trptbenge

First, I want to thank Flip and Tom for the opportunity afforded me by this tour. It is a great marketing idea. I was anxious to have the Wild Thing to myself for a whole week. I had high expectations and I was not disappointed.

Like many players my main concern I had was whether I could handle a .470 bore for any period of time. I had recently had a less then satisfying experience with a Selmer 80J, a .463 bore horn that plays much larger, and this heightened my concerns. Could I control the larger bore? Well, I was surprised. Not only could I handle the larger bore I found myself using the larger tuning slide. I liked the sound with it a little more. So, the bore size was not an issue with me. The horn comes with a second tuning slide with a slightly smaller bore (I believe .464) which some players may prefer.

The first thing you notice about the Wild Thing, besides the openness, is how responsive it feels. It is lighter weight then I remembered and feels very comfortable and balanced in my hands.

The next thing, which jumps out at you almost immediately, is the sound. It has a beautiful sound that really surprised me. I recorded myself using my computer and played it back. I was struck by how full, brilliant and luscious the sound was. It filled up the room.

One thing that did surprise me was my articulation. At first I thought it was my imagination but I found it easier to tongue on the Wild Thing. I am not sure if this because there is less turbulence or what. But there is a difference.

As you can imagine you can get some volume from the horn. However, you can play whisper soft with the Wild Thing as well. I had a friend that played it and played and played it. He said this horn is so easy to play. I couldn’t agree more.

The horn I compared it to the most was my Kanstul 1500 with a copper bell. The bracing and valve clusters on the horn are the same. This is not surprising since both horns were made by Kanstul. The Leadpipe, the mpc receiver and the bells are very different. I also understand that Flip tweaks the horns before they are sent out. The construction was excellent. The valves were smooth and very quick.

Overall I would rate the Wild Thing slightly higher then my 1500. My 1500 projects slightly better and has a nice sound but different from the Wild Thing. I will say that people who listened to me said they liked my sound better on the Wild Thing – a more brilliant sound. My articulation is better on the Wild Thing. One thing I need to mention here is that I played quite a few 1500’s before I bought this one. It is a remarkable horn.

The Wild Thing is an excellent horn that is easy to play and is very versatile. If anyone is considering buying a new trumpet you need to really consider the Wild Thing. A great horn!

Thanks again guys!

Mike