Jimi Michiel

Hey,
Has anybody out there tried any of Ken Larson's instruments? (www.brasswerks.com) I'm just curious. I met Ken at Interlochen and have a freind who plays a Larson leadpipe on his C trumpet, but I haven't heard anything about the instruments he is making.
Thanks,
Jimi

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Schwab

I played a Larson C trumpet at Ferguson's in CA a couple months back. It was really excellent, there was a Yamaha Chicago model there too and the Larson blew it away (they cost about the same). It had the same hidden reversed leadpipe design as are on the Yamahas (Larson and Malone worked together I think?)

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Dylan Schwab
Stage 1 New York

BradHarrison

I've never played one of his new GFT horns but I do have a Larson Yamaha C conversion(or as I like to call it, a Larsaha).

He basically retained everything I like about the horn and eliminated most of the problems. The pitch is way better(almost as good as my Bb) and the tone is bright and rich when played full but still subtle when played gently.

In my limited experience with the Yamaha Chicago I'd say the Larson plays almost as well as the Chicago. I think the big advantage is the bell. I really love that new bell. I like it on the Chicago and on the Z. I can't wait to try the new 8335LA which shares the same bell. But for the money the Larson was a better investment because I already had money tied up with the original C.

The Larson C is a very good trumpet. If a stock Yamaha is a 6/10 the Larson is a solid 7.5 and the Chicago is an 8. I'm not sure what I'd place at 9 or 10 but I think trumpet physics still have a ways to go. Oh, and I'd place a stock Bach at about 5.5(I'm not a big fan of Bach horns).

One other thing...Ken's customer service was quite good and the turnaround was pretty fast too. I'd give him a call or email if you're interested in his stuff.

dizforprez

Has anyone played a Larson side by side with a Malone conversion?

How do they compare, are they pretty much the same?

Jimi Michiel

Brad,
Thanks, that was helpful. I'm-Jimi not a big fan of Bach either, but mainly because I can never find one that I like. A friend of mine has a Bach that Ken re-did and it plays great. The response is great and it has a naturally brilliant sound but still has the character of a Bach (without all the inconstancy that you sometimes find in a Bach). I'm going to see my friend over break and give his Larson conversion another try.

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dizforprez

That is good to know, if something ever happend to my Malone C it would be nice to be able to pick up a horn that is comparable.

Chaos

I have a GFT LX Bb on the way, if you all want me to I would be happy to post an evaluation once I get a chance to play it some. So far, Ken Larson has been fantastic to deal with.

CJH

I use a Bach C Larson conversion which is a real nice horn. I also tried his GFT line at ITG last year and was instantly in love with one of his C trumpets. It had a beatifully even scale, was easy to play, responsive, had a rich tone, really everything I could want in a C trumpet. Now I regret not buying it then and there...

I compared it to the Yamaha Chicago C's and the Laskey C's which were just down the hall and while all three were great horns, the Larson came out on top for me in the final analysis. Bottom line: the Laskey felt a little tight for me and the Yamaha just didn't have the sound. The Larson seemed to excel in all areas.

He also had an amazing Eb there. I don't think I tried any of his Bb's.