Manny Laureano

Erik,

The way I have seen it work is like so:

The horn is built, adjusted, plated, adjusted and then one of two things happens. He either sends it to you with his final adjustment based on everything he knows about your playing (this is why they make you fill out a massive questionaire about yourself, even who your favorite players and recordings are!) or you come to pick up the horn which is the best scenario. It is at your playtest that he can see how you use your body when playing and he makes the final adjustments based on information he gathers watching and hearing you play. So, if you pick up the horn the final adjustments are specific to you but if you can't do that because you live too far away or whatever, he has to make a subjective call and make the horn play maximally to his standards (which are pretty high, higher than mine.''

Anyway, good question I think.

ML

Veldkamp

Okay, than we are on the same wavelength... (is this proper english?)

The adjustments I said before are only done before plating of course, you're not going to change the receiver or brace or whatever if you horn is already goldplated. The only adjustments that are left after plating are tiny inside adjustments like scraping on slides on the inside. Maybe he tries to changes some nodes (wave pattern) to get a better response of some notes for your playing style or mpc combination. Schilke did a lot of research on this topic.

You can also scrape the inside of the receiver, so that your mpc goes further in. That probably gives it a little more resistance.

Before plating, you can change/adjust everything on a horn.

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Manny Laureano

Erik,

Your english is fine...

Let's say it this way: the major adjustments are done as part of the process of building the instrument and the fine adjustments are done after plating with the player present. The reason the fine adjustments are able to be done after plating is because those things are done internally and have a great effect on the pitch center of the horn, much more than you might suspect based on the way most people make instruments.


Later,

ML

R.A.S.

Erik

I hope you don't feel like you would have to completely understand the details of Monette's design before you would buy one of his horns.

If you like a horn, buy that horn. I think that too many people have wasted too much time trying to make their own horns play like Monettes.
One guy I know re-designed his own whole horn, but the end result showed so much influence of Monette ideas.....he might as well have gone to the "master".

If you like Bachs, play them. You might like a custom leadpipe or bell, but generally most things are the same. My old 37 with a 43 leadpipe played so well - until I tried and bought my New York Callet. My old 229 C with the H leadpipe satisfied me for years, as well. Then I played my Callet C (rose brass bell and big .468 bore). This has been my C for about 15 years now. I'll probably play on it until I can afford a Prana C.

Again, if you love Yamahas, don't worry about undertstanding the details of their horn design! Just buy one and play it.

Mouthpieces can be the same game. Don't try to be Reeves or Curry and start sanding and drilling at home.

I say all of this because I was one who tried for many years to be a "trumpet designer" and "repairman" - when what I am best at is being a trumpet player.

BflatAnklan

Well said,

I played that game a few times myself.



I lost.



:)

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Matthew Anklan

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Veldkamp

I think you guys are misunderstanding me. I'm not trying to buy or adjust any instrument. I just like to explain or understand some things about the way a horn functions.

I already played a Monette B993 for half a year and decided that's it wasn't the horn for me. Not because I didn't like the horn, just because I didn't play enough on it for my leadwork to justify it. I would like to play the newer lighter MF horn but the price is to high for me.

Because I'm testing a lot of horns lately for a manufacturer and writing reviews in brass magazines about other horns, I just want to gather information. It's just a hobby.

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BflatAnklan

If you purchased your horn from Dave, you can trade it in for an MF (or whatever else you like). They don't loose their value if you're the original owner - even if it has been several years.

Hope you didn't sell it!

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Matthew Anklan

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Veldkamp

I sold it a year ago (I bought it second hand), but the price of a new MF horn is to high for me. I think a new MF horn costs around 10K, and I have to pay 25% extra for customs and shipping...

And I should probably try it out first before buying, so a trip to Portland costs me a few grand extra.

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BflatAnklan

25% - wow!

Well, maybe in the next couple of years one will turn up used in your area? In the mean time, the 6310Z and 8310Z are pretty nice lead horns. If you can find the 63, I'd opt for that one because it has a better "lead sound."

I got the chance to play an early Chicago Monette, #569, on a gig a few months ago. (I'm a lead player too) It was really nice. At first I was so shocked by the feel of the horn that whatever I played was terribly out of time - the initial feel was so distracting because it felt SO good! Thank God it wasn't a real high dollar gig! But after getting over the initial feel, it was a very versital horn with a very powerful upper end. Going bac(h) to my horn was a real bummer. Here I thought I had a great horn, and it is pretty nice, but compared to the Chicago Monette...well...it dosn't compare.

Ever since then I've been searching for that feel. Changing to Monette mouthpieces several years ago changed my playing ten fold. Putting a Monette mouthpiece into one of his horns makes me wonder how far out of the "box" I'll be able to grow once I get one.

That adjusting he does to his horns and mouthpieces...amazing. The man is a genious.

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Veldkamp

The feel you got with the Monette is probably the same feel I got when I got my goldplated Bach Mt.Vernon. I've played dozens of fine horns ever since (including the B993) but nothing compares with my Bach (for me). It's much heavier compared to every normal weight horn I've played and has the extra edge and stays very fat in the upper register. It has to do with the goldplating I think, it's a thick layer of gold.

I thought Dave started out with Bach conversions before he builded his first Chicago models.

I tested the Yamaha 8310Z last week, it is also a fine leadhorn and classical horn to. I almost bought it, but because I have to test a lot of horns now for some brass magazines I'll have no urge to buy another horn.

I'm now testing a Bach VBS, it's only available in Europe. It has a realy big fat sound too, and the price is the same as the 8310Z.

I'll probably test a Taylor next week...

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