Because those were the items required of the contest.

What happened to the rooster? It turns out the rooster was in the barn working on a design for a trumpet.

4. I should win this contest because despite my terrible short story,the improvement I identified is likely the one area that finally totally aligns the airflow through the instrument, eliminating the hard right turn.

wbamb83392

1. Tell us how you would improve a trumpet with a new feature or design.

Just one new feature? I'd get rid of the tuning slide and tuning bell and replace them with a flugelhorn style sliding leadpipe with the mouthpiece built in. It would taper smoothly from the mouthpiece throat to a knife edge at the opposite end and would have no gap, just a smooth taper. It could either be one piece, or use standard screw-on mouthpiece cups. Fastening the pipe at just one or two points would allow better vibration and a thicker leadpipe than a full length sleeve like on a flugel. Though perhaps delicate, who cares if they work better and you make money selling them?

As for a design concept, I think it would be interesting to make the world's most powerful trumpet, as loud as a chrome plated soprano bugle. I tried a .470 bore kanstul trumpet with a bugle bell, but it didnt have the brilliance of a bugle. I think what would work is a small .438 bore trumpet like a conn constellation with an extra large chrome or nickel plated bugle bell to efficiently amplify the brilliant sound from the small bore. It probably wouldn't sound beautiful, but I bet it would sound 2 or 3 times as loud as a normal trumpet.

2. Give us a theme for a trumpet!

Fire! Cut the bell rim in the shape of flames and engrave the inside flare to match with silver within gold flames. Continue the silver and gold flame pattern halfway down the bell. Make the bottom valve caps in a teardrop flame shape and of course add the obligatory flame pattern sheet metal braces.

3. (back to school time!) Write a short story using each of the following at least once.

A. A TYPE OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
B. A COUNTRY OR CITY
C. A FORM OF TRANSPORT
D. AN ITEM OF CLOTHING
E. A FOOD

Short Story----------------------------------------------

"Well, I think we got what we wanted, maybe even more actually!", said Jim to his partner Steve as they both removed their itchy black wigs inside the dark and breezy mud-brick hut. The hut was a welcome relief from the brightness and heat of the hot desert. The men swatted flies away from their faces and knelt on the nice, cool dirt floor. Even wearing only the traditional triangular skirt and sandals, it was still a hot day.

"We'll still have to analyze these samples when we get back, but this could be a major breakthrough in construction projects like dams", Steve remarked as he poked at a zip lock bag full of watery tan putty and seashells. "It sure doesn't look like concrete!"

Jim nodded and looked out the window beyond the workers camps toward the massive pile of stones that was taking shape. It looked like an anthill crawling with ants, except those ants were people pouring in years of their lives on the biggest construction project ever. He put a few bags of the wet putty into a woven reed bag on the hard dirt floor of the hut and glanced at the clock on his cleverly disguised and rather ancient looking camcorder. "We only have an hour and a half left to get back to the vehicle. Time to go, Steve."

The two men put their black wigs back on, straightened their skirts, picked up their reed satchels, and ventured silently out into the street. Nobody was to be seen in the workers village, though you could smell the bread cooking in anticipation of thousands of tired men returning home from a days toil in the heat. Jim and steve walked silently, trying to blend in, hoping that nobody would notice they werent particularly Egyptian looking. They made it past the edge of town, past the main gate, they were home free.

Steve pointed at some hills in the distance, "Third one from the left?"

Jim nodded, "Yeah, its behind the third one from the left, its only a couple miles, we have plenty of time."

They walked silently, with dry throats, for the two or three miles as the sun beat down upon them. This was an important archaeological mission and a fascinating journey, but they were weary, tired of sneaking around, and anxious to get home. They walked carefully up the steep, rocky hill over the top, and down the other side into a narrow ravine that opened up into a wider chasm. Their steps in the rocky gravel echoed off the deeply eroded limestone walls. As they were walking around a bend, Jim held out his harm in front of Steve and they both stopped to listen for any potential sounds of people hiding. They knew anyone who found their vehicle would be very interested in it and would be watching to see who came for it. They heard nothing but utter silence, so they continued around the corner, and there it was, the vehicle, safe and sound beneath its tan tarp.

Jim and Steve pulled the coarse fabric cover off the machine. Its shiny technological blackness was in complete contrast to the surrounding natural environment. It looked like giant black beetle cut with facets like a gemstone. Jim pushed a black button and the top whirred open revealing three unpadded hollows, two big enough for a man to lie down in, and a third big enough for a large suitcase. One of the large hollows had a glass surface on the side that suddenly lit up as a touch screen control display.

Jim glanced at the chronometer readout on the display, "Oh no, it's leaving in 30 seconds! We sure must have walked slowly!"

"Oh, f!@#$%^k! This is too close!" said Steve with panic in his voice.

The two men scrambled to load their satchels in to the small compartment and they delicately stepped into their resting spots in the two larger hollows. Jim pressed an illuminated spot on the panel and the open lid of the shiny black vehicle whirred shut with a dull thud.

" This thing always feels like a coffin", Jim said to Steve though his voice was muffled by the thin wall separating them.

"Yeah, I know what you mean", Steve lamented. "Hey, was my trumpet in your bag?"

"I dont remember, I didn't look." Jim pressed some more buttons on the control panel. Dull whirring sounds of fast spinning machinery began and slowly crescendoed. "You shouldn't have brought that stupid thing"

"It was in case we got stuck, so I could make a living" Steve explained "Im sure it was in your bag. Goodbye B.C. and hello A.D.!"

Outside the machine the sound wasnt so dull, it was a metallic whine and was reaching a loud climax when suddenly the machine vanished and POP! Air rapidly rushed in to fill the space left by the machine and the sound echoed throughout the ravine.

Inside the machine the dull whirr slowed down to dead silence. The lid opened with a thud and a hum and the two men saw now a grey sky where before there was blue. They sat up and looked around, a few people started clapping, they were back! Men in lab coats helped them out of the craft and were eager to ask Jim and Steve about what they discovered.

"Well, what system of levers did they use, and the ramps, how did they work?", asked one bald, spectcled, and giddy man.

"Small ramps, no levers at all that I could see." Said Jim

"You guys are not going to believe this, it's crazy." Steve added

Suddenly a man in a suit appeared, "Alright, questions later, our explorers need some rest now, and, WHEW, a nice long shower!"

Everyone chuckled.

Jim and Steve followed the man in the suit to a waiting car that would bring them back from the desert to their hotel on the outskirts of Cairo near the sphinx.

"Here you go guys, I'm so glad everything went so smoothly for you, and I can't wait to hear about your discoveries. Auot Taf !", said the man in the suit as he closed the car door and the car drove away.

The two men looked at each other oddly. "What did he say? A-yote Taff? What does that mean?", asked Steve.

"It means peace and good fortune, don't you know? You are from America!", the driver piped in with his heavy arabic accent.

Jim and Steve just shrugged.

A few miles down the road, suddenly a very strange looking building they were driving past caught Steve's eye.

"WHOA! Pull over, pull over!"

The driver pulled over and stopped the car, mystified. Jim leapt out and stared up at the building.

"I didnt notice this before, did we take this route?", Steve shouted

Jim shrugged, "It looks like a church to me, like maybe from the Jetsons or something"

"No, its gotta be a museum for instruments. Thats not a steeple, its a giant upside down mouthpiece!" Steve tried to turn his head upside down to look. "See it even says Vincent Bach Corp 3C on it, upside down." Steve walked up to the front door of the building and peered into the front windows. He caught a glimpse of an enormous and exquisite model of an M.F. Horn standing at the opposite end of the main hall inside. "They look closed, but I'm definitely coming back here tomorrow"

Steve and the two puzzled men got back into the car and continued driving when suddenly Steve shouted again,

"WHOA! Pull over, pull over!"

The driver again pulled over and Steve again leapt out and raced up to yet another funny looking stone building very similar though not identical to the first. It had a similar steeple also marked, upside down "Vincent Bach Corp 3C".

"Check it out, man, they must have competing museums around here!"

"What are you talking about?", shouted the driver over the traffic noise as he stood by his open car door. "It is a church, it has been there 600 years"

Jim had a puzzled look on his face. He looked at the strange looking building, and could faintly see two more somewhat like it far down the wide, ruler straight boulevard. Suddenly, he realized what had happened. He sighed and rubbed his eyes with one hand in disgust. He glanced over at the church and saw Steve, rigid, slowly turning around with a very scared look on his face.

"Oh, F@#k."






4. Why I should get this award

Because, damnit, I've never won anything in my whole life. Every single time my raffle ticket has been one or two numbers off, and its the same with lotto tickets, drawings, sweepstakes, etc. If someone secretly drops a hotdog on the floor, it ends up in my bun, and if I'm low on gas there are never any places to buy fuel within 50 miles. The gods owe me, and they owe me big. That's why I'm going to win!

trptbenge

1. As we all know Eclipse is already a great trumpet but I would add a few options. These options woulld be a tuning Bell trumpet and a screw bell trumpet where you can change the bell flare. I would like to see a tuning bell with a screw bell option on it. One more bell option could be a Berylium bell trumpet. The tuning/screwbell option could have a special designed case to take the horn and the options with you..

2. Celebrity Theme Trumpets - you could have the picture of your favorite celebrity on the bell of your horn through the magic of hi-tech lacquering techniques. This could range from your favorite player to someone like Britney Spears. A medallon of their logo or initials could be attached to the the bracing. You could carry the theme to American theme, British Theme, etc. The opportunities are endless.

3. Michael was out running some errands in his new car. He had picked up his trumpet from Rich Ita's repair shop in Marietta Georgia. He felt really good because his trumpet looked fabulous and he was wearing his brand new Ralph Lauren blue sweatshirt. He stopped at Wendy's and picked up a single burger with cheese, coke and fries. Unfortunately, he wasn't paying attention when he was eating and he dripped ketchup all over the front of his new sweatshirt. He turned the car around and headed home to change before making any other stops.

4. I should win this contest because I would really appreciate the horn and be a great advertisement for Eclipse trumpets. Thank you for even giving us the opportunity to enter a contest for a chance to win a fabulous instrument.

Mike Ackerman

__________________
It's the sound that makes the difference!

djm6701

1. Tell us how you would improve a trumpet with a new feature or design.

-Medium heavy red bell
-matching red brass leadpipe
-1st and 3rd valve trigger – why every horn does not have these I’ll never know. I have never been able to operate ‘standard’ tuning slides properly.
-plain old water keys, not the Amado ones. – it’s too easy to empty the Amados all over your own hand when you’re in a rush.
-heavy bracing in the normal positions but it should be adjusted before installed by leigh playing the horn and testing out different positions to best match this specific horn.

As for the finish:
-plain lacquer finish on the red brass bell and matching leadpipe. I love the contrasting look this would have against the rest of the horn. This would also show off the engraving (see below)
-unlacquered scratch gold on the rest of the horn except for regular gold finish on the valve caps and bottoms, the valve buttons, the mouthpiece receiver and the tuning slides.
-bell engraving as described under #2


2. Give us a theme for a trumpet!

Jazz history

I am imagining the bell engraved with images and likenesses from the history of Jazz. Likenesses of players like Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Harry James, Cat Anderson, Jonah Jones and Thad Jones would be engraved into the bell along with music staffs with the heads from tunes like All Blues, Autumn Leaves, Caravan, Giant Steps, I Got Rhythm, Night in Tunisia, Satin Doll, Take the A Train, etc. There would be maybe 3 or 4 of these staffs and they would wrap around the bell surrounding the likenesses. The engraving would extend from the tip of the bell flare right back along the throat but stop before the tuning crook.


3. (back to school time!) Write a short story using each of the following at least once.

A. A TYPE OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
B. A COUNTRY OR CITY
C. A FORM OF TRANSPORT
D. AN ITEM OF CLOTHING
E. A FOOD

It started in the usual spot. Well, perhaps not just there. Perhaps it started back in the little mining town when Dad brought home the Boss Brass records, with Arnie’s big fat rich trumpet sound leading the band, each time he went south to Toronto on business. Maybe it started with being wowed by the pro players that came each year to judge the local jazz festival. It could have been hearing Alan Vizzutti and Conte Condoli dueling it out on the Jazz Ensemble sample tapes. Part of it was definitely born later when sitting next to Arnie in a section at university, being blown away from hearing your hero ‘live’, sitting right beside you playing the same chart. Or four years of wonderment playing in the lab bands with Phil Nimmons, who had this habit of changing the roadmap for the chart on the stage during the concert. Another piece of it definitely came out of the frustration we all experience with this piece of brass we love, then boarding the plane to Chicago, wondering around that amazing city, eating lunch in the Fine Arts Building, (where the waitress, upon hearing your request for a fruit salad, replied with, “Are you sure? Ya know I gotta cut all that up!”), meeting the kind stranger in the line at the ticket window that gave away his extra ticket, being overwhelmed by the immense warm sound of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra washing over you, and topping that all off the next day sitting outside the master’s studio, listening to him playing his tuba (not even your own instrument!) for the student before you. Entering the small cramped room, filled with odd equipment, and having that gentle old man in his neat dress shirt and pressed grey dress pants show you how to finally make music with this instrument. Probably most of it came from there, but there was still more, still more recordings of the masters, still more sounds implanted in the brain, more songs listened to over and over again, the voices of Ella and Sarah added to the mix, the wisdom of another old master, who last summer, at the moment we were both to fly back to our respective home towns, added profound inspiration with “Each person has the right note for them in them; they just need to hear it to know what to do.” All those influences, in there together, racing down the seventh cranial nerve, reaching the lips, mixing with the rush of air and out they go! No longer under anyone’s control, flying through the ringing bell, over the pages with Trumpet 1 neatly stenciled at the top, across the tops of the trombone and sax sections and out into the audience, confident and yet hopeful for their appreciation.

4. And last but not least!

Apart from your brilliant answers to the above, please tell us just why you feel that you should win this contest.

Well, I may not be the world’s greatest player, but I deserve this horn because I love the music. I play because I love the instrument, the sound of the notes (well, most of them <grin>), and the complex intricacies and creativity of Jazz. This instrument is not an end in itself; it’s a tool for that which I love to do best.

Dave Malysh
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

ponce

1. Tell us how you would improve a trumpet with a new feature or design


I would like to see an Eclipse that uses the standard Large Red bell. Having heard sound clips of this instrument, it made me think that Eclipse has the capability of producing the finest symphonic trumpet the world has ever known. The trumpet should use heavy slide rings and pinky hook. These heavy hooks and rings should be smoothed completely so as to feel great in the hand. In order to have a bit more resistance than the Large Red is used to, I envision a judicious use of heavy bracing. Not the extra heavy thick sheet bracing we have seen on other instruments, but a robust heavy bracing that is a bit more classic in appearance, just thicker. There should be a set of heavy valve caps, but it should also come with a standard set of valve caps. I’d like to see an oversized heavy mouthpiece receiver which will offer a superlative fit and reduce the gap that can sometimes present intonation problems. The inside surfaces of the entire trumpet shall be highly polished and deburred to a hitherto unexisting degree. This will make each note as smoothe as silk, and the intonation will be spot on. The trumpet shall be finished in highly polished gold plate, with contrasting slides and trim in Scratch Gold. The inside of the bell should also be in Scratch Gold. I would like to see an engraving on the narrow portion of the bell. This engraving shall depict a white-gloved hand holding a baton which will invoke the symphonic nature of the this Eclipse.


2. Give us a theme for a trumpet

Let me introduce the Orchestral Sole Heir Eclipse. I envision this trumpet as being the sole heir to all the previous symphonic trumpets that came before it. The sound shall be dark and sonorous, and capable of a huge amount of volume. The response shall permit even a whisper to be played with the confidence of a louder passage. It shall be stoic in appearance offering great visual beauty. The eye-catching contrasting gold will make all who see it want to know more about it. The idea is to show the trumpet world that Eclipse is as serious about entering the symphonic market as they are about penetrating the jazz/commercial market. Sole Heir should be engraved on the front of the bell, but on the inside of the bell at the widest part the engraving shall read Soul Air with “soul” across the top of the bell and “air” across the bottom. This play on words will illustrate that although the Orchestral Sole Heir Eclipse is a serious symphonic trumpet, it has a lighter side as well, and any jazz solo artist would be proud to play it, much as many of them have always played trumpets that were designed primarily for use in a symphony because of their dark, warm sound.


3. Food Story


Andre, my out of town guest from Dallas Texas, was a portly man. And he was hungry. It was 1:00PM and we were taking in some of the flavor of Manhattan’s Greenwich Village.

“Where y’all fixin’ to take me fer lunch?” Andre enquired. I knew Andre was a meat&potatoes kinda guy, and it was precisely because of this that I wanted him to try some Sushi, which he had never tried before. This was the mid 1980s and the sushi wildfire hadn’t yet swept the rest of the nation as it had New York.

“I was thinkin’ we’d do Japanese so that you could try Sushi. I just love the stuff.”

“Sushi!?!” In Texas we call that bait, but Hell, I’ll try anything once. I was kinda hopin’ that we could go to an all-you-can-eat buffet, though, seein’ as I’m powerful hungry. I don’t suppose they got sushi at any buffets now do they?”

I guess Andre lucked out. Not only did such a place exist, but we were less than three blocks from it – an all-you-can-eat Japanese sushi bar. I’d never been, and I doubted the quality could match some of the better places I was thinking of taking Andre, but he compromised for me by agreeing to sushi in the first place, it was the least I could do to grant him his choice of venue.

We arrive, and before we are even seated, hungry Andre goes up to the food bar to survey the kind of damage he plans on doing.

“Let’s order drinks and get seated first, Andre.”

“Oh don’t worry, I’m just scoping things out. Y’all get seated and order me a beer. Do they got Lone Star in this place?”

After seating myself I ordered Andre a Sapporo beer. I was sure he’d enjoy the oversized silver can it came in. I glanced over at the food bar and sure enough, Andre was already loading up.
“Looky here” Andre says, “they not only got the raw fish stuff, they got all kinds of Teriyaki and Tempura and Chicken Katsu too!”

“How’d you know the name of all these things, Andre?” I was genuinely curious.

“It says so right by the food!”

Sure enough, I looked and could make out small labels next to everything. One thing I failed to catch when I surveyed the platters of food that Andre arrived with was several small mounds of wasabi that was hiding behind a mountain of sushi and escaped my view. I showed Andre how sushi is eaten, how you dip it in the small soy sauce bins and mix a bit of wasabi in with it, and layer some ginger on top.

“Y’all call that wasabi in New York? We call it guacamole in Texas, I just can’t get enough of the stuff!”

And with those last words he proceeded to lob a large forkfull of the fiery paste into his gullet. It was too late. I didn’t see it coming, didn’t even know he had any on his plate. Andre proceeded to turn several shades of crimson and started grabbing his throat and his eyes were bugging out. He couldn’t talk, he could only sit there and gag. I tried to calmly tell him that it’d all be over in less than twenty seconds, but I think he heard me the wrong way and thought he’d be dead in twenty seconds. He began to catch his breath and said “dat ain’t guacamole, is it?”

“Nope. That’s wasabi, a Japanese variety of horseradish, and I really wish I would have seen that you had some on your plate, I’d have given you a heads up. Andre expressed his doubts, saying “I bet you'da gone right on let me thinkin’ it was guacamole, wouldn’t ya!” I showed him how little one was supposed to take, and I finally got him to agree that had I known, I would not have let him cause harm to himself in that manner. Andre said that in spite of the pain, it actually tasted kinda good and that he liked horseradish. He began to construct the sushi in the manner I had shown him, and even took a bit of wasabi in the proper dosage.

“You know what?” says Andre. “This sushi tastes pretty damn good, and my sinuses ain’t never been so clear! I like it! When I get back to Texas I’m gonna find me a sushi place, and then…” Andre proceeds to lean in close and with a Texas-sized twinkle in his eye says “I’m gonna pull the same guacamole stunt with a friend of mine as you done pulled with me!”


4. Why I deserve to win.


I am a comeback player, and being one provides me with two goals. There is the goal we all share of improving our playing, and there is the secondary goal of eclipsing where we once were. How better for me to eclipse my erstwhile level of playing than with an Eclipse in hand? Each time I hoist my Eclipse, the goal will literally be right there in front of me.

trumpetpimp

Disclaimer: I intentionally didn’t read any other entries before completing mine so as not to stifle creativity and get hung up on anyone else’s good ideas. My apologies if I’m stepping on anyone’s toes.

1. Innovation - The basic goal is to be able to use mouthpieces with different shanks(trumpet, flugel, even cornet) on the same trumpet. This can be done using a system similar to interchangeable leadpipes. There would be short adapters(1.5” to 2” long) that would fit in the end of the leadpipe. Only a very small amount of the adapter would come out of the leadpipe(0.5”). The adapters would be held in place using the same type of tuning bit screw found on the leadpipes of flugels and piccolos. Although the shanks of flugel and cornet mouthpieces are shorter their cup size is generally larger so I don’t think the adapters will need to be different lengths to compensate for tuning. I imagine the larger cup volume will cancel any serious intonation issues caused by the shorter shank.

The gap would be contained in the adapter(adjusted to GR mouthpieces) and the inside at the end of the adapter would fit flush to the rest of the leadpipe. The design of having the adapters fit inside the leadpipe(instead of just screwing on an entire mouthpiece receiver to the lead pipe) preserves the first leadpipe brace to give stability to horn. I realize that adapters exist for these mouthpieces to fit in trumpet mouthpipes but they can’t possibly have the same quality as they could if they were built into the trumpet with this specific purpose in mind.

2. Theme/design - The theme for the trumpet is be “the chameleon” inspired by the ability to change mouthpieces because the horn can “change its colours”. We could continue this by using a medium red brass bell. It seems that the material of a bell affects sound in the low register at lower dynamics and the shape affects it in the higher register at higher dynamics. The red brass would give it a round warm sound in the lower registers especially when flugel or cornet mouthpieces are used. The medium size of the bell would give projection and brilliance to the sound when played in the upper register. Overall, this horn will have a great combination of richness of overtones and clear brilliance to its sound and will be playable in almost any situation.

The horn would have a matte/satin silver finish all over the horn except the mouthpiece receiver, the inside of the bell, the bell crook/tuning slide, and all the valve slides which would all have normal, polished silver plate. The matte finish could conceivably be replaced by a scratch finish if its easier but matte is preferred.

To go along with the chameleon theme there would be small silver plated chameleons attached to the inside of the leadpipe crook and bell crook laying on the tubing as if it were on the branch of a tree.

Additional design features would include a slightly more ovate tuning slide to make for an exceptionally free blowing horn. Normal bell bracing and amado water keys would be used. The first valve slide would have a ring instead of a saddle but the pinky ring on the leadpipe would be a normal “c” hook and not a ring.

With mouthpiece options and the bell that was chosen this horn will be a true chameleon that will be able to scream a lead chart, blow a beautiful ballad, and blend with any orchestral/legit section. The visual design is intended to be beautiful and eye catching but not so unorthodox that it will upset purists.

3. Story - [yes, it’s an epic limerick!]

Brad was a guy from Toronto,
He played every week at a jazz show.
He played pretty well,
They thought he was swell.
The trumpet was the horn he did blow.

Before the show he liked to eat,
Tonight he had chosen a treat.
He ordered some wings,
And liquor and things.
And told them, “Don’t skip on the heat.”

He ordered them spicy and hot,
But chefs can hear that quite a lot.
The chef at a loss,
He grabbed the hot sauce,
And with this he thickened the plot.

The chef took the hot sauce too far,
He practically emptied the jar.
When Brad took a bite,
He saw bright white light,
The wings were much hotter than par.

Brad scrambled and grabbed for his drink,
He thought it would help him, I think.
He drank with great haste,
Made a mess with great waste,
What follows for Brad here will stink.

He thought he was in the clear,
He’d drowned out the taste with his beer.
Brad had to confess,
His suit was a mess,
He was soaked from his head to his rear.

Brad knew that he had to go change,
He knew that his house was in range.
He looked for his car,
He looked near and far.
He knew it was gone. How strange.

Then when he looked down the road,
He thought he was going to explode.
He’d taken great care,
“It was legal!”, he’d swear.
But his car now was being towed.

He decided he’d just have to run,
Not something he does just for fun.
When he saw a young tike,
He borrowed his bike.
This saved him from being outdone.

The show was performed with no hitch,
Brad got home and changed every stitch.
He played really well,
They thought he was swell,
And nobody noticed the switch.

4. Why should I win.

First off, I’m pretty proud of my entry. I think my innovation and design are good and useful ideas and well within the abilities of modern trumpet building. Besides, who the heck uses an epic limerick as their story component! There’s gotta be bonus points for originality.
You might call me great advertising. I play a lot of different types of music in a lot of different places. Brass quintet, big band, concert band, brass band, orchestra, church choir, and about a dozen outside gigs a season. I study with a member of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra(Jim Spragg) at a university with about 50 other brass students. I play a lot of classical music but I’m really a jazzer trapped in a classical program. I also study with some working jazz musicians in Toronto and practice my jazz and lead chops quite a lot. Basically, a lot of people are going to see the kind of trumpets that Eclipse makes and I’m the kind of guy who’s more than happy to let them play my horn(as long as I can play theirs). I can’t begin to claim that my endorsement would be as useful Wynton’s or Phil Smith’s would but a lot of people are going to see and notice this trumpet. I’ll do my best to make it sound good.
Aside from all that, I wake up and go to bed thinking about the trumpet and music in general. I’m really excited about the specs and design I’ve come up with because it’s probably about the best horn I could play to get that wonderful sound in my head coming out of my bell.

__________________
For sale:
Courtois 154 flugel
http://www.trumpetherald.com/marketp...detail&id=5375

Kanstul 1500 Bb copper bell
http://www.trumpetherald.com/marketp...detail&id=7504

chops1

Ok. Waited till the last minute on this.

New Design.

I would have a new type leadpipe. A reverse stepbore intergrated in to the horn. It would start at Large bore and then get smaller. Down to a smaller bore. This would happen gradually through the horn then on the first valve the horn would open back up again. Like on the normal design of the eclipse. The bell of the horn would compliment this by having a larger bell diameter. 5 1/4 In. Made out of red brass. The bell would have a slow taper to the throat then get big.
The concept behind this is that the air will move faster and more efficently through the horn with less effort because of the leadpipe getting smaller. The horn is not designed to be a lead horn or a classical horn but one I will take to any job I have to do.

The Theme:
The theme behind the horn: Helios;HELIOS was the all-seeing god of the sun. He was also, by extension, the god of the gift of sight and of the measurement of time (the time goddesses - the twelve sister Hours, the goddesses Day, Month and Year, and the three sisters called Seasons - were said to attend his throne). The finish on the horn would be a Satin Scratch type with a dark yellow red hugh to it fading from the bell through the horn to the mouthpiece receiver. It would be a complement to the red brass bell. Some thing you would have to look twice at because you really couldn't tell what color it was. The bracing on it would sun shaped with flames, in between the leadpipe and bell and would ad to the stability of sound to the horn. On the back tuning slide there would be helios in a Chairot and the leapipe curve would be a rooster"His sacred bird was the rooster which heralded the sun's rising each morn."

My story,
Well, we finally were in downtown Japan. Stages and I had only one day off so we had to make the most of it. Luckly we had learded to use the subway system in Korea so getting around was not going to be much of problem. First on the menu for the was the Tokyo art museum. We had are map and jumped on the Subway. We were in search of the Sunflower painting by Van Gogh.
After the museum it we got back on our transportation for the day and at the subway station there were a couple of kids playing some Clifford Brown. One was playing a xylophone and the other an old trumpet. We stopped to talk them being trumpet players ourselves. Nice kids. I gave them some yen and requested Joyspring. They did a pretty good job on it.
Well we were back on our way. The next stop was Charlie's Gioza. It was Nov.25th so Stages and I wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving at this famous restraunt. We got there and ordered the steamed and fried gioza. Man, there were better then what we had heard.
Back on the subway and to the hotel. We had to get our Dress Blues ready for the Budokan Festival and my shoes still needed to be shined.

Reason Why I deserve to win.
Well, if my idea for the horn is doable and could make a great horn then why not. There are lots of great idea's here so competition is going to good. Just happy to get the chance to maybe get a custom horn made for me.

Jason Bemis
professorHN@cox.net

annagrl007

Anna Bittman

1. The new feature I would add to the trumpet would be exchangeable lead pipes, which would allow the trumpet to make a different sound/tone for playing different types of music. If current technology is not capable of this, I would improve the trumpet by making the third valve slide easier to move, maybe by making the slide a little wider than the tubing it slides over, so it would move more smoothly.

2. The theme for my trumpet would be clouds, a mixture of silver and sky blue (a little lighter then that blue, more like the blue in the sky on a nice summer day), maybe even a little gold. All these colors artistically sprayed on the trumpet, even inside the bell, not in any particular design. To spread the theme to the design of the trumpet, the ring on the third and first valve slides would be cloud shaped, maybe even made of hammered (I think that is what it is called) brass, a distressed look. Then, of course to add to this, I am sure trumpet would have a tone that is absolutely "heavenly."

3. Jane couldn't decide what to do. She had been trying to break into the music industry for some time, but it was always the same, she had played hours at time on her SAXOPHONE with many different bands, none of them ever 'made it'. She had even moved to LOS ANGELES, where everyone in the music industry lived. Jane still hadn't found a band that was going somewhere, until now. The band she plays with now is doing decently, but Jane doesn't like the music they were playing, kind of jazzy pop. And to add to that, she didn't get to take any solos. She couldn't believe herself, there had been a time she wouldn't have taken a solo for all the money in the world, but now she wanted to leave because she wasn't soloing. Jane couldn't leave. This job is her only job with a steady source of income and she could never possible even think about selling her CAR. Another thing she couldn't stand was the clothing they made her wear, tight black SHIRTS, and jeans; she was a sweatpants and t-shirts kind of g