Post by LeeAdams on Oct 9, 2003 0:21:57 GMT -5
Hi all
A lot of folks ask about the specific design of the new Callet Stratosphere trumpet so here is the official description. First a little history!
The time honored and proven Callet Jazz/Symphonique .470 Expandabore design which is in use in major symphonies in Europe and the US as well as jazz soloists, section players, leadplayers is a testament to the incredible versatility of the instrument.
Even with this versatility the Jazz/Symphonique Expandabore .470 feels too open to some players particularly if they are used to the resistance of conventional ML trumpets. Mind you that the .470 Jazz/Symphonique does not commonly have the feel of being excessively free like some players report with some larger bore style horns for example MF Horns, X3, X4 Schilkes WT's with #1 slide etc...
The Jazz/ Symphonique fit somewhere in the middle in regards to resisitance.
So the challenge was to create an exceptional trumpet that would appeal to players who wanted more resistance than the Jazz/Symphonique .470 yet still retain the legendary response, intonation, and superb upper register slotting.
For a while the SuperChops model trumpets sort of fit into this nitch by giving more resistance with unsurpassed upper register slotting and projection!!! Wow I have yet to hear a horn out project a Callet SuperChops even in outdoor projection tests.
However here was a sizeable problem with these revolutionary horns. The horns projected so well that the player feed back was much less than most players were accustomed to hearing. So a good many players would end up overblowing the SuperChops horns trying to increase the sound feed back in an effort to make it more like the feed back from faster flaring bell designs that their ears were tuned to.
Needless to say the overblowing diminished the efficiency potential that these really great horns offered. Perhaps the Masserau bell design and the heavy bell design are too far ahead of their time and will gravitate into the mainstream later down the road. I was always amazed that they were not adopted more in the orchestral field because I have witnessed in comparison testing the SuperChops trumpets yielding a darker than expected pure solid tone with great projection in the way that the Blackburn 24 ga ambronze bells achieve. I also know that the Blackburns are different animals in this regard as well and project very well and require a different approach in playing them efficiently without overblowing due to their excellent outward projection very much like the SuperChops horns.
I suppose the name SuperChops on the horn is too suspicious sounding in the first place to be accepted in some musical circles. At least my personal experience has given me this impression.
The Stratosphere trumpet will be replacing the SuperChops trumpet in the Callet line up at this point in time.
O.K now on to the Stratosphere trumpet
I feel that the Stratosphere will ultimately fill in the gap for those who desire more of a conventional ML resistance in the blow. This has proven very true for players who are playing larger diameter and deeper cup mouthpiece configurations. Yet some of those with more efficient mouthpiece set ups seem to enjoy the horn as well.
The Stratosphere has the same bell and leadpipe of the Jazz/Symphonique this aids in giving the player more feed back than the SuperChops horn and makes blending and tuning easier with this enhanced feed back.
The significant differences are the main tuning slide is more squared and becomes a .460 bore at the bottom leg of the main tuning slide as opposed to the .470 of the bigger brother.
This continues into a .460 valve section and continues at .460 thru the valve section into the first inch of the bell tail. The rest of the bell is identical to the bigger brother Jazz/ Symphonique.
The overall weight of the Stratosphere is an ounce heavier than the Jazz/Symphonique which in conjunction with the smaller bore sections and squared tuning slide yields a very pleasant, clean,focus and projection in the sound which Callet trumpets are famous for as well as giving more resistance common to conventional ML designs.
Yes we took the revolutionary original design of the Jazz / Symphonique and developed a horn for the mainstream Medium Large market.
A pleasant surprise to many is the excellent upper register slotting and upper register freedom of the Stratosphere compared to most Medium Large horns on the market.
Try this horn at the up coming Northern Brass Trumpet fests and register for a free Callet Jazz to be given away at Christmas. Let me know if you learned about Callet trumpets from this site so Bruce will get the credit for his work moderating this site and working this territory
As always 404-316-4072
Lee Adams
A lot of folks ask about the specific design of the new Callet Stratosphere trumpet so here is the official description. First a little history!
The time honored and proven Callet Jazz/Symphonique .470 Expandabore design which is in use in major symphonies in Europe and the US as well as jazz soloists, section players, leadplayers is a testament to the incredible versatility of the instrument.
Even with this versatility the Jazz/Symphonique Expandabore .470 feels too open to some players particularly if they are used to the resistance of conventional ML trumpets. Mind you that the .470 Jazz/Symphonique does not commonly have the feel of being excessively free like some players report with some larger bore style horns for example MF Horns, X3, X4 Schilkes WT's with #1 slide etc...
The Jazz/ Symphonique fit somewhere in the middle in regards to resisitance.
So the challenge was to create an exceptional trumpet that would appeal to players who wanted more resistance than the Jazz/Symphonique .470 yet still retain the legendary response, intonation, and superb upper register slotting.
For a while the SuperChops model trumpets sort of fit into this nitch by giving more resistance with unsurpassed upper register slotting and projection!!! Wow I have yet to hear a horn out project a Callet SuperChops even in outdoor projection tests.
However here was a sizeable problem with these revolutionary horns. The horns projected so well that the player feed back was much less than most players were accustomed to hearing. So a good many players would end up overblowing the SuperChops horns trying to increase the sound feed back in an effort to make it more like the feed back from faster flaring bell designs that their ears were tuned to.
Needless to say the overblowing diminished the efficiency potential that these really great horns offered. Perhaps the Masserau bell design and the heavy bell design are too far ahead of their time and will gravitate into the mainstream later down the road. I was always amazed that they were not adopted more in the orchestral field because I have witnessed in comparison testing the SuperChops trumpets yielding a darker than expected pure solid tone with great projection in the way that the Blackburn 24 ga ambronze bells achieve. I also know that the Blackburns are different animals in this regard as well and project very well and require a different approach in playing them efficiently without overblowing due to their excellent outward projection very much like the SuperChops horns.
I suppose the name SuperChops on the horn is too suspicious sounding in the first place to be accepted in some musical circles. At least my personal experience has given me this impression.
The Stratosphere trumpet will be replacing the SuperChops trumpet in the Callet line up at this point in time.
O.K now on to the Stratosphere trumpet
I feel that the Stratosphere will ultimately fill in the gap for those who desire more of a conventional ML resistance in the blow. This has proven very true for players who are playing larger diameter and deeper cup mouthpiece configurations. Yet some of those with more efficient mouthpiece set ups seem to enjoy the horn as well.
The Stratosphere has the same bell and leadpipe of the Jazz/Symphonique this aids in giving the player more feed back than the SuperChops horn and makes blending and tuning easier with this enhanced feed back.
The significant differences are the main tuning slide is more squared and becomes a .460 bore at the bottom leg of the main tuning slide as opposed to the .470 of the bigger brother.
This continues into a .460 valve section and continues at .460 thru the valve section into the first inch of the bell tail. The rest of the bell is identical to the bigger brother Jazz/ Symphonique.
The overall weight of the Stratosphere is an ounce heavier than the Jazz/Symphonique which in conjunction with the smaller bore sections and squared tuning slide yields a very pleasant, clean,focus and projection in the sound which Callet trumpets are famous for as well as giving more resistance common to conventional ML designs.
Yes we took the revolutionary original design of the Jazz / Symphonique and developed a horn for the mainstream Medium Large market.
A pleasant surprise to many is the excellent upper register slotting and upper register freedom of the Stratosphere compared to most Medium Large horns on the market.
Try this horn at the up coming Northern Brass Trumpet fests and register for a free Callet Jazz to be given away at Christmas. Let me know if you learned about Callet trumpets from this site so Bruce will get the credit for his work moderating this site and working this territory
As always 404-316-4072
Lee Adams
Still, it is something to look forward to.