Clarino

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

Plated Valve Slides
I have never found a trumpet with valve slide action I was completely happy with. Plating the first and third valve slides in the same material as the valves themselves would make the slides much faster and smoother.


2) Give us a theme for a trumpet!

The Ace of Hart’s (The Ace of Hearts, get it?)
This, of course is a play on words, my family name being Hart. This trumpet would be the ace up my sleeve I need to give me an edge in the professional music world. The Ace would be heavier than most Eclipses produced to date and would possess a rich, dark sound but retain the ability to open up and set the room on fire when needed.
The trumpet would have a Medium Large-Large bore lead pipe, if possible plated on the inside to reduce corrosion in the long term. I anticipate using this trumpet for the rest of my career/life, so this is an important concern for me.
The Ace would have sheet bracing as the White Lightening but would have more of it. The bracing at the front bow would be in the design of the Ace of Hearts possibly using a gem such as a ruby or a garnet in the shape of a heart, cost permitting.
The designs cut into the rest of the bracing would be decided later upon consultation with Leigh and an artist. There would also be sheet bracing between the bell and the lead pipe with an appropriate musical quote engraved or cut into it.
The Ace would be finished in brushed gold with bright gold highlights. The most distinctive part of this would e a “Diamond Ring” pattern in bright gold around the bell, such as you would see immediately prior to and following a solar eclipse, with three bright gold shafts of light stretching down the inside and outside of the bell which would catch the light during performances.

3) 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

Bert wanted to be a musician. He had always loved music, ever since he was two when his mother had given him a miniature glockenspiel and he had, from memory played the first few bars from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. He had the passion for it, and when he was old enough he began to take trumpet lessons. He was now twenty-two and attempting to make a career playing trumpet. The trouble was, Bert wasn’t too bright. His first good gig came performing in a musical at the Crucible theatre in Sheffield. It was quite surprising to him that he had got the gig, having not done this type of work before, but he resolved not to mess it up. Having saved up some money from his day job as a temp in a solicitors office he bought a brand new Bach Stradivarius trumpet believing as many do in the mystical “Bach sound” which would gain him instant respect as a serious trumpeter. He also bought a new suit costing far more than it was worth. He arrived in Sheffield full of confidence and walked the short distance from the station to the Royal Victoria Hotel where he had booked a room for the fortnight. Unfortunately the musical director for the show phoned him that evening and told him that emergency repairs were being done to the theatre and there was nowhere available for a rehearsal at such short notice. They would have to perform the first night of the show unrehearsed. Eager to make a good impression and possibly secure future bookings Bert told the MD that this was no problem at all as he was such an amazing sight reader that he could cope with a small problem like this easily. In fact Bert had acquired his part several weeks earlier and had been practicing it every waking hour. He was so pleased with himself that he left the hotel rather later than he should have in order to make it to the Crucible in plenty time for the show, thinking to himself “I’ll get the Supertram (a relatively recent development in Sheffield at the time) to the theatre to save time.” not realising that the Supertram does not take you close enough to the Crucible to save any time at all. In the end Bert got horribly lost and managed to end up at the Meadowhall shopping centre four times, in spite of getting trams going in opposite directions on two consecutive occasions. By the time he finally found the theatre it was passed midnight and the show was long finished or cancelled. Dejected, he got himself a kebab and went back to his hotel, where there was a message from a livid MD informing him that he was fired and would never work in Sheffield again. Poor Bert ate his kebab, packed his bags, and left on the next train out of Sheffield. “Sod them!” he thought. Sheffield didn’t have enough work for a gifted musician like him, anyway. He never returned to the city, not that anyone noticed.

4) Please tell us just why you feel that you should win this contest

I am a student. I intend to play the trumpet for a living. Unfortunately the equipment I currently have is hampering me. I am not one to complain about my trumpet being the problem in order to excuse my not being good enough, so I am working hard at improving myself on the trumpet I have. The fact remains however, that this trumpet may never allow me to reach my full potential as a musician. Winning this competition would give me the Ace up my sleeve I need to succeed. I would not be able to afford a trumpet of this quality if I had to buy one myself.

Also, I had the idea for a bell crook tuning slide when someone first explained to me the reason for reverse lead pipes. This was about the same time as Leigh was beginning to produce his first trumpets. I therefore feel that I deserve a taste of the trumpets that were my idea but that I was unable to produce myself!

And Leigh has been trying to get me to visit the shop at Dunstable for some time, so I think this would be a perfect opportunity to do this!

Since this is likely to be one of the last posts made here I would like to take this opportunity to say Happy Birthday Leigh! And many thanks for giving us all a chance to win one of your fine trumpets! Best of luck to all my fellow entrants!

C

flumpet

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

The design and construction of many of today’s trumpets has changed little over the past century. Most changes are simply trial-and-error modifications of existing horns and designs. To achieve real advances in the playability of trumpets, we must move forward and design trumpets from the ground up. This approach allows for a designer to complete freedom. However, while current technology allows for the creation of almost anything, economics play an important role in bringing innovation to the masses affordably. Innovations must also keep the horn as aesthetically pleasing as possible.

The most important aspect of a horn’s playability is its intonation. Physicists tell us that due to its compromised design, it is impossible for a three-valve trumpet to play with perfect intonation. However, the closer one comes to perfect intonation, the more efficient a trumpeter can play and the more endurance he/she will have.

The region between the mouthpiece throat and the valve body is the most critical to intonation. This is where the most improvement can be made. The path through which the sound wave travels should be as smooth as possible.

The first step in providing a smoother path is to eliminate the mouthpiece gap. This requires integrating the backbore into the leadpipe. Different rims and cups would thread onto the integrated backbore/leadpipe. This design offers several advantages. First, the rate of taper between the throat and the leadpipe becomes constant. Few, if any, backbores have the same rate of taper as the leadpipe. Second, no one will have to worry about dropped mouthpieces and dented backbores. Third, mouthpieces would never jam into the receiver. Fourth, a supplied hose connection thread to both the backbore/leadpipe and a faucet, allowing for frequent cleaning between those more expensive professional cleanings.

The second step in smoothing the path of the sound wave is to eliminate the spit valve. Instead, a crook hinged at the end of the leadpipe would lift, allowing for the condensation/spit to empty without even blowing into the horn. To picture it, think of a dump truck unloading it contents. Something as simply as an easily replaceable rubber band could keep the crook closed. The hinge would allow for interchangeable “D’, square, or rounded crooks, depending on the players preference.

The third step in improving intonation is a redesign of the valve section. With twenty-four pairs of port alignment, there is much opportunity for the sound path to be disrupted. Valves should have both vertical and horizontal guides to allow for perfect alignment. The horizontal guides should not allow for any rotation of the valve. Contrary to popular belief, horizontal alignment is just a important and necessary as vertical alignment. This alignment should be adjustable and set before the horn is sold to the customer.

The valve section could be further improved by eliminating the “bumps” in each valve caused by the overlapping of tubes in each valve. These bumps can be eliminated if one increases the diameter of both the valves and their casings. An added benefit is a shorter valve stroke enabling faster fingering. Denis Wedgewood is the only trumpet manufacturer to accomplish this with his “ovoid” valves.

The final step in improving the path of the sound wave is the tuning slide. Like the Eclipse, the tuning slide should be located after the valve body. The Eclipse design could be improved with a reverse slide allowing for the path of the sound wave to continually expand without encountering any tubing “lips”.

A horn should be designed to cause the least tension in the body. By following ergonomic principles, this can be accomplished. The horn contacts the body through three points: the hands and the lips. The most important point of contact is the left hand. The left hand is responsible for the amount of pressure applied the between the mouthpiece and the lips. The more relaxed the left hand is, the more free the lips are to buzz and the more free the right hand is to finger the valves. This may seem to take the issue too far, but considered that most music literature and performances place the most demand on the trumpet player at the conclusion when he/she is most fatigued.

To design a trumpet that would ergonomically fit each trumpet player’s hand would be difficult. However, hand guards molded of a material such as nylon could be offered in various sizes that would increase the surface area of contact between the horn and hands. Removable finger hooks and rings could be offered in several sizes that would pivot as the fingers move the slides.

The tension under which a trumpet is constructed has an effect on its ability to project. Some individuals prefer a bell that has no "ring" when struck while others prefer a bell that has a long "ring". Some individuals may prefer each type of bell tension for different circumstances. The trumpet player should be able to dial in the amount of bell tension he/she prefers at any time. This can be accomplished by having a screw adjustment on soldered braces that would allow instant, fine-tuned bell tension.

My final area of improvement for today’s trumpet is quality control. Whether custom made or mass-produced, each horn should meet the same specifications of a prototype. As I have already mentioned, valve alignment should part of the cost of constructing the horn which saves the trumpet player time and money (shipping costs). Each horn should be compared to the prototype with acoustic pulse reflectometry. This enables the manufacturer to “see” valve misalignment, solder blobs, or any other obstruction that could cause the horn to have less than ideal intonation.

The icing on the cake would be a screw bell (a Lawler trumpet option) which would allow the horn to fit in a very small heated case which could plug into both a car cigarette lighter and 120v (or 240v in other countries) outlet.


2. Give us a theme for a trumpet!

Please envision the Mirage. The Mirage is the illusory trumpet by which all other trumpets strive to be. It continually chases perfect intonation, coming closer than any other trumpet has before. The Mirage is blanketed in a beautiful brushed gold plate, representing the sand of the desert. A large “M” in sheet brass braces the leadpipe to the tubing just past the crook and before the valve section. The valve buttons are inlaid with a deep blue stone, repesenting the illusory puddles of water in the desert. Within the inlay are the gold initials of the fortunate owner.


3. 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

As the bell rang, Jake jumped from his seat and quickly left the classroom. As he negotiated the hallway towards his locker he could feel the excitement of a new school year. Jake slipped his backpack into his locker and pulled out his trumpet case. He made his way towards the band director’s door and sat down on the bench. The next bell rang and the chaos of the hallway subsided. Jake thoughts drifted as he listened to the sounds of a trumpet within the office.

Jake was one of the poorer students at Blair High School in Charleston. His father was a railroad engineer who did his best to feed his five children. Jake had ridden on the train several times with his father growing up. His favorite memory was wearing his father’s engineer cap while tugging on the train’s horn, sending a loud blast announcing the presence of a locomotive. The thrill of making such an outburst of sound inspired him to take trumpet lessons.

The previous Christmas Jake’s father had surprised him with a trumpet. His father had found it at pawnshop and being a J.D. Winston trumpet, it was not the best of horns. Much of the lacquer had worn off and the bell resembled the texture of a golf ball with all its dents.

The quality of his first trumpet was not enough to deter Jake. He joined the high school band as a freshman the following spring. During the summer holiday, Jake found a job as a bicycle mechanic to pay for private lessons. Whenever his daily chores were finished, he would race to his room to practice, often for more than an hour at a time.

The sweat gathering on his palms interrupted Jake’s drifting thoughts. He began to feel an anxious feeling creep through his body. In only a few minutes he would audition for band. He was certain that he would be in the first section, but his goal was to become principal trumpet.

The notes Jake had heard seeping through the band director’s door had been quite impressive. He was certain that the notes were those of Paul, a senior. Paul was from a wealthy family and his father had bought him a Bach Stradivarius trumpet several years ago. Paul flaunted his bright silver horn at every opportunity, and was certain that he would be playing all the solos as principal trumpet.

The notes stopped. A few muffled words were heard and the door clicked open. Paul exited and grinned when he saw Jake and his beatened trumpet case.

The band director, mumbling as he chewed a crisp Braeburn apple, called Jake into his office. Moments later Jake shook the anxiety off his shoulders and began sight-reading a difficult passage. With nothing to lose, Jake let his beaten horn sing.

The next day, Jake made his way towards the band director’s door to see if this season’s band members had been posted. He noticed Paul at the forefront of the small crowd already scanning the list. Jake peered over several shoulders and noticed his name at the top of the trumpet section. A less confident Paul walked passed Jake. As he thought of all those hours of practicing, he couldn’t help but grin.


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.

My ideas for improving the design of the trumpet are not just a tweak here and there. The small changes combined together as a whole result in a horn that will consistently play in tune both with itself and from model to model. This enables the trumpet player to play efficiently, increasing his/her endurance. Thus, more time and energy can be focused on other aspects of trumpet playing. The horn is designed to allow for customization and can be changed easily after initial construction if the trumpet player so desires. The ideas mentioned are feasible from an economic standpoint with today’s technology.

Like everyone in this contest, I would love to win the Eclipse. I have read many good things about the Eclipse online and if I could afford one, I would have already purchased one. However, as an amateur player on a limited disposable income, I cannot justify purchasing the Eclipse. I will say that if I were to win the Eclipse, it would be put to good use as I regularly give back to the community as a member of the Washington Community Brass. Thank-you for the opportunity and thank-you to all the participants for freely sharing their ideas for improving what we all enjoy.

LeRoy Oddie

leroyoddie@hotmail.com

Anonymous

The Eclipse Trumpet Contest is now officially over!

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Thank you Leigh from Eclipse Trumpets for making this happen!