rms573

Manny,

Have you had a chance to try any of the "W" series horns such as the XLT-W, LT-W, or 994-WJ? If so, how did they play in comparison to other models?

__________________
Monette 149XL Bb
Yamaha 9830 Piccolo
Monette Prana B1-5
Monette Prana AP5

Manny Laureano

Dear RMS,

Not only have I not played them, I've never heard of them!

Sorry!

ML

rms573

They were shown in the most recent monette newsletter. Apparently they have taller valve casings and wider radius bell and tuning slide bends. Ryan Kisor is crrently playing the Prana 994-WJ.

__________________
Monette 149XL Bb
Yamaha 9830 Piccolo
Monette Prana B1-5
Monette Prana AP5

blutch

I think Dave has been refering to this as the "Wide body Prana." I guess they gave them a letter designation.

The tuning slide and bell are bent real open.. like a Conn Director.

MA

Manny Laureano

Okay, Blutch... I'm witcha now.

Yes! I have played them and they're outrageous. I didn't know about the recent designation.

They are very easy to play yet retain a wide shape to the sound without getting too diffuse. The high register fairly screams on these things and I'm on the schedule to get one of these soon.

ML

blutch

Yeah, I thought you were playing one on the infamous video clips.

You need a "wide load" sign on the bell to warn people when you play that thing.

MA

trickg

Manny, this is a little off topic, but since you are probably more familiar with the Monette instruments here on this forum than anyone else, (and since this is a current, open thread) I have been curious for a while about the 2000LT line of Monette trumpets.

I have long been skeptical of Monette trumpets, not because I don't think that they play well, because the ones that I have played have actually been pretty good, but because of the price tags.

However, if I thought that for what I play, Rock and Roll Party band, (we're talking, everything from swing, to 50s Doo-wop, to Disco, to 80s to current hits) that a Monette 2000LT might be a good choice, I might be willing to make the investment.

Right now I'm on a bit of a FrankenBach - it's a Large Bore Strad with the forward bell brace moved back about an inch or so, and the second tuning slide brace removed. New horn purchases are not something that I do very often and I have owned this trumpet, my only Bb, for about 8 years. It gets me by, but

Do you have any comments regarding the LT horns and whether or not they would be a good choice for what I do? Also, what is the current going rate for a Monette 2000LT?

__________________
Patrick Gleason
email me at: trickg1@hotmail.com

"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
"At my signal, unleash hell."
- Maximus Decimus Meridius

Manny Laureano

Patrick,

The only experience I had with the LTs are the Pranas. Actually, now that I think of it, I did play one earlier last year when the 2000 C trumpet came out. It was too small for me and I preferred the larger horns. The Bb Prana that I tried at the conference that belonged to Pat Hessian was unbelievable. The high register just jumps out of the horn with little effort. This has been my experience with the STC C Prana I've been playing at Orchestra Hall. I've never had a high register that was as easy as this.

As to price, I don't know what the Bbs are going for. My Prana 1 when I get it is going to be about 9,000 in raw brass, maybe a bit more. I'll ask when I get it. For now, I have a ballpark idea.

There is a paradigm regarding trumpet price, Patrick, and it's based on the way people make conventional instruments. This is by no means a conventional instrument. They are made for people who want a different sound, feel, whatever in a trumpet. I don't know of any other manufacturer that puts in the time on building horns other than Dave the way he does. I have spent hours in the shop watching him and the other workers make adjustments that others would say "All right, that's fine, good enough". The astonishing thing about the labor is that just when you think it can't be improved anymore Dave says, "Wait, it's not there yet". You look at him like he's nuts and he does something here, a little something else there and, boom, it's even better.

As I've stated before, I've had many students bring in the clones and when I bring out whatever the original was it was patterned after, the reaction without fail is always "Well, for the money this is pretty good". But the reaction is never, "Hmm... sounds just as good to me."

I'm not trying to sell you anything other than my version of the truth. In my experience, there's no trumpet that unites as many good qualities at the same time as these horns. Intonation, sound quality, sound shape, stability, blendability... yes, blendability. I am far less interested in blending with conventional trumpets than I am with the trombones, horns, woodwinds, and strings in the Minnesota Orchestra.

So, that's my take on price. I look across the room at people with $200,000 instruments under their chins that were made with the same sort of care and attention to detail as the horns I play and I start to feel pretty good about it. Skeptical, not skeptical... not much I can say or do about that except play. People who say I'd sound just as good on a regular axe are just wrong, what else can I say? They don't know what I went through to sound as I back in the old days. All I can say is I'm glad that age 49, I'm playing easier than when I was 29. I'll always be the story teller, interpreter no matter what I play but, man, it's sure a hell of a lot easier.

So, check them out if you're so inclined. The worst thing that could happen is that you might actually like them.

ML

Benjamin

Thank you Manny, this last post was the best thing I have read so far on choice of horns/monette trumpets. Variety is the spice of life. How boring would things be if everybody played the same thing and there was no variety.

Ben

__________________
Benjamin E. Browne
National Radio Symphony (SODRE) - Uruguay
Filarmonica de Montevideo
Escuela Universitaria de Música-Universidad de la Republica - Uruguay

camelbrass

I would dearly love to be in a position to try a Monette...I really enjoy playing my Taylor (particularly in terms of sound and stability ) and I know that as good as the Taylor is I suspect that the Monette would provide an even more satisfying experience. I think I'm now sufficiently competent as a player to appreciate the differences.

Like Patrick, I don't change often and if the tool is the right tool cost is somewhat secondary. In the overall scheme of things $9,000 is not a lot of money. However, unlike most readers on these forums short of jumping on a plane and travelling to Portland it is unlikely I'll ever get the chance. What I don't understand is if it's relatively easy to try a Monette (ie you live in the US) why wouldn't you give it a go? I suspect some may be afraid that they just may like them...I really suspect I would like them.

Formulating a plan here New York for a few days, take the wife and the boys Christmas shopping..leave them happily spending money, dash over to Oregon, order 993, dash back. Sounds feesible....now to rob a bank......

Regards,


Trevor