Handling a horn (was: [TPIN] Monette for sale)

[Doc D'Errico]

So...  What *IS* the correct way to pick it up and hold it?

I always put my horn on a stand or in the case -- just lucky I guess that I
was taught this very early on, although I'll admit I've placed it ON TOP of
the insert in the case from time-to-time with the bell in its socket, but
the rest of the horn resting on the insert...

(ps to Jim D and Brendan C if they're reading this -- I NEVER do that with
my Schilke B1LB, very paranoid about the soft bell -- but I have done it
with my Mike Vax Getzen and my Schilke X3 -- and <sigh> yes with my Flugels
- guilty as charged)...

Picking it up, I always seem to grab the valve cluster, which is where I'd
be holding it anyway...

So what damage am I unknowingly doing and what SHOULD one do?

-- Naive in MA (aka Doc) 

-----Original Message-----
From: tpin-bounces at tpin.okcu.edu [mailto:tpin-bounces at tpin.okcu.edu] On
Behalf Of Michael Anderson
Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 10:39 AM
To: Rick Rangno; Trumpet Players' International Network
Subject: Re: [TPIN] Monette for sale

Yes, this can happen over time as well. At their shop, they hang them by the
bell bow which is considerably stronger. They recommend that if you set it
down on its side, that the bell hang over the edge so all the weight is on
the table.

You were probably picking up the horn by the leadpipe and if you do that
3-4000 times the weight of the horn will put stress on the braces and bend
the leadpipe as well.

I have come to learn that a bent bell does affect the playability of any
horn. I bent the bell on my bach/larson C trumpet last year (not sure how)
and I noticed that the high C lacked brilliance and required me to lip the
note up to be in tune. This is a common way to tell if your horn is 'out of
whack' a bit.

So, I took it to my repair guy and he tried to bend it back on a mandrel. I
play tested it before he touched it. He would bend it back a bit and I would
play it.. He couldn't quite get it back in place until he unsoldered the top
braces. Once it was straight and resoldered, the high C was perfectly on
with no lipping and had its brilliance back. Nothing was noticeably
different to me in the middle or low register, but the upper register was
freer and easier to play.  This is even more important on a Monette
trumpet... I think bending the bell has a negative affect on any horn.

MA


> From: Rick Rangno <rick.rangno at primus.ca>
> Reply-To: Rick Rangno <rick.rangno at primus.ca>
> Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2007 10:25:38 -0400
> To: Trumpet Players' International Network <tpin at tpin.okcu.edu>
> Subject: Re: [TPIN] Monette for sale
> 
> "The bells are very soft and they warn you against putting them on a 
> bell stand because over time the weight of the body of the horn will 
> slowly bend the bell. I've seen it happen."
> 
> MA
> 
> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
> 
> If this can damage the bell, then how do you get around putting any 
> pressure and stress on the bell and structure? In the Monette room at 
> ITG they had their horns lying on their sides. I was gently chastised 
> for not picking up the horn correctly (I was doing this wrong over the 
> last 40 years?) and told that the horn could be damaged this way. But 
> if the horn is on it's side wouldn't this cause the bell to flatten on 
> one side? There is still weight and pressure from the body put on the 
> bell this way. And even if it did bend a bit over ten years or so, how 
> much would it really affect the playability of the trumpet?


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