What a great horn this is. Free blowing and with a fiery sound up high. It takes some getting used to....it can feel a bit sharp in the lower register if you don't relax....but it produces a great sound with a unique character. MLP players chime in with your thoughts....have you made any modifications?....results?.....

I just got my 1965 Burbank MLP today. Excellent horn. It's funny I've been playing MLPs for 30 years. Lately, I've been playing a 1972 LA Claude Gordon, which I just feel is too large for me. However, it's interesting, when I played the MLP today it felt a little stuffy to me (because I've been playing the larger CG), but it doesn't wear me out to play. Man, I just picked it up, no warmup or anything, 2 octave chromatic scale easy as pie. I LOVE these horns....

bigtiny

Originally Posted by bigtiny

Man, I just picked it up, no warmup or anything, 2 octave chromatic scale easy as pie. I LOVE these horns....

bigtiny

....from High C to Triple C right?

Originally Posted by hubnub

....from High C to Triple C right?

Nah....I stopped trying that stuff when I left high school.....some guys have high note chops, I don't.....but it's okay, I've got all the range I need.

bigtiny

i love the one ive been playin, my dad is the only owner since '76 i think, and i would almost give up my new stage one for it.

i do have a question about benge horns and im gald this came up. did maynard ever play benge, ive got a friend who plays a 50s benge mlp in perfect condition that he claims was a maynard benge. did he in fact play benge?

Originally Posted by bigpapajosh

i love the one ive been playin, my dad is the only owner since '76 i think, and i would almost give up my new stage one for it.

i do have a question about benge horns and im gald this came up. did maynard ever play benge, ive got a friend who plays a 50s benge mlp in perfect condition that he claims was a maynard benge. did he in fact play benge?

It's hard to say how many different horns a guy like Maynard played over the years, but I've never HEARD of him ever playing a Benge. I can almost guarantee that if he did, it would not have been an MLP. He played notoriously large bore horns. My first pro horn (bought in 1975) was a Holton MF Horn and playing that thing was like trying to make music with a coffee can!!!! Trying to play an MLP with that kind of airstream would probably just back it up on you. I know that I cannot play the ML Benges because they are too stuffy for me....go figure.

Anyway, I'd ask your friend why he thinks his horn is a 'Maynard" Benge....

bigtiny

I´ve tested quite a bunch of Benges and Burbanks (the clone), this is my personal impression:

Benge 2X+: Very centered, very bright to sharp sound
Benge 3X: Bit broader sound, quite some resistance
Benge 3X+: Very bright sound, less resistance
Benge 5X: Softer, broader sound, some resistance

For me the 3X and 5X works better than the 3X+. Especially the high register is for me easier to play with more resistance, than the 3X+ offers. The resistance helps me to keep the aperture small and helps playing fluid solos through my range.
With the 3X+ I have the feeling, the distances between the notes are greater than at the 3X and 5X.

The 5X is my favorite. It´s resistance between a 3X and 3X+

Just my embouchure.

Herbert

Bought MLP+ new...(my first pro horm, after I beat the heck out of an Ambassador)...30-some years ago for college jazz ensemble and "beach" music. Its still a player and a keeper. Had Dr. Valve give it a good cleaning, etc. couple of years back. He said it didn't need anything done to it, and "don't do anything to it". While its been played...its been babied...and its a time capsule.

Dizzyizzy

I bought my LA Benge 3X+ new in 1976. It takes a lot of air to play, but I think it has a richer and more open tone than the 3X. My brother has a 1979 LA Benge 3X that I've used over the years when my horn has been out on loan, so I've had plenty of opportunity to draw comparisons. The 3X is a nice horn too, but seems to have a more closed quality to the tone. As I try to build up my chops to where I wouldn't embrass myself auditioning for the local amatuer symphony orchestra I'm playing an Olds Ambassador cornet during daily practice. I find it's easier to play in my deconditioned state, so I stay more motivated to keep practicing. I'm looking forward to being worthy of the 3X+ again soon. LOVE that horn!

Glen

hi everyone,didn't have the opportunity to play a plus model, but i do have a 3 / ML benge, #29194, works good for me with a bigger mouthpiece (wider ) and a more open / standard back bore for playing all types of genre. usually i play off a CG benge and that's usually with a smaller width and a standard/tighter backbore , both pieces are the "shallow" type too.
no triple "C", but a solid hi-G above the staff is okay for me
aloha,