Schwab

I played one of Felix's prototype California horns built by Eclipse with the exact same finish for two years and it still looked new when I traded it in on a different model.

This horn and my horn were made at exactly the same time, with the same finish, and mine held up great. Different people react differently with different finishes, and this person obviously wore through silver plate quickly.

Felix's horns are fantastic, the build quality is excellent and if there is a problem with them, he makes it right, and that is pretty much all there is to it.

The OP has bad mouthed the horns before, more on TH. I don't know what his motive is or even if he has ever seen one of the horns in person.

65Strad

I looked at those pictures and like everyone else say "acidic hands/sweat etc." Doesn't matter what brand the horn is, it can happen to any horn, although less likely with gold plating

To me it make a logical case for a small investment to protect the big investment.

Leather Specialties valve guards. They work. Got em on all my horns except the picc which will come later.

bachstrad72

My only problem with that is the effect that they have on the sound of the horn. Maybe you don't have that problem, but anytime I have used them, the resonance, projection, and sound are all adversely effected.

flugelgirl

I've known players so acidic they eat away their mouthpiece plating, and their horns form the inside out as well! I would never knock a horn with a good rep until I tried it, and I have not had the opportunity to try a Stage One. I wonder if the infamous op has?

65Strad

Perry. No problem what so ever on either Bb trumpet of Bb cornet or the C. this protects the valve case but doesn't affect the sound adversley at all. My son was a trumpet performance major and has pretty near perfect pitch and an incredible ear and he agrees. The horn are spared from the ravages of handling. Best $20.oo or so bucks for each one that I've spent.

bachstrad72

That is so weird. Maybe it was just me having a lightweight horn, but whenever I would put one on, the sound absolutely lost a lot of high's, and the projection in one of the halls that I played in was significantly altered. This was especially true of the valve guards that made contact with the bell.
I have perfect pitch as well, and noticed no effect on the pitch either, but absolutely noticed it in tone color. It made the tone duller. I did this test on a Bach 72*, 37LR, 229/25A, and a 239 Eb/D, in a practice room, a recital hall, a rehearsal hall, and a concert hall, and noticed the amount of effect to the sound increased with the size of the room.
The amount of effect that I felt in terms of making the horn less alive and responsive obviously was the same regardless of the space, as this really would not be variable.
I also noticed that the effect on response was most evident in the lower and upper registers, and with the afore mentioned guards that made contact with the bell.
Glad to hear that they work for some, but they mess me up every time that I try one.

Ray Vega

OK.....all that I can see from the pics is a horn that's in really crappy shape......The acid levels in the sweat of the person that owns this horn, must be really high.
I've seen this a lot.....on all makes.....

Maybe we should start a thread on how we should take care of our horns individually.

I know some folks that clean their horns once a year.
I'm talking about people that have allowed their horns to become Bio-Hazardous....Take a hard look at the stuff that comes out when you run a brush through your trumpet.

The manufacturers have no control over what the consumer does once he/she purchases a trumpet. That horn just looks as if the owner never really took care of it.
RV

65Strad

Perry, I cant say but all but my Bach Chicago C are standard weight bells, and the Bach Chicago has a standard weight body and all nickel receiver slides and the color isn't affected.

It could be what you suggested on yours.

xtrumpetxmanx

Alright, I just posted up on trumpet herald too,
I am the owner of this "infamous" Cali that was up on eBay.
I'll just put a few things out there;
This horn was fantastic to me. I have had few problems with it (the 1st slide ring popped off on me twice, but that's just solder). As for the finish, it's probably a combination of acidic hands (I won't deny that), but the finish is so thin, I took it for an ultrasonic cleaning, and the silver was flaking away like cigarette paper. I have no problems with this trumpet, I have no problems with Felix and I have no problems with anything else.
As for who's building them now, I don't care. Mine was made by Eclipse.
And for anyone out there, it's STILL for sale because $550 just doesn't do this horn justice (Anderson quoted $350 on replate in bright silver).
I have nothing but respect for Felix Vayser and his company because these are excellent horns.

jazz9

I certainly don't doubt they are great horns. I just wish I can afford one before I get too old to care. :)