DQsCustomShop

This being my first post on the Trumpet Master forum, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Michael Del Quadro, and I have trumpet restoration/custom shop in Wichita, Ks. For the past few years I have been doing custom projects with Solid copper bells. These are electro-formed copper bells that are built off of a replica of the original conn mandrel. They are brand new bells that have have never been used for another instrument and have been custom fit to the horn they are on. That said, below is a photo of my latest endeavor. This trumpet is an Olds valve block, mouthpipe and tuning slide. The tuning has been reversed with what I call a double socket slide. The mouthpipe goes into the tuning slide, but there is a sleeve over the top so it looks like standard tuning. All slides are in silver plate, and the bell is ofcourse electro-formed seamless copper with a solid brass bell rim. Any and all comments and questions are welcome about this trumpet. Please don't hold back and tell me what you think. If you are interested in play testing one of these trumpets you are welcome to contact me. Thank you for looking

Michael Del Quadro
DQ's Custom Shop

confuoco

Looks interesting. Why solid copper. What do you like about the bells. How do they sound?

DQsCustomShop

I feel that copper gives you more flexabilty than brass. The darks are darker, and the brights are brighter. Its more fragile and the metal is less forgiving to work with than brass, but it gives the sound of the horn more characteristic and in my opinion work depth. Also I find the appearance appealing. The polished copper is beautiful to me.

If your interested in playing one of these horns you are welcome to e-mail me at bbirshop@yahoo.com, or call me at (316) 648-6914. I'd be happy to answer any more questions you might have.

DQ

DQsCustomShop

I have decided to list this trumpet on ebay. I wont complain if it does sell, but if it doesnt atleast it will get some images of my work out there. If your interested :

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MESE:IT&ih=019

bigaggietrumpet

So is there a reason for the asymmetrical bell bow? Interesting look.

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Michael Smith
Hullabaloo: The official band of Texas A&M Basketball
Kanstul 1537/ Schilke 14
LA Olds Studio

rowuk

If I wanted to buy just the bell (for a tuning bell Bach trumpet), what would it cost?

comment: I am not sure that the front bell brace really does its job optimally (projection, control bell resonance, feedback to the player) in your double socket config. Have you compared this to more "standard configs?

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DQsCustomShop

These bells are for sale. I can be reached by phone or e-mail.

316-648-6914

bbirshop@yahoo.com

lovevixen555

Well I like the copper bell but not the geometry you used bending it. I am guessing that the total length of your custom bell was not long enough to make the proper radius. If you look at the angle going into the valve caseing it is extreme to say the least and I would bet that it will crack and leak their in the not so distant future. So while I would love to have one of your bells I would rather do the work myself or have some one else do the work. If you look at the old Getzen 90's from long ago they had a multi-piece bell in that just before the 1st valve the tubeing stoped. Then the bell portion had an expanded section that matted with that and was silver soldered. If the rest of the stock trumpet's tubeing was in shape and not crushed I think this is the route I would have taken. This would maintain the stock geomtry. I am after the copper bell for the sound charteristics I am not a fan of additional braceing and custom braceing like the Taylor trumpet's. In fact I am looking for a nice project trumpet as we speak for your bell.

part of me is interested in how much better I could make a student trumpet sound just by replaceing the bell with your premium copper bell. I have noticed that my Reynolds Medalist from the 1960's sounds great and it's bell resonates when struck with my finger. My son's Holton 602 Student horn while well made and better playing this his Eastman Student Horn has a dead sounding bell when struck. His Eastman 301 wich goes back December 15th to the rental store is even more dead sounding.

The funny thing is that my old 1960's Reynolds Medalist is Heavier and better braced and is full of nickle and sliver. In fact it weights about twice as much as the other two trumpet's so it is funny that it would resonate better and longer. Another member told me it is probably the type of brass used since America allows up to 70% copper 29% zink and 1% tin to be called brass. The more copper and less Zink and Tin the better the instrument will sound. The other member also told me that China the home of Eastman trumpet's probably allows lead to be used too in it's brass which makes it easier to work with but produces a dead sounding instrument.

So as I type this I am bidding on ebay for some potential donor's. I am very much interested is seeeing if a good to excellent student horn can be made to sound like a pro-horn just by adding a premium copper bell!!!?!?! Maybe reduce the braceing at the same time from massive braceing to just some small stub's going fromt he lead pipe tot he valve caseing. SInce I am not going to be marching with the trumpet I do not need massive "Mac Truck" like braceing on the thing either. I think two much braceing can hurt a trumpets sound quality hence the the reason I am not a fan of taylor and other with custome massive braces. I like light weight braceing heavy thick lead pipe and heavy valve case with a thin bell if brass. I would love it if someone would hand hammer bells out of pure silver!!! I can only imagine the brillance that would result. Anyone that has heard a solid silver flute as compared to a nickle or silver plated flute know's what I am talking about.

lovevixen555

I wanted to add that I am sure that trumpet sounded great since the Old's Ambasador is probably the best student trumpet ever built. So much so that if you get a really good one it is not unusal to hear them being played by professionals at festival's and onstage etc.......I do not know of any other student model that can cross over the proffesional line as regularly as the Ambasador. They where built like tanks and they obviously used good materials. I was reading a review on Proffessional models currently on the market etc........The reviewer mentioned that he saw an Olds Ambasador being played in the Orchestra while he was in New Orleans and that is definately sounded just fine. So I can only imagine how much better it would sound with a brass bell. I am thinking of silvver plateing a decent student trumpet and then adding one of your bells! I am sure I will have to keep it under lock and key when my son hit's High School!

Brekelefuw

The bell won't crack there. To make that angle all he had to do was stick a mandrel in the 1st valve casing and slightly bend the bell stem knuckle up, then solder on the ferrule and insert the bell. There is no sacrifice to stability at all.

Judging from your other posts, I don't think you quite understand the effects of different bracing designs as well as the weight of the horns.

Too much bracing doesn't hurt a trumpets sound quality, it only makes it different.