Trumpet guy

Which is better (for lack of a better word)? Both are said to have superb focus and projection. Is the silver in sterling bells softer and easier to dent than copper, or is it the other way around? What about the difference in power and flexibility of tone quality?

__________________


Daniel Lan
------------------------------------
Bach Strad Bb 37
Bach TR300 (marching)
Berkeley Cornet
Berkeley Picc
Jupiter JST314 Soprano Trombone
Olds Ambassador Fullerton Trombone

Al Innella

copper is a darker sound silver brighter

Sterling

I have a Sterling bell Bach 43, a Schertzer piccolo with a sterling bell and leadpipe and a King Silvertone b flat from 1938 with a sterling bell. I don't know if they sound brighter, but they seem to project better and are richer in overtones.

I guess that you can infer from my screen name that I like sterling bells!

max3k

I own several silver trumpets as well as a Custom Stage 1 California with the rimless copper bell. To me, the copper bell has more range of colors. Depending on what type of mouthpiece you are using, it can go from bach like classical, to screaming lead, to almost flugel like. It really is a better option in my opinion.

Hope this helps.

__________________
Jesus Christ is Lord!

Stage 1 California Custom - Now Here!
Benge 90B
Yamaha YTR-232S

ertatta

trust me, there is a reason 90% of professional players out there choose standard yellow brass belled horns. in my experience, sterling lights up(sizzles) to quickly in reference to the dynamics one plays with and copper seems to do just the opposite. i think u will find most players willing to mess with weight of a yellow brass bell or gold brass before moving on to these other materials.

Sterling

ertatta has the basic premise correct about bell materials. I agree with him about copper and sterling. I like them both, but also like my brass and gold brass bells for different occasions.

Vulgano Brother

Yup. A sterling bell doesn't "break up" at high volumes, letting you get the same sound at different dynamics; the copper bell gives a bunch of colors, from sweet to downright nasty. I like colors.

__________________
www.letsbuildhope.org

rowuk

I don't think it makes any sense to speculate. You have to play the horn and everybody plays and hears differently. Just try the things and tell US what YOU think.

__________________
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

roel

Copper may have more colors then silver, I don't know that, but I do know that yellow brass has much more colors than copper, or goldbrass. Yellow brass is the most toneflexible material IMHO.
I own a medium-weight yellow brass Van Laar B7, and I play from lead in a bigband to smallgroup jazz, and I get allways the sound I want, within my own limitations.

Indian

Look at my signature and you will see I like a bright sounding trumpets. Sometimes I do go to the dark side. For those times I go to my Coprion bells. Otherwise my favorite horns are the SilverTone King Liberties I have. The sound of the solid silver versus silverplate is also noticable. The SilverTone can really belt out the sound and remain crytal clear, I think to a better degree than the Coprion. I remain a closet practitioner of the dark side, that's where I keep my Conns ... LOL

__________________
Rob,
King Liberty SilverTone (3)
King Liberty (7) Super 20 (2)
Conn Vocabell 40A - Conn 80A (6) - Conn 81A (1) - 22B - 4B Symphony
Conn 16B (Coprion Bell)
Holton French LeBlanc (1) - Al Hirt 550
Olds Studio (1) - Special (1)