Hi everyone,
I’ve been asked a couple of times privately about the 1s/2 – 1s7 difference, so now a good time to capture that topic. I have both a couple of 1s/2’s and 1s/7’s so I’ve played them both often over the years.
MPM comments about how well Bobby Shew sounds are very accurate, I think we can call agree on that. Bobby was lucky enough ffor years to work hand in hand with master trumpet guru Bob Malone tweak ing his " Z " to just where he wanted it. Even though Bob Malone is now at Yamaha , don’t think if you order a “ Z “ trumpet you’re going to get one that plays like Bobby’s. You want a custom made trumpet in the " Z " tradition but light years better made, try Bob Reeves " V-Raptor " that what Jim Manely now plays and you can get the liteweight one now , just like Manely proto-type " V-Raptor " liteweight.
Chuck Findley, who I think we all, can agree on, is another guy that plays great lead and inspiring jazz. has , Since 1968, played the same 1s/2 Calicchio. That 1s/2 is the same as when he got it, except for a gold plate job about six years ago.
On the topic of Calicchio leadpipes and their differences, the number 2 pipe of course has a different taper than the number seven pipe, but in terms of measurement , the number two pipe actually measurers out to be bigger.
I have this notion that thru the years terms like "Larger " bigger ", "freer blowing " " easier " are all mis-nommers and have been giving us the wrong discription of leadpipes for a very long time.Try this, take your tuning slide out of your trumpet and blow thru your leadpipe. It probably won't feel any different from any other brand on the market if you do the same thing with any other make.
The actual worth of any leadpipe is in it’s interaction with the mouthpiece and bell. Like I said before, in theory, the rest of the trumpet is the same diameter round tubing. ( Yeah, I know the shape of a tuning slide does makes a difference that's why I just ordered all 8 tuning slides for my Wild Thing and all 13 " color " slides for my Super Zeus . How did anyone ever play trumpet well before the inter-changable tuning slide, heavy bottom caps, mega mouthpieces or titanium valve guides hit the market. Incredible)
Back to the topic:
1s/7
This trumpet plays very evenly from the bottom of the staff all the way up past Double C. It is very even and all the notes and slots feel pretty much the same. I would describe it as holding a string of pearls by one side and letting them hang. All the pearls line up evenly and are of the same size and color. That’s what a scale feels like when you play from low c to hi c. even and consistent. The trumpet definitely has a sizzle to it, but the slots lock in and each note feels very secure.
A 1s/7 gives the player a more “ Bachish “ feel in a very live, commercial sounding trumpet as far a feel goes. That‘s probably the only comparison with a Bach it has. It has great air flow and balance, plus can “change ‘colors easier than the 1s/2 depending the situation your playing in.
1s/2
Without repeating myself, this combination of lead pipe and bell, seem to really compliment each other for getting a quality, fat sound with a very efficient feel. The big difference for me is that the slots tend to get closer as you play higher. The slots or the notes get elliptical, like stacking watermelons on their sides, so that the center of the slot is very close to the nest one in the scale, yet they have a huge spread and volume because they feel very wide. To play above the staff, it takes very little effort to move to the next note or to play with the pitch center to get inflections in your playing. It will give you more freedom, to play in a singing like manner, or be able to “ swing “ harder but with a trumpet that has these tendencies, you need to hear the note before you play it or you may either slip into the pitch from underneath it , aim to high or “crack it “on take off.
The term “sizzle “, even used a lot by trumpet player and trumpet manufacturers, really isn’t a great word to describe a vibrant trumpet tonality. Someone please write back describing the “ Sizzle “ Jon Faddis gets compared to Lin Biviano compared to Chuck Findley, compared to Auturo Sandoval compared to Doc compared to Myanard, compared to Byron Stipling compared to Roger Ingram compared to Scott Englebright, compared to Wayne Bergeron compared to Charlie Davis, Compared to Snooky Young etc. All these great player have “sizzle “to their sound, but they all definitely don’t sound alike.
Descriptive terms like “ringing “or “vibrant‘or “big and fat “or “projecting “are better words to describe a quality commercial trumpet sound. Write back with some other ones that you like and we will start using those descriptions instead of just the over used, under meaning “ sizzle “ Give me the term that describes “ when the hair stand up on the back of your neck “ trumpet sound.
As far a trumpet building , my words are “ efficient ‘ and “ balanced “ When I’m playing my best , The sensation I get as to the amount of effort I’m using is like I’m just “ humming “ into the mouthpiece ( amount of energy expended ) while getting great sound and agility and endurance that feels like I could last all night. I think we’ve all experience the time, when we are playing so well that we “can do no wrong “. So balance and effect really is what makes up a good trumpet that shares in the physical endeavor that needed in playing trumpet and gives you that “Vegas “ full, strong lead sound, that seems to sing over the band.
Both the 1s/2 and 1s/7 has the potential and will do that just in different feels .What you want to do is decide what type of feel you want or would like to ultimately achieve plus how much control you want the trumpet to have and how control you physically want to have in sounding the way you expect to eventually sound.
In a Nutshell, the 1s/2 is what I would call a more “ slippery “ trumpet than a 1s/7 and I mean “ slippery “ as a good thing were you can play lines freer , but everything is a compromise , so you’ll have a slight loss of stability to the note. Does that make sense?
Both these trumpets can’t be compared to any “Major Player “factory trumpets that pop out a 1000 to 2000 trumpets a month. John Duda and Calicchio will probably only produce 100 trumpets in the first few YEAR ( less than 10 a month ) and probably never top 200 to 250 when everything is up and running at peak performance.
Rob’s Mouthpiece:
The Marc. E3 / C3 is what use to known as the “Charlie Davis “model in Joe’s Designer series. After Charlie went to Bach as an endorser and certain monetary obligations by Joe to Charlie weren’t met, Charlie took away his name rights and Joe renamed it the E3/3C. It was modeled after what Charlie was playing at the time in the mid-80’s a Bob Reeves 43 rim / M cup / 2 backbore. Charlie also played a 43 rims / S cup/ 692 bb so it a compromise between the two. I would really suggest you try the Reeves pieces with your Calicchio. The extra mass of a Reeves piece, plus what I consider to be better workmanship will make your Calicchio play much better especially if it’s fitted for sleeves so you can get just the right gap you like. If the 43 rim is a little to rounded for you, then either cut off and have Bob thread it to an under part or ask Bob for his Bach 3c rim copy. That’s what Charlie plays on now.
www.bobreeves.com
I f have a record album ( yes, a record album ) by Jack Dourghtry that features a 20 year old Chuck Findley with an all-star Los Angeles studio big band line up. (Chuck Findley, Johnny Audino, Ollie Mitchell, Paul Hubinon, Steve Madaio, Jimmy Salko, Buddy Childers) He play this singing trumpet solo on a ballad called “ Theme for Susan “ that should be the definitive description of “ Big, fat, huge, trumpet sizzle “ (he plays a huge hi A right in the middle of this ballad that actually grows louder and more intense as he holds it ) and this is what a 1s/2 can do.
If anyone can tell me how to get to a “sound clip “that I can post. E-mail me off line. This one you got to hear.
I’ve rambled on long enough and this topic can’t be covered in one “sit-down “so I’m off. Please let me know the feeling you get when “all the planets line up properly “and you’re playing your best, no matter what brand trumpet you play. Write back
Larry ( posting, warts and all )
PS - My aim on this forum is to not sell any product , but to just inform as to what I know ( or think I know ). Information should be a 2 way street so please comment to anything that gets mentioned , both for and against. I promise " NO PISSING MATCHES HERE " just an exchange or ideas and a way to meet new people. I've privately met a couple of really good and intellegent guys from this forum. So If you don't want to write back , fine, then just go practice (like the reat of us should be doing.)