stchasking

I knew if we talked about using a cutting torch and a big hammer we could get you some advice.

__________________
"I was performing professionally at age 17 and have never had a real job." Allen Vizzutti

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mattdalton

I've tried a few Eclipse trumpets and found them all to have excellent intonation. But, like many of the best trumpets out there, they can be more sensitive to mouthpiece match than the average trumpet.

If you like your current mouthpiece, follow Jim's advice quoted above and check the gap.

Gap can really make a difference in intonation. You can easily determine if your gap is too small by trying the Bob Reeves paper trick. If this improves or fixes the pitch problem, Mark Curry can either adjust your current mouthpiece or make you another of the same that provides a larger gap.

If the paper trick makes things worse, your current gap may be too large. In that case, try another mouthpiece or get an accurate measurement of the gap, then consult either Mark or the folks at Eclipse on what to do.

Hope this helps.

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Matt Dalton

B15M

PLEASE DON'T MODIFY YOUR TRUMPET!!!

Try to pop the mouthpiece by hitting it lightly with the palm of your hand. Don't hit it or it will get stuck. You just want to hear a little pop that has a pitch to it.

Listen to that note and then play the note. They should be the same. If when you play the note if it is flat it is most likely something you are doing.

Try loosening the mouthpiece so it sits in there but can be removed easily. Play a G and while playing pull the mouthpiece out. See if the buzz is the same note as the trumpet.

Experiment with moving your bottom jaw while holding a note. The angle of the air can change pitch.

Now I will pick on your teacher a little.

I have had every problem in the book and worked hard to overcome them. The same goes for my teacher. This gives us perspective on physically what can go wrong. I have never met your teacher and don't know who she is but, some people are just naturals and just fly when it comes to playing. They know how to play and musically can tell you what to do but, it comes easily to them so it's a little harder to understand some of the physical problems the part time player goes through.

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Schwab

If you pull your mouthpiece out while playing, unless you do something different with your embouchure, it should go to air. The resistance of the horn is what makes the lips buzz.

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Dylan Schwab
Stage 1 New York

B15M

When I tried it it worked.

Ok, do it the other way. Buzz the mouthpiece on a G and put it in and see what comes out.

__________________
"Taking plain notes on the page and bringing them to life is an art" - Tony Kadleck


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NYTC

Gene,
I've had a pleasure working with Eclipse instruments for a while, and never had any truble/problems with intonation and overall quality of these horns,Bb, C and Cornet alike.
The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to pick up the phone, and call Leigh or John at the Eclipse shop. I am sure they will be more than happy to assist you. And as Noel stated above, it is more than likely that he personally tested this horn before it went to you. If they had found any type of a problem with it, they would have NEVER let it our from the factory.
Give them a call, they'll take care of you.

Felix

__________________

www.NewYorkTrumpetCompany.com
Stage 1 Trumpets

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Gene

To all I am overwhelmed with gratidute for the responses and advise. As you might imagine this has been wearing on me quite badly and I have been reluctant to bring it up. I now have some directions to pursue. I must tell you on more than one occasion while playing solo in Church this horn brought tears to peoples eyes. So at least they did not mind it (or me) being a little flat.

Be assured I have no intention of having any surgery perfromed on it.

Wow what a relief. Trumpet people are the best.

Noel, I sent you an email with more detailed answers to your questions as I did not fill comfortable mentioning where the horn came from etc. in an open forum.

Thank you all and I will advise the hoped for progress as well as hopefully a surprised teacher...

__________________
Gene

Bb Gplated MR Eclipse
Bb Getzen 3051s
Picc Yamaha 9830

mike ansberry

I won an Eclipse MR Gold in the contest a couple of years ago. It is a wonderful horn. Everyone notices the great tone I have on it. I too have trouble with it playing flat. It will play pretty close to pitch when I have the slide all the way in. If it is a cold room or the group plays a little high, I'm in trouble. I talked to Pat Harbison at a jazz festival. He said that he thinks the Eclipse trumpets are a little long for American players because the European guys tend to play with a little brighter sound, a little higher on the center of the horn.

I have considered going back to my Bach 37 because it can be a LOT of work to force the horn up to pitch on a 4 hour gig. But I love the way the Eclipse plays. I have emailed Eclipse several times and received no response. I guess they are swamped with business. I would love to buy a shorter tuning slide for the horn. I guess I'll have to call them. Maybe I'll make a tuning slide myself. That way I can just switch slides and don't have to actually modify the horn.

__________________
"Music is a fire in your belly that has to come out of your mouth, so you'd better put a horn in the way before someone gets hurt" (paraphrase of Bleeding Gums Murphy)

Eclipse MR in scratch gold
Olds Super/Ultrasonic
Conn 40B
Leblanc Paris large bore with Bach mouthpipe
Bach 37
Olds L-12 Flugel
Benge Picc
Buescher Cornet made in 1914
American Standard (King?) beginner trumpet (crap)

Willing to provide a good home for a stray Conn 48B or Olds Recording

stchasking

This is a long shot so I'll tell you about my experience.
Back in my Seattle days I used to play trumpet in a church in south Renton. They never heated the sanctuary. I showed up for rehearsal and asked to tune with their brand new pipe organ. One of the choir ladies said not to bother as the organ is never in tune. Ouch! At the next rehearsal I suggested that on special music occasions they preheat the sanctuary to 72F. That way all the organ pipes and my horn would would be in tune. It was an epiphany for the choir people to turn on the heat a little in advance of the performance.

A cold sanctuary will flatten your pitch. My suggestion is a shot in the dark but I wanted to tell the story.

__________________
"I was performing professionally at age 17 and have never had a real job." Allen Vizzutti

http://cdbaby.com/cd/mcking

Gene

Thank you Mike. We know we are not alone, huh. I believe we can get to the bottom this as I too really enjoy playing the horn.

stchasking, our church can get chilly as well. And oh yes thank you for mentioning the hammer and torch....

And for all please do not get the wrong impression of my teacher as she is really an accomplished professional and teacher as well as being a neat person. She is really good for me.

__________________
Gene

Bb Gplated MR Eclipse
Bb Getzen 3051s
Picc Yamaha 9830