| The only true way to find out what an Eclipse is like is to try them. There are a great number of excellent trumpets out there and the Eclipse range are right up there with the best of them (and beating the vast majority).
I own an Eclipse flugel (copper bell, gold plated) and it is simply the finest flugel I have ever played. Since I first had to play flugel I have always felt (and sounded) like a trumpet player holding a flugel. When I first went up to Eclipse there were a bunch of flugels there and I simply fell in love with them. They were, quite simply, in a different league. It was just a matter of finance before I knew I would own one.
If I were playing cornet on a regular basis (I don't do any brass banding at present) I would own an Eclipse cornet - there are very few cornets that can even be mentioned in the same breath as the ones Leigh and Co. have created. The intonation is impeccable and the tone is exactly what I look for when playing cornet.
As for the trumpets - my current dilemma is that I can't decide what to buy. I have played just about everything that comes from the factory (the joy of being in the UK - travel to Luton is soooo easy hahaha) and used to know exactly what I was after (MR) then they introducd the Solar bell and I love those as well. I know it will just be a matter of time before I own an Eclipse Bb trumpet (quite possibly a C, eventually - and a piccolo, when they FINALLY finish designing it), but exactly which is still being debated. They are all fantastic instruments, it is now just a question of working out which one works for me, doing what I do. |