PH

Thank you, Leigh and all!!!

It was a real honor and pleasure to spend time with you and I can't begin to tell you what a great time it was!!!

The first day at the shop was really overwhelming. Leigh is not kidding when he says I got to play every single model of horn they make (including some prototypes). The first time I stepped into the testing room there were 23 Bb trumpets, 5 flugelhorns, 3 cornets, a prototype C trumpet, and 2 prototype piccolo trumpets on the bench. In addition to that, I saw several other horns pass through (including an Equinox) and got to play on all of them! It was a wonderful education in the full range of great sounding and playing instruments that come out of the Eclipse shop.

After the first long day I had it narrowed down to 4 Bb trumpets (2 MRs, and MY, and a Solar) and 3 flugels (all in red brass). Then, on the second day, with the help of the great ears of Leigh and Alex I selected the horns I am sitting here cuddling right now! As the week progressed Leigh showed me finish options and we selected and positioned the rings, hooks, etc. to the size of my own hands. When the horns came back to me on Friday I could scarcely believe my eyes.

These horns play great right off the bench, but everyone who owns one tells me they will keep getting better and better for several months as they are broken in.

Along the way I got to help Alex pick her cornet, helped her and Leigh pick 3 MY Bbs for the St. Petersburg (Russia) Symphony, ate a lot of great curry, downed a few Guinness and a few more Newcastles, hung with Noel, Henry Lowther, Trumpetmike and a host of other wonderful folks, and came away generally feeling like "the man"!!!

I am looking forward to a long and productive association with these great instruments and with Leigh, John, and all the wonderful folks at Eclipse!!!

Pat Harbison