Custom Phaeton Review #3, crash test in progress

FlugelFlyer · 06-08-2005, 10:08 PM

Barring any forsaken misfortunes, the Phaeton will be arriving tomorrow (If my place looks like a dump, Nick, its because we're remodeling. If you came later in the season, you could have demoed some vegetables from our garden though

). Anyways:

A quick bio of myself. I'm a college student who's majoring in flight management, entering my senior year. The bass guitar is my primary instrument right now, and I probably fall under the category of "high caliber recreational player," emphasis placed on recreational, and I don't consider myself to be a contender for the heavyweight crown anytime soon. I tend to follow the philosophies of Claude Gordon, and though I don't play a huge horn, I find myself playing best on large cup mouthpieces with a medium blow to the whole thing, hence the KT backbore and ML trumpet bore. My Bach is about six years old, and it's the same horn my mother brought me my freshman year of high school. I despise equipment safaris greatly, and if a younger player seems to be struggling with equipment, I'll sand the label of a regular mouthpiece, maybe a Bach 5C or 7C, and tell the student simply to "play this, it'll work for ya!" If I find a student horn searching for the sake of horn searching when the current glove works, I'll probably throw them through a wall.

Anyways, no debate needed here, that's merely my philosophy on playing trumpet, and diverse opinions are paramount on this tour. I'm breaking out of my mold to give this horn a test run, and I'll give it a go this Saturday in a grinder rehearsal with my band (do a search), along with my traditional bass guitar duties. I expect equipment shock at first, and I hear that you could easily defend yourself in the worst Chicago ghettos with this horn (yes, it's probably bulletproof too

). However, I'm excited about receiving this horn, and will keep you posted with my opinions on this horn, which are to be regarded as they are, mere opinions.

Finally, you owe me an email Van, or I'm sending my boys out for your bloody carcass!!!

[Van, just kidding about the bloody carcass, but email me anyways, thanks!]

FlugelFlyer · 06-09-2005, 11:37 PM

Well folks, here we go. I just received the horn this evening and played the world's favorite home gig in front of a critical mother and two estatic dogs.

I dread to say that I haven't practiced in four days due to work demands and a new revelation that a neighbor is annoyed by my horn every time she naps, which seems like all hours of the day and night. That said, the first thing I did was play a quick lick up to double C (Hey, if I can, no one has an excuse not to!

). After that, I went through a ton of jazz standards for my mother, and she thought the horn played with a light and delicate sound as opposed to my kill-the-neighborhood-with-projection Bach. She told me I sounded like "that Spanish guy, I forget his name." I immediately suggested Aurturo Sandoval; she said no. She said that it was that popular guy in the 80's which confused me. I fired off names which she didn't know, happened to say Herb Alpert, and then she said, "No, it's that guy from Tijuana Brass!" Shame on her.

Anyways, I was suprised at the Tijuana Brass comparison, but this horn isn't the Cathedral horn my Bach is, it has a smaller sound that I wasn't used to. Also, the blow is tighter than that on my Bach. However, the horn seemed to lock all the notes and play itself in tune and not miss.

I'll see how this horn performs in later days, and I'll probably play at least one freebie gig with it in a lounge in the Beverly neighborhood just to see how it does there.

NickD · 06-09-2005, 11:59 PM

Welcome to the trenches on this axe, Mike!

You're right about the the need to not blow so hard. That's what my buddy, Bruce D. said right away when I had him play it. It repsonds quickly. Also, your mom had some nice comments on the tone. Very cool.

What do you think of the valves???

In any case, it was a pleasure meeting you this evening. You'll have to pop on by some of the jam sessions I frequent. It's great fun and a neat learning envirnoment. I post about them as they come up.

Ok, I'll stay out of the way. It your show, now, but I really look forward to reading your thoughts.

Have a great time with the axe! Give the dogs a nice pat "on me," so to speak. I am a dog lover (got a big ol' greyhound - a rescued racer) from way back. They were sure full-o-beans! That's cool!

Oh yeah, Mike, I told you I put BiNak grease on the slides. I also used BiNak Pro valve oil, not 495. If you are going to use standard valve oil, you might want to wipe off the BiNak. I also forgot to mention that I ran some warm water throught the horn to rinse it out before I gave it to you.

Have a lovely weekend! I look forward to reading your ideas.

Peace!

Nick Drozdoff

FlugelFlyer · 06-10-2005, 12:47 AM

The dogs? They're known as the Mafia around the block. They frequently break out, run long distances, steal things from other houses, and are slippery to catch. The black cockapoo is about 3 and the Jack Russel is about 1-1/2. I should have let you in though to see the nine cats and two birds though.

Anyways, big thanks for dropping that horn off! I'll also be checking into the jam sessions you post. Playing with the same ol' posers as I call them in the college band, more like a community band, gets very old after awhile for obvious reasons. My aunts have been wanting to see me play for awhile, and I figure playing this Wednesday over in the Beverly area (between 95th and 111th on Western, don't know whereabouts yet) will be the perfect place to test this horn. I truly am suprised at the difference in sound a horn can make.

The valves, they're actually slightly slower than my Bach! However, I don't think it's completely fair to judge them as my Bach just was babied and this horn's been on the road. I love the short stroke though as a geetarist. I don't think Binak is sold near me, and my truck just entered the shop with a completely sheered AC bypass pulley and a bad serpentine belt, so I'll probably give the horn a bath in the new laundry tub and use Zaja oil for reference. I believe I have the French Vanilla flavor, so the next tester had better not be eating teriakyi sauced rice before blowing.

rjzeller · 06-10-2005, 02:07 AM

Flugel's post brings up a thought -- do we want to make sure we're all using the same oils in this horn? Or should we be cleaning it upon receipt or before shipping?

I only mention it because different oils will make the valves react differently, and if we're mixing oils, it could have detrimental effects -- this would not be fair in the least to the manufacturer....

Heavens2kadonka · 06-10-2005, 05:03 AM

Let Felix say what he wants used on this horn.

If it's something I own, I will mail it to you, Mike. I have valve oil in my spice rack.

BTW, I PMed ya Mike.

Van

NYTC · 06-10-2005, 11:06 AM

Hi guys.
I would strongly recommend that the horn is cleaned after each player,the leadpipe and the valves.Please,try not to give it a bath too much,otherwise it will come back to me in Raw Brass

As long as the valves are cleaned before and after it gets to you,you can use the oil that you use regularly.Try not to use anything synthetic.
In any case,I have a new set of valves ready

I would also recommend to put a drop of oil inside the leadpipe.
That's all for now.

Felix

FlugelFlyer · 06-10-2005, 12:03 PM

One more thing:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heavens2kadonka

Finally, about the SOUND of the horn. This was the only part of the horn I didn't think did superior. I look for a sound that is dark, but with a "hot" ring, like a Strad 37 or Stage 1 NY. I didn't think this horn's bell rang out like I wanted; it was a bit too tame. Of course, it wasn't dull or dead sounding, but it definitely wasn't what I wanted sound-wise.

I have to say, Van said it better than I could ever say about the sound of this horn. I'd have to grade it a C- there, but that's the only glowing disparity on the horn thus far.

NYTC · 06-10-2005, 12:07 PM

As we all know,this is a custom horn.
With this in mind,the bell can be changed to a Gold brass bell,to give you the sound that you are looking for.

FlugelFlyer · 06-12-2005, 12:25 AM

Today, didn't get to play much, but I played a quick lick up to G above double C! It sounded like crud, but I should be able to replicate it next time, and I'll post a lo-fi clip of me doing it for the record next time.

A real dumb story now:

Today, I took the valves out of their casings, washed them down, wiped them clean, wiped the casings clean, oiled the valves, and put them back in. The valves were sure slick, but something got stuck in the horn!

...or so I thought. Long story short, I put the valves in backwards.

06-08-2005, 10:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
FlugelFlyer Piano User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Palos Park, IL Posts: 320	Custom Phaeton Review #3, crash test in progress Barring any forsaken misfortunes, the Phaeton will be arriving tomorrow (If my place looks like a dump, Nick, its because we're remodeling. If you came later in the season, you could have demoed some vegetables from our garden though ). Anyways: A quick bio of myself. I'm a college student who's majoring in flight management, entering my senior year. The bass guitar is my primary instrument right now, and I probably fall under the category of "high caliber recreational player," emphasis placed on recreational, and I don't consider myself to be a contender for the heavyweight crown anytime soon. I tend to follow the philosophies of Claude Gordon, and though I don't play a huge horn, I find myself playing best on large cup mouthpieces with a medium blow to the whole thing, hence the KT backbore and ML trumpet bore. My Bach is about six years old, and it's the same horn my mother brought me my freshman year of high school. I despise equipment safaris greatly, and if a younger player seems to be struggling with equipment, I'll sand the label of a regular mouthpiece, maybe a Bach 5C or 7C, and tell the student simply to "play this, it'll work for ya!" If I find a student horn searching for the sake of horn searching when the current glove works, I'll probably throw them through a wall. Anyways, no debate needed here, that's merely my philosophy on playing trumpet, and diverse opinions are paramount on this tour. I'm breaking out of my mold to give this horn a test run, and I'll give it a go this Saturday in a grinder rehearsal with my band (do a search), along with my traditional bass guitar duties. I expect equipment shock at first, and I hear that you could easily defend yourself in the worst Chicago ghettos with this horn (yes, it's probably bulletproof too ). However, I'm excited about receiving this horn, and will keep you posted with my opinions on this horn, which are to be regarded as they are, mere opinions. Finally, you owe me an email Van, or I'm sending my boys out for your bloody carcass!!! [Van, just kidding about the bloody carcass, but email me anyways, thanks!] __________________ Bach 180LR, 72 bell Bach 1-1/2C Bach 3D

06-09-2005, 11:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
FlugelFlyer Piano User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Palos Park, IL Posts: 320	Well folks, here we go. I just received the horn this evening and played the world's favorite home gig in front of a critical mother and two estatic dogs. I dread to say that I haven't practiced in four days due to work demands and a new revelation that a neighbor is annoyed by my horn every time she naps, which seems like all hours of the day and night. That said, the first thing I did was play a quick lick up to double C (Hey, if I can, no one has an excuse not to! ). After that, I went through a ton of jazz standards for my mother, and she thought the horn played with a light and delicate sound as opposed to my kill-the-neighborhood-with-projection Bach. She told me I sounded like "that Spanish guy, I forget his name." I immediately suggested Aurturo Sandoval; she said no. She said that it was that popular guy in the 80's which confused me. I fired off names which she didn't know, happened to say Herb Alpert, and then she said, "No, it's that guy from Tijuana Brass!" Shame on her. Anyways, I was suprised at the Tijuana Brass comparison, but this horn isn't the Cathedral horn my Bach is, it has a smaller sound that I wasn't used to. Also, the blow is tighter than that on my Bach. However, the horn seemed to lock all the notes and play itself in tune and not miss. I'll see how this horn performs in later days, and I'll probably play at least one freebie gig with it in a lounge in the Beverly neighborhood just to see how it does there. __________________ Bach 180LR, 72 bell Bach 1-1/2C Bach 3D

06-09-2005, 11:59 PM	#3 (permalink)
NickD Mezzo Forte User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Chicago northern suburbs Posts: 845	Excellent! Welcome to the trenches on this axe, Mike! You're right about the the need to not blow so hard. That's what my buddy, Bruce D. said right away when I had him play it. It repsonds quickly. Also, your mom had some nice comments on the tone. Very cool. What do you think of the valves??? In any case, it was a pleasure meeting you this evening. You'll have to pop on by some of the jam sessions I frequent. It's great fun and a neat learning envirnoment. I post about them as they come up. Ok, I'll stay out of the way. It your show, now, but I really look forward to reading your thoughts. Have a great time with the axe! Give the dogs a nice pat "on me," so to speak. I am a dog lover (got a big ol' greyhound - a rescued racer) from way back. They were sure full-o-beans! That's cool! Oh yeah, Mike, I told you I put BiNak grease on the slides. I also used BiNak Pro valve oil, not 495. If you are going to use standard valve oil, you might want to wipe off the BiNak. I also forgot to mention that I ran some warm water throught the horn to rinse it out before I gave it to you. Have a lovely weekend! I look forward to reading your ideas. Peace! Nick Drozdoff __________________ NickD "Live Webcam Lessons Now Available with NickD" http://www.nickdrozdoff.com http://www.newyorktrumpetcompany.com http://www.myspace.com/nickdrozdoff

06-10-2005, 12:47 AM	#4 (permalink)
FlugelFlyer Piano User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Palos Park, IL Posts: 320	The dogs? They're known as the Mafia around the block. They frequently break out, run long distances, steal things from other houses, and are slippery to catch. The black cockapoo is about 3 and the Jack Russel is about 1-1/2. I should have let you in though to see the nine cats and two birds though. Anyways, big thanks for dropping that horn off! I'll also be checking into the jam sessions you post. Playing with the same ol' posers as I call them in the college band, more like a community band, gets very old after awhile for obvious reasons. My aunts have been wanting to see me play for awhile, and I figure playing this Wednesday over in the Beverly area (between 95th and 111th on Western, don't know whereabouts yet) will be the perfect place to test this horn. I truly am suprised at the difference in sound a horn can make. The valves, they're actually slightly slower than my Bach! However, I don't think it's completely fair to judge them as my Bach just was babied and this horn's been on the road. I love the short stroke though as a geetarist. I don't think Binak is sold near me, and my truck just entered the shop with a completely sheered AC bypass pulley and a bad serpentine belt, so I'll probably give the horn a bath in the new laundry tub and use Zaja oil for reference. I believe I have the French Vanilla flavor, so the next tester had better not be eating teriakyi sauced rice before blowing. __________________ Bach 180LR, 72 bell Bach 1-1/2C Bach 3D

06-10-2005, 02:07 AM	#5 (permalink)
rjzeller Forte User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Rochester, MN Posts: 1,212	Flugel's post brings up a thought -- do we want to make sure we're all using the same oils in this horn? Or should we be cleaning it upon receipt or before shipping? I only mention it because different oils will make the valves react differently, and if we're mixing oils, it could have detrimental effects -- this would not be fair in the least to the manufacturer.... __________________ There are 10 kinds of people in the world: Those who understand binary and those who do not.

06-10-2005, 05:03 AM	#6 (permalink)
Heavens2kadonka Forte User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Carthage, TN Posts: 1,283	Let Felix say what he wants used on this horn. If it's something I own, I will mail it to you, Mike. I have valve oil in my spice rack. BTW, I PMed ya Mike. Van __________________ Stage 1 California Light '94 Bach Strad 37 1900 Eb Cornet LOUD Steve Patrick 10 1/2 C LOUD LM93

06-10-2005, 11:06 AM	#7 (permalink)
NYTC Forte User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Brooklyn,NY Posts: 1,077	Hi guys. I would strongly recommend that the horn is cleaned after each player,the leadpipe and the valves.Please,try not to give it a bath too much,otherwise it will come back to me in Raw Brass As long as the valves are cleaned before and after it gets to you,you can use the oil that you use regularly.Try not to use anything synthetic. In any case,I have a new set of valves ready I would also recommend to put a drop of oil inside the leadpipe. That's all for now. Felix __________________ www.NewYorkTrumpetCompany.com Stage 1 Trumpets

06-10-2005, 12:07 PM	#9 (permalink)
NYTC Forte User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Brooklyn,NY Posts: 1,077	As we all know,this is a custom horn. With this in mind,the bell can be changed to a Gold brass bell,to give you the sound that you are looking for. __________________ www.NewYorkTrumpetCompany.com Stage 1 Trumpets

06-12-2005, 12:25 AM	#10 (permalink)
FlugelFlyer Piano User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Palos Park, IL Posts: 320	Today, didn't get to play much, but I played a quick lick up to G above double C! It sounded like crud, but I should be able to replicate it next time, and I'll post a lo-fi clip of me doing it for the record next time. A real dumb story now: Today, I took the valves out of their casings, washed them down, wiped them clean, wiped the casings clean, oiled the valves, and put them back in. The valves were sure slick, but something got stuck in the horn! ...or so I thought. Long story short, I put the valves in backwards. __________________ Bach 180LR, 72 bell Bach 1-1/2C Bach 3D

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