Quote:
Originally Posted by skip77  ..........
I am not a professional or accomplished as everyone in this thread seems to be, so please pardon my low-end stupidity. I have researched trumpet design over the years, however, and feel that I have a basic concept of what matters. I am puzzled. Here is a list of trumpet design aspects that I feel are crucial:
1. materials (alloy)
2. tubing diameters/gauge/lengths
3. fit
4. solder alloy and joint quality
5. leadpipe/venturi funnel design
6. bell dimensions/flare
7. valve fit/tubing bore alignment/finish
8. overall interior finish (smooth vs rough areas messing up airstream)
9. mpc |
Skip,
great post! I'll disagree to your list of important stuff a little though. The trumpet builder has so many factors to juggle, that no single point is significant at all. It is the sum of the builders choice of parameters. Even although the ad people try and reduce bore size to size of sound, material to dark/light sound, leadpipe taper to playability, none of this is true. There are fat, dark sounding trumpets with medium bore and yellow brass bells and other ones to peel paint made with large bores and gold brass.
The most important factor to me is the designers choice, whatever that may be. They are paid to know better and I will never assume to be able to outguess them. There are so many myths about horns that just do not go away. There is also so much BS surrounding those myths.
Quote:
Originally Posted by skip77 .....
So I come to this question - given that appropriate alloys, gauges and diameters/lengths are used, given that inside solder joints are smooth, given the other basic parameters are adhered to in the trumpet build, how can these makers distinguish themselves? Why is a Monette horn better than a mass produced model, etc? |
The Monette is probably a better "fit" for the original client than a mass market trumpet. Does that make it better? It depends on your point of view. Is a tailor-made overall better for a lumberjack? Can he get his work done better? Is a tailor made suit better for a school teacher? Is a custom bicycle better for a postal worker delivering mail?
Although the answers to the above are debatable, you may get my point. The suitability of ANY hardware depends on the situation AND the software between the ears. Obviously the "standard" horns (Yamaha/Bach) are "good enough" otherwise the pros would not use them. I know of no other high performance area where pros are happy with "standard" though. There is plenty of room for improvement on those standards, but not everyone is interested.
The original post was to Thomas Inderbinen, who is still alive and well. He showed 10 - 15 instruments at the Frankfurt music fair and they were all exceptional - in performance AND price. I believe he is selling all he can build - while maintaining his quality. It is unfortunate that he does not have demos in the states, but why should he make less money per instrument? he has no obligation to anyone except himself and his clients.
Travel is not "cheap" but the trip to visit him in Switzerland would be well worth it. René Spada and Egger would be two other visits on the same trip, not to mention beautiful Switzerland. After all, from the east coast, Zurich is not much further away than LA...................
The world is very small. Maybe that is the message developed in this thread!