horner

Hi, i am looking into possibly buying a new trumpet and i would like to know how the weight of the trumpet affects the instrument. Do heavy trumpets have a different sound to light ones? Also does the size bore impact on the tone?

Sorry if these are obvious answers but i am looking on the stomvi website and it has standard weight of the trumpets as cheaper than heavy/light weight and im not fully sure what the differences are.

memorax700

I think heavier horns have a darker sound beacause of the thiscker metal and heavier bracing, and lighter horns have a brighter sound cause of lighter metal. not sure though

trumpetnick

Bassically is true, but a lot depends also on the mouthpiece, bell flare shape and other variables in trumpet building. Test the horn first!

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Spada Bach C 256, leadpipe 2LQ/DWMM1.5C
1956 Olds Ambassador Cornet
Spada Custom Piccolo

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

CHAMP

heavier horns give you bigger biceps!

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rowuk

The weight does not determine if the horn is dark or bright. Actually, if it were just the mass, the heavy horn would sound brighter.

I find that the heavier the horn, the more energy gets to the audience, but the harder it is to hear yourself. If you ONLY play in big halls, a heavy horn is a great thing. The heavy horns slot better. Lighter horns give you the impression that they speak easier.
If you just do the normal band thing and practice in your bedroom you are probably going to be happy with something "not" heavy. There is a reason why the "mid weight" Bachs, Yamahas, Kanstul, Getzen, Schilke all have a big following. Just like a "heavy" horn, a "light" one is more of a specialty instrument and you generally know why you want one!

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MJ

Heavy horns sound dark to me and lighter horns sound more brilliant. Are my ears messed up?

Also, I think lighter horns project better and I don't care what size the hall.

I have sat in huge halls and have heard Monettes get buried by Bachs. Not dogging on Monettes but I'm not sold on "big horns" projecting better than lighter trumpets in large halls.

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rowuk

MJ,
your ears are not messed up - but Monette is not the only heavy horn out there and there is nothing "standard" about Daves approach to building horns.

I played Andy Taylors heavy horn - it is the proverbial better Bach. That sound that sells, just denser. The reason that the player thinks it sounds darker is because a heavy bell does not pass as much high frequency energy to the player. A thin bell sends a lot of energy to the player (but less to the audience).

With the same player, the heavier horn will project better, simply because there is less energy funnelled away from the audience.

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

MJ

Rowuk, If that is the case why don't we see the worlds leading orchestral players playing heavy horns. Theses are people who want to project. Maybe Manny is an exception and he is an incredible player. But if you look through the rosters of major orchestras in the world you would be hard pressed to find someone playing a "heavy horn" be it Monette or otherwise.

Same for lead players. Don't they want to project? Why don't I see more lead players playing heavy horns?

MJ

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rowuk

The explanation is very simple, that is not where their heads are. Projection is not the primary reason for owning a horn. The balance in your hands, the feedback from the horn, the sound they have gotten used to are all valid reasons.

Even Dave Monette has added primarily LIGHT horns and dropped the Shakti from the collection. Manny is playing a Prana1 now, not his Ajna. Not because it is better or worse, rather because the musical director (Osmo) told him that the heavy horn didn't give him enough clues that it was getting too loud. If having edge at high volume levels is a musical goal, then heavy may not be the best choice. Manny has that post somewhere here at TM. His video clip at Monette does show what the difference really is though!

As far as lead players go, it is even easier. It is loud on stage (monitors), you are amplified (microphones) and like I said, the energy "leaking" through the bell simply gives you more feedback. Projection is not the most important factor when you are playing into a PA. Erik Veldkamp has a lighter Van Laar for his lead playing and a heavier Oiram for other stuff.

I replaced my Ajna2 with a Prana3 (at Dave Monettes and Deans recommendation), sometimes I miss the additional brilliance/density, but not very often.............. I still have the other horns for the additional colors. I am not a one size fits all player.

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

Walter

I think Rowuk is right about the projection of heavy horns and efficient use of energy. My Taylor has a mighty core but does not sound loud on stage....that is why I bought my own monitor for the louder jazz gigs. I have just got a Bach 43 and I can hear it much easier on stage but also because it is quite bright it does seem to cut above the band.....amplified to make sure....

When it comes to full orchestral music you expect it to be played in a big hall. The better composers know all about the volume and projection of the instruments and write the music so that each is heard clearly. I am sure you will never see a notation that say "FFF heavy trumpets only need apply"... That's why so many standard Bach/ Yamaha's are all that is needed....

Venture in to jazz/funk/rock etc and you will find more heavy weights...

Walter