Larry Gianni

Here are a couple of questions I get asked a lot:
"What Calicchio bell would be the best for this kind
of playing situation ", or "For my first Calicchio,
what bell would you recommend?"
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>
Well, what I usually respond is to describe what I
think the different Calicchio bells are best suited
for and let the players make up their minds as to what
kind of playing they do most.
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>
> As you well know, every part of a trumpet is a
> compromise when trying to get the best playing
> trumpet for your primary playing situation. (The
same
> goes for a mouthpiece when trying to match up rim,
> cup, throat, backbore and gap.)
>
> If one trumpet did everything from classical to
> lead to jazz to rock to section playing extremely
> well, then most of us wouldn't have more than one
> trumpet in the closet (and a drawer full of
> mouthpieces.)
>
>
>
> Here's my take on the different Calicchio bells and
> what I think they do best. I must also say this
> description is using a either #2 or #7 leadpipe.
> Using a #3 or #9 leadpipe will magnify the playing
> even further. I'll try to describe how the
> different alloys affect the bells as far as how they
> play in the customary brass setting in another
> topic.

> #1 Bell -
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>
> The #1 bell is fashioned after Dominick's first
> bell design in the 40's which is the found on the >
"Superior " trumpets that pop up time to time on
> action sites and trumpet forums. This was modeled
> after the Besson brevete bell of the 40's, as were
> most of the other trumpet brands (Bach, Benge,
> Martin, Conn, Selmer,etc.) of the day. It has the
> traditional narrow flair at the bell (like the
> French-made Bessons and Selmers) which give you a
> very concentrated sound. In this day and age, this
> kind of commercial sound is a little dated unless
> you are using a large leadpipe , large bore or
> mouthpiece backbore that would compensate for the
> directional sound it gets.
>
>
> After the late 60's, when Calicchio went to the bell
> numbering system, this bell model was mainly used on
> there " C " trumpet which it worked great on, giving
> the Calicchio " C " trumpet a very picturesque and
> majestic tone quality. Mostly all the Calicchio "C"
trumpets were sold to the major orchestra players
> of Europe who were willing to break the traditional
> " Bach " type-cast that the American players were
> not.
>
>
> 1s Bell -
>
>
> As most commercial players well know, this is the
> bell that is synonymous with Calicchio and Calicchio
> trumpets. It was developed in the very early 60's
> for getting a larger sound than the #1 bell that was
> better suited for the recording industry and the
> large Hollywood contract orchestras that wanted a
> wider, larger sound, but still needed to cut thru
> the everyone to get picked up by the microphones
> that were usually situated at the front of the
> recording halls. This bell is what gave the
> industry what came to be known as the "West Coast
> trumpet sound". It was bigger and brassier. It had
more overtones and great presence. It was also easier
to bend and manipulate to get the intensity necessary
to play diverse music in the same score ala Henry
Mancini or Lalo Schifrin (sp?).


> Then when the age of " Rock and Roll and R and B"
> took hold, and electrified bands started to use
> trumpets in small horn sections, as in the case of
> " Phil Spector's Wall of Sound ", The Beatles (and
> similar bands ) or Motown and players like
> Chuck Findley , Paul Hubinon , Ollie Mitchell ,
> Steve Madaio, etc., these small horn sections really
started to put the "sizzle " into the trumpet
sound---all using Dominick's now famous 1s bell---they
realized that the 1s bell not only projected extremely
well in live circumstances, but produced a huge range
of overtones that the microphones loved and that could
also counter the ever-increasing use of electric
instruments.

>
> The 1s bell is still the dominant bell (sound) in
> this type of recording situation, not only on the
> West Coast, but internationally. Japan is still a
> huge market for Calicchio trumpets with a 1s bell
> even though Yamaha , a Japanese company, puts out a
> fine product at probably half the cost of a
> Calicchio on their own soil.
>

> #2 Bell -
>
> This bell is really the most overlooked bell in
> the commercial trumpet industry. It's a sleeper that
> should get greater recognition. The bell has a
> slightly bigger flare than the 1s and is what I like
> to call the "live trumpet", Vegas-type sound. It has
> the same gorgeous characteristics as the 1s---it's
big and brassy yet still compact enough to cut
> thru the band. It's perfect for live shows, with
> minimal amplification where you might have to fill a
> hall, play a Broadway show or live musical revue,
> play with a gospel choir or acoustical performance
> or just like to play farther down in the section at
> times.
>
>
> . Noted players who preferred the 2 bell are Walt
> Johnson, lead player for Elvis and Frank Sinatra,
> Tony Farrell, lead trumpet for Andy Williams and
> Johnny Gans, Bobby Findley, Bobby Bryant, etc. Also,
> if you use a tighter than average backbore and
> shallow cup, but still wanted a large volume of
> sound with wider coverage and great projection, then
> this bell would work perfectly.
>
>
> I have a Walt Johnson set-up of a 3 leadpipe and 2 B
> bell,(along with others ) and the sound is big,
> fat, and projecting without being overly directional
> and cutting. This is the perfect trumpet for the
> times you need to really "sing" through the
instrument and blend with your surroundings, but still
have that great Calicchio sound presence. If you like
Wayne Bergeron's trumpet, then a #2 bell may be your
answer in a Calicchio with a #3 or #2 ldp ( Bach 25 ish ) or a #7
or #9 ldp. ( Bach 43 ish )
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> Word on the #3 bell and the different alloys and what they do to the sound ( overtone series ) next time,

Larry