| Larry,
I would stick with the large bore valve section, as you will get a broader sound. I have found that some tunable bell C trumpets can be squirrly, as the missing front bell brace can help lock in and make it feel more stable. The Malone reverse leadpipe should be fine. I would try a 229 bell. I believe the 229 bell has a smaller bell tail than the 238. but make it a fixed bell horn. Sometimes, intonation problems on a C trumpet can be improved with the tuning bell setup, but then you lose some focus and control.
Another thing you can do, if you like the option of switching bells, is to have the horn converted to a removable fixed-bell setup. A friend of mine in the Colorado Symphony has this on his C trumpet. Basically, the 2 bell braces are like the old Conn braces, (straight across), but they are threaded. So, you get the feel of a fixed bell horn.
I believe Wynton used a Bach 238 bell on his Schilke Eb when he did those Haydn/Hummell recordings many years ago (when he was only 19).
I would not do a thing to that ML Mount Vernon...
As far as mouthpieces, I think the new MF Prana mouthpiece is the way to go for C trumpet. (Tuned at the factory; no need to use alternate fingerings.)
Mike |