[TPIN] CANNONBALL TRUMPETS

[Olaf Brattegaard]

Cannonball is primarily a sax maker. Trumpets are their second "leg".
They claim their trumpets are made by an "Oenvironmentally sound factory
in Germany that combined over a one-hundred year tradition of skilled
workmanship with high-tech innovations and an invaluable wealth of
knowledge on how to manufacture brass instruments".
May be so, but there are about 50 smaller and a few larger "factories"
in Germany who could fit to that description.
When I visited B&S about a year ago, there was nothing indicating that
they were making Cannonball trumpets, or selling valve-sections for that
sake. From the pictures (below) their valve section look more like
Amati, but they are Czech and made of stainless steel. So, to find out
for sure, we have to ask them.
http://www.cannonballmusic.com/tpthistory.phbe
My guess is that this is just another (good) trumpet made (acoutically
customized) in Salt Lake City, Utah, and assembled from parts partly
(bells) made by themselves (except the valve section).
I do not believe the semi precious stones have anything but cosmetic
effect, but they look nice. Remembering back Jerry Callet used to put a
piece of cork between the 1st and the 2nd slide to prevent
wanted/unwanted resonances (acoustical adjustment), and he could also
feel the balance of a mouthpiece with the tip of his thumb. However,
this was neither nice nor expensive.

Regards,
Olaf in Oslo