Youri le god

HI all,

Wat effect does the bracing have on the trumpet? I ask after looking at some Jason Harrelson horns and a couple of Monettes which have sheets of brass instead of standard braces. What do these do (if anything) and does it really matter what configuration is used to brace the horn

Cheers
Dez

Manny Laureano

Dez,

I believe that when it's done properly and purposefully it adds stability and projection. I think the amount of mass added by the braces is important. It can't just be any amount, any thickness, or any material. Putting the bracing on must really an organic concept not an afterthought.

ML

eclipse trumpets

I think Manny is correct in the main.

I do not beleive in heavy sheet bracing myself, i have only done this on a few custom horns.
I feel the heavy bracing strangles a horn and does not allow it to speak quite as well as a traditional or lighter braced instrument.

That is of course only my opinion among thousands i hasten to add!!!!

Companies who do this also have lighter braced varieties in their armoury so there is always a choice to be had with those same companies.

As Manny said where the brace is placed and the guage of the material will either have an adverse effect or create a well balanced instrument.

We at Eclipse had problems with one particular brace for almost 4 months in our development stage.
It was the front main brace between leadpipe and bell (which i feel is one of the more critical areas for bracing) even a fraction placed outside of what we call our sweet spot (which happens to be a measurement of 180mm from the bell rim to the start of the brace bar) and the instrument does not perform in quite the same way at all.

Best Wishes

Leigh