tunefultrumpet

I need some advice, please. By chance I played on a student's Holton T602 today (a student Bb trumpet) and I found it played really nicely. My curiosity aroused, I did a play test against my Bach strad 37 mL which I have owned for 20 years. To my amazement the Holton played more in tune throughout it's entire range than my Bach. My Bach plays really flat D, E, F in the stave, the holton was spot on. It also felt like it was a lot less work to produce a tone on the Holton than the Bach. I weighed both horns and there is only a 100g difference (2.4kg Holton, 2.5 kg Bach). Was I sold a dud Bach 20 years ago and have been working harder than I need to for all that time? or there something else going on that I am not aware of? All comments appreciated....

Schwab

Maybe the Holton is just a better match for you. Thats why they make so many different brands of horns! I don't think everyone was made to play a Bach 37.

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trumpetnick

Certainly not! I never felt really at home with 37...that's why my Bell is 72...Felt really well also with some of the Possegger signature horns...My wallet had some concerns though

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If you don't know where you are going, you 'll end up someplace else

Vulgano Brother

All kinds of parameters can match the horn to the player (and the player's mouthpiece), and my experience has been that just as certain imperfections can make certain women more beautiful in the eyes of some beholders than others, we each have our own idea what horns should play like.

Bach has made it a point of pride to keep using old tooling and dimentions--part of a tradition thing. Only recently have they felt the need to try some new stuff. Holton has kept trying new stuff for a long, long time, and with good computers and great programs, a maker can design all kinds of workable instruments.

It may well be that the Holton is a better fit for you, but do not be discouraged by the "student" designation. The best trumpet in the world is a "student trumpet" in the hands of a beginner, and a "student trumpet" in the hands of the best player in the world is a professional instrument.

Your 37 may be a dud, however. Bach was never famed for consistency of their instruments, and age or initial manufacture may have left you with an inferior 37. Try some other 37's. Is their a huge difference? If not, trade your horn for your student's or buy a Holton of your own, and enjoy!

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MJ

Speak for yourself Dylan

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rowuk

Your Bach has a flat F? I have NEVER heard of that before. Even the less consistent Bb horns were still OK in tune on D, Eb and E. I think you may have other problems like a leaky spit valve, dirt in the horn, valve alignment, maybe even a glob of solder somewhere inside.
I would get it professionally looked at.

As far as what you THINK you experienced................ I feel that you need to compare trumpets in a relatively large acoustic space. Many times, lighter instruments give you the impression that they are easier to play, when all that is happening is that you hear yourself better. The disadvantage to that is that the energy that reaches your ears is NOT getting to the audience. If you are in a bigger room, you feel what is necessary to fill the room - and THAT is where those light instruments become a lot tougher to play.
All comparisons have to be treated with caution. Too little knowledge can turn out expensive.

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tunefultrumpet

thanks for those comments guys, all good food for thought. The worst note on my Bach is the E just below top of the stave. It is very, very flat. Can't remember how flat the F was, maybe just a little. I keep my Bach clean, but it has some wear and tear. I did test the horns in a large room. I am going to play the Holton on a big band gig tonight and see how I find it. It maybe a Holton is the way to go for me, I might even buy the student Holton from the rental company.

ewetho

Has the Bach ever been aligned?? Have you tried different backbores on you mouthpiece or maybe a slightly different mouthpiece from another make???

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tunefultrumpet

no my Bach has never had an alignment done. Does that mean the valves get aligned? I have noticed that different mouthpieces affect the overall tuning...it's a good point, I should do some intonation tests using several different mouthpieces.

I tried the Holton and Bach comparison again at home and my wife reckoned, in a blind test, that if the two horns were pieces of wood, the Bach's sound was sanded wood and the Holton student model was unsanded wood. After she said it, I could hear what she meant. The Bach's sound was smoother. Tuning was still better on the Holton, though.

rowuk

That is a brilliant comparison. It is now up to you if your colleagues get splinters or not............

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.