As a brass player, there are naturally good days and bad days. Days where the instrument sings effortlessly, and days where you want nothing more than to touchdown spike your instrument into the pavement. What if I said that this issue could partially be within your control without changing the way you play?
We have all either seen, been, or wanted to be the person who has all of those little gadgets and gizmos plastered on to their trumpet. The cool leather valve guard… The hair tie to secure your 3rdvalve slide… The mouthpiece receiver-hugging BERP… All of these items, and many more, have amazing benefits and should be used to their full potential. However, let’s think for a second about how these additions may be affecting the sound of your instrument.
Paige’s Music has been the one-stop shop all things band and orchestra in central Indiana since 1871 and we are constantly looking to improve our service and product offerings. The newest addition to our Indianapolis location is a brass mouthpiece display featuring more than 60 mouthpieces specifically chosen by our brass specialists, Ross Werner and Tucker Woerner based on their knowledge and input from local teachers and professionals. Anyone who visits our store will be able to try any and all of these mouthpieces in the pursuit of perfecting their sound.
Last week we featured the Limited Edition “Kangakki” Xeno Trumpet. This week we are taking a look at another new offering in the Yamaha trumpet line-up, the second-generation Bobby Shew Signature Trumpet, YTR8310ZII. The Z model trumpets, released in 2004 and developed in cooperation with world-famous trumpet player Bobby Shew, have been Yamaha’s top jazz trumpet model. This newly revised model introduces the latest Yamaha structural technology and other features refined through tireless evaluations by Bobby and the Yamaha Research & Development team. The new 8310ZII has been refined to give players a more flexible instrument to meet the changing needs of modern trumpet players. From solo performance to lead in a big-band, this extraordinary instrument delivers brilliant tone and great power with a solid tonal core for all types of commercial trumpet playing with particular improvement of support for upper-register playing. From the Yamaha website: “The original Custom Z was born of Yamaha’s long and close partnership with legendary trumpet player Bobby Shew. In 2018, Yamaha and Bobby collaborated to create a second-generation YTR-8310ZII that further refines the brilliant tone and well-balanced playing resistance that contemporary styles demand. Bobby needed one versatile, efficient instrument that can wail out
Unveiled at the NAMM show just several weeks ago, the limited edition Yamaha Xeno “Kangakki” has arrived at Paige’s Music. Even more exciting is that there are only 100 of these trumpets available in the United States! Based on the acclaimed YTR-8335IIS Xeno, the Kangakki is truly one-of-a-kind with gold plated accents on the valve caps, valve buttons, black mother-of-pearl finger buttons, and a 16C4 mouthpiece with gold plated rim and cup. Finally, the “Kangakki” bell engraving adds one final touch that symbolizes “the highest quality of instruments for musicians of any level”. Instrument Features: A new bell design contributes to optimum resistance for a powerful tonal core and accurate slotting. The new design also enhances playability in the upper register. Thinner valve casing and pistons, as well as the modified angle of the branch tube (knuckle) result in improved response and provide the performer with an ideal blowing resistance. The button on the 1st slide serves to fine-tune the blowing resistance for optimum control. The height of the main slide water key gutter has been increased for optimum resistance, and the ends of the water key spring have been curled for improved response. Double case with backpack straps.
Hello, everyone! My name is Ross Werner, and I am the Trumpet Specialist here at Paige’s Music. My relationship with Paige’s began like most students in Indiana when I followed my parents into the Greenwood High School Band room to get fitted for an instrument during my 5thgrade year. I distinctly remember really wanting to be a percussionist, but Mr. Kalugyer was not hesitant in telling me that I should stick to trying out the trumpet. Turns out, I guess he made a pretty good choice for me! After my time at Greenwood High School, I went on to pursue and complete a degree in Arts Administration with a Music focus and Marketing Minor at Butler University from 2014-2018. During that time, I was fortunate enough to spend 4 years touring the country through Drum Corps International. In 2014, I played trumpet in the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps based out of Rockford, Illinois. I then spent the next three summers from 2015-2017 as a drum major for Carolina Crown Drum Corps from Fort Mill, South Carolina. My time at Butler also presented me with outstanding musical experiences, including four years as part of the University Wind Ensemble under
New to the Paige’s Music inventory and directly from the Conn-Selmer factory in Elkhart, Indiana, is the Bach Stradivarius New York 190S43W2 Centennial B-flat Trumpet! 2018 represents 100 years since the legendary Vincent Bach began his instrument manufacturing legacy. From the early beginnings of mouthpiece manufacturing, to the great horns that have come out of Mt. Vernon, NY and Elkhart, IN locations, the Vincent Bach brand is one of the most highly regarded in the industry. Available ONLY in the year 2018, the 190S43W2 commemorates this anniversary with a number of functional and aesthetic modifications to the standard 190S43 model. Playing and Production Features: Professional #43 bell with a side-seam resulting in a quick response and a brilliant tone Combination of two-piece valve construction, nickel silver outer slides, brass valve guides, and a steel bell wire provides a broad sound with a quick response and great feedback to the player A .459″ medium-large bore produces a well-rounded sound for all types of music Round steel bell wire allows for great projection and sound quality Commemorative Features: 24k gold trim on valves, 3rdvalve slide rod stop, and tuning slide water key 100thanniversary custom engraving on the bell “100 years”
While searching for the perfect new trumpet, many customers encounter the dilemma of, “Well this horn has a standard leadpipe, but this horn has a reverse leadpipe. What’s that difference?” Thank you for asking! A leadpipe on any trumpet is the main receiver for the instrument in which the mouthpiece fits into, and connects to the main tuning slide. The means in which the leadpipe connects to the main tuning slide is what constitutes the term “standard” (non-reverse) or “reverse”. For standard leadpipes, the main tuning slide fits inside of the leadpipe as pictured below. Players who are mostly playing at loud volumes usually prefer the standard option as there is less variance in the quality of sound at those levels compared to the reverse leadpipe. Reverse leadpipes are simply the opposite, in which the leadpipe fits inside of the main tuning slide. A reverse leadpipe will likely be noticeably longer than the standard option. This factor increases the distance in which there will be any small gap going from leadpipe to tuning slide, resulting in what most players describe as less air resistance and more consistent intonation. Ultimately, what is best for you will require being able to compare
