KRax!

Most horns I have tried that hadve been said to vibrate, they do not vibrate because of the sound waves but because of a sensitive valve block. It is the pushing of the valves that make them vibrate. As I have some horns hanging free on the wall I can check that easy by just pushing down a piston and then listen to the very whispering sound that action creates in the trumpet. Listen to how the energy from my finger turns into waves in the brass, when the piston hits the felt, and then I hear how this masterpiece of handcrafted brass even transform those tiny waves into sound.

As for balanced trumpets and high range. My balanced Leblanc is very easy to play "up there", but it is also very light-weight. Guess that other things are more important then the placement of the valve block.

The only thing I have found common for balanced trumpets is the more than regular but not overly dark sound. Dark with a bright edge, the soft "french" sound. Yes, I believe they all sound french, even the american Olds Recording. However I also believe that is how they were made. A balanced trumpet back then was supposed to sound like that, alas, all makers made them to sound like that.

Toobz

Martin's are notorious for having lousy laquer finishes. It is hard to find any Martin with laquer that hasn't started to fade and discolor. This poor finish is more pronounced with Martin's than with any other major producer of that era. Finding super clean Martin's in excellent original laquer is pretty rare, not to mention outrageously expensive. I've owned five Martin saxes and two Cornets. All of them had issues with the laquer finish. Think hard about relaquering your Committee. Some collectors will look down on any relaquered horn. I personally don't care if a horn has been relaquered, but there are many that do.

__________________



Conn 10B New Era trumpet
Martin Committee cornet
And lots of other old and smelly stuff !

Robert Rowe

I have several Martin Committees ... including "Handcraft"s, Trombones, Fluegelhorns, Cornets, Trumpets. Also, a 1958 OLDS Recording (and just traded away a 1968 Recording).

Suggestion: Do not have it "overhauled". Minor repairs ... yes. Valve-replating OK, if necessary. Do not "mess with" the lacquer. Leave it as is -- "original".

Some may call me a "collector", but I am really a "player" with a "playing collection". (I'm not one of these "anal / obsessive"-types that have horns restored / "over"-restored, and put them in a display case, or leave them in their cases, just to show them off).

I would never (again) buy an "overhauled" horn. Never. Ever.

Simply get used to playing the horn. Of course, it's not a Recording. It's not supposed to be.


~ Namaste ....
Yogi Robt

__________________
" ... Ya cain't polish a turd ...!" (old Southern expression)

~~ Love animals ... don't eat them. ~~

oldlou

I have a rather good sized 'accumilation' of vintage horns, all of which do vibrate in my hands. Those that I find that are "dead" are soon gone from my ownership. I have some of the finest trumpets and cornets ever made and one of the major attributes that I look for in any trumpet/cornet is that it MUST come to life in my hands when I play it. Without that wonderful feedback the joy of playing is much diminished. I can't understand where you got the idea that a dead feeling trumpet is "ideal". It just doesn't make any sense to me.


OLDLOU>>

__________________
Couturier trumpet
York Master Model trumpet
York Elite trumpet
York Airflow cornet
King super 20 Master Model cornet
King Liberty trumpet
Reynolds Professional cornet
Bohm & Meinl professional trumpet
Besson 10-10 trumpet with Holton M.F. bell
Olds Special cornet Los Angeles
B&H Sovereign cornet
G.R.Band Instr. cornet
Getzen Super Deluxe trumpet and cornet
Getzen Deluxe trumpet and cornet
Many others no room to list

lizzyloulah

Hi there, Lizzy from UK here. I love reading all about the vintage horns on this site and several others. I am constantly amazed at just how many different sorts there are and it appears that the US just floats on a fabulous trumpety cloud. Over here in Blighty, there obviously are not so many although eBay is tending to whet people's appetites a little more. I play a silver plate Leblanc trumpet ,dating from the late 1950's and it was recently tiffed up by Andy Taylor whose workshop is in Norwich, just up the road as luck would have it!