crowmadic

Living in Florida made it easy to go to the Warburton factory/shop. And not far from them is a very nice little trumpet shop owned by Gerry Lopez. Terry Warburton wasn't at the factory but Ken his general manager and kick ass trumpet player gave me his undivided attention. Being an advanced beginner(my appraisal), and a "returning" old dude at that(a universal appraisal), I found myself tense when I played. I didn't buy a mouthpiece but Ken modified my Marcinkiewicz Flugelhorn mouthpiece to feel closer to my Conn 3C rim. I intend to try their wide rim models at another time. I spent $25.00 for the visit which included a good lesson about breathing from Ken. Then I went to Gerry Lopez's shop. Gerry is a great guy and must be a hell of a player. He's personal friends with Bobby Shew and our own Ray Vega. If you're ever in Oviedo Florida stop in and see him. He's got a nice collection of used horns and mouthpieces. I got to play a lot of horns I've been curious about, including his own Gerry Lopez Kanstul model. I know he sells new horns also. What a great trip! On the way out of town I hit the Pawn shops along the way and picked up a Selmer Bundy Designed by Vincent Bach. After cleaning it I found myslef with an impressive playing horn. I thought I'd share this experience for what it's worth. Just contributing an unsolicited "What I did on my Summer vaction" paper..................crow

BergeronWannabe

I bought my Warburton stuff from him online.
www.gerrylopezmusic.com

rowuk

Crow,
there you go! That probably did more for yourself than a week of internet guru advice could have. Your report helps the rest of us too by motivating for 1ST HAND EXPERIENCE! There is NOTHING that can replace it.
I am just waiting for you to now go to Atlanta and get your first lesson from Tom Hooten!
What other horns did Gerry Lopez just have laying around?

Vulgano Brother

How cool of Ken--your experience at Warburton's is a wonderful testimonial to their operation and dedication!

bachstrad72

Gerry is a wonderful guy. Glad to hear that people are having success with him, though it's really no shock.

crowmadic

rowuk,
There were three horns that even I "the advanced beginner" could recognize as outstanding. I plan to go back to Gerry's shop with a friend who is ready to spend 1+K for a horn. The three I'm referring to are: Bach Strat.-43S, Callet Soloist, and MMP Marcinkowiz. I tried a C trumpet for the first time and would like to add that to my future playing. He had a nice selection of used Cornets that I didn't play. Thanks for the encouragement rowuk, and perhaps a master class or private lesson with a "master" is in the near future. It's a little late to reach the hights of many on this site. As Brando said, "I coulda been a contenda". Not to say that I wont leave a welcomed footprint before it's over................crow