tptshark

Hi all,

Apologies in advance for the long post!

I took delivery of two new horns last week (Christmas definitely came early this year!), and thought i'd share my initial impressions with you all.

They are both one-of-a-kind horns from the New York Trumpet Company, a Stage 1 Signature Bb (and a leather torpedo bag to put it in), and a Stage 1 piccolo. As always Felix was an absolute pleasure to deal with.

Ok ... here we go… Bb first:

I picked up the horn on Friday morning and taught a few lessons with it, then off to a jazz gig – background music, lots of quiet playing, nothing too high etc. Initial impressions were that it wasn’t as good as my original Stage 1 Classic (which i lost in a motorcycle accident about 6 months ago). I think this had a lot to do with having to spend time working out how many layers of tape to wrap on my m’pieces (the new horn has a larger reciever than is standard), and having the second valve stick a few times. Also the light weight of the new horn didn’t quite feel right. But all initial misgivings were shed very quickly… The valves are very quick (when not sticking), and playing all the jazz lines, it just felt like you could play as fast as your brain would go! The sound at low volumes is really clear and sweet – I think I was actually playing softer than I normally would, just because it felt so easy to do so, and the sound was so clear.

Day 2 … actually got some practice in! Firstly about endurance on the new horn – Awesome! I was practicing along, working out mouthpiece issues (more tape wrapping), and finding the centre of the pitch and the intonation, and doing some fast passage work… two hours later I realised that I hadn’t taken a break and was only just starting to feel fatigued! The second valve was still giving me trouble, so I pulled it out again and cleaned and oiled it – but then I noticed the valve guide wasn’t slipping back evenly, so I played around with it a bit and it’s been fine since. Must have got stuck out of alignment a bit in transit. Now the valves are blisteringly quick and smooth. Phew! So then another backgroundy jazz gig that night, and it felt much more comfortable. No sticky valve and intonation starting to settle. Did I mention that the fit and finish is awesome – better even than on the old Classic! It looks incredible btw - shiny palladium plating with gold plate inside the bell and on the valve caps.

Day 3 … alright – the real test: a big band gig followed by a rehearsal of the show Cats. Crikey! – this thing is great!!! Finally getting to play it in a lead setting made me realise just how great it is! I think I am starting to get used to the intonation and finding the centre too. The sound is brilliant and clear, and in every register. There was no problem cutting through the band, or singing over the top – yet it still formed a nice blend with the rest of the brass section when I wasn’t showboating! J And my endurance (always a bit of a problem for me) has seriously increased when playing this horn! I imagine as I settle in it will get even better. I’ve a feeling I’ve been adjusting for intonation a bit on the Stage 1 Vintage i've been playing for the past few months, and need to relax into this horn. A few times I overpitched – the slotting in the high register seems very close, but still secure. I can’t wait til I can put in some serious practice hours in the high range and sort out the pitching – I’ve a feeling it will just scream once I’m used to it. Then going straight to the show rehearsal gave me an opportunity to test its versatility. There was absolutely no problem in switching settings. Going back to soft controlled playing was easy as pie, and the horn made playing so enjoyable. Blended well with the woodwinds and brass. Projected beautifully in the solo passages, and allowed me a bit of edge when required – even though I didn’t push the volume. Any concerns I had about weight are gone – it plays like a heavier horn, slotting well and holding together at volume, but without the sore arms J

Day 4 … about to head off to teaching this morning, then a whole day to practice – how exciting! J

Oh … the torpedo case is great J Love the leather look, and it’s so well made – brilliant!

Ok ... now the Picc:

To be honest, I don’t think I can give a very accurate report just yet … I haven’t played picc for a year or so, and need time to get my chops sorted out on it, but here goes anyway J The sounds is really clear and brilliant, doesn’t get too harsh at loud volumes, and is really sweet when I back off a little. Intonation seems pretty good on the Bb side – haven’t tried it in A yet (I don’t have much call for playing in A). Having the 3rd slide trigger is a godsend! The valves and slides are great – flawless, quick, and even movement from all. I’ve had a ball getting out all the baroque repertoire and bashing through it – this thing is great fun to play! Much easier and secure than any other picc I’ve played, I reckon it would easily give a Schilke a run for it’s money – I’ll try and get together with some symphony guys and see if we can do some back-to-back testing of it.

Felix has done it again - any problems and i know its me ... no more excuses - back to the practice room!!!

That’s about it for now. I’ll write more when I’m settled into the horns. Anything anyone would like to know!?

oh - pictures, ok...here you go:

Stage1Signature_small.JPG

Stage1Piccolo6.JPG

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www.adriankelly.com

Richard Oliver

Adrian,

She's just beautiful. Thanks for the detailed review!

Happy Day,

Richard Oliver