Instruments

  • Yamaha 9445C “Chicago” C trumpet – My main axe and the best trumpet I have ever played. (I also have a spare.)
  • Schagerl “Horsdorf Heavy” Rotary C Trumpet – I can’t believe it’s a rotary! So easy to play!
  • Yamaha 6335HMV – Mike Vax Model Bb trumpet – My main Bb axe. I finally feel comfortable just picking up a Bb!
  • Yamaha Xeno 8335GS Bb Trumpet – This lives in my studio for lessons. Great all around Bb. 
  • Yamaha 8310 Z “Bobby Shew” Bb Trumpet – Sure it is a “lead” horn but it barks out low orchestral passages like no other.
  • Bach Stradivarious 180ml 37 Bb trumpet (early Elkhart, late 60s) – This horn has been overhauled, double silver plated then gold plated by Jim Becker at Osmun Music.
  • S.E. Shires – Destino III Bb – Severinsen Model. (Pre-Eastman) – This is a really great all around instrument. I like it for commercial stuff when paired with Doc’s Pickett mouthpieces. 
  • Schagerl “Vienna” Flugelhorn (rotary) – This is very unique instrument with a gorgeous huge warm sound.
  • Couesnon Flugelhorn – this was Charlie Schlueter’s horn which Harold Lieberman picked out for Charlie to use on his first Mahler 3 in 1973 in Minnesota. This is the horn we all borrowed from him at NEC. 
  • Yamaha YFH-631 Flugelhorn 
  • Schilke E3L Eb/D Trumpet – Berylium Bell
  • Yamaha 9710 F/G Trumpet – I have a Schilke large G bell for this as well.
  • Schilke P5-4 Piccolo Trumpet – The same horn I have played since 1985.
  • Yamaha 6330S – Lightweight Cornet – So responsive!
  • Keefer Cornet – from the early 1920s. A great vintage horn I used when I won the first Streitweiser Trumpet Museum Cornet Competition.
  • Monette C937 – The C trumpet that I played for the first part of my career.
  • Chicago Benge C trumpet – This horn from 1949 belonged to Pittsburg Symphony Principal Irving Sarin. Sarin was a student of Mager and was hired by Reiner. This ML C has a gorgeous sound and was one of only 10 made at the time.
  • Couesnon C trumpet – This dates from 1955 and I keep it around to demonstrate small bore French C trumpets. Great easy facility for solo repertoire. 

Mouthpieces

  • I am indebted to Dave Harrison who has worked with me to design two custom Wedge mouthpieces that I love.  These replace most of the Monette series mouthpieces below when paired with Peter Pickett’s OS and CS backbores.  
  • Monette “2” and “2D” series mouthpieces on all of my horns. (C2 for C trumpet etc) My C2 has recently been re-plated by Stork. Excellent work.
  • Pickett Severinsen Model mouthpieces – Doc convinced me to try them and I am enjoying them for commercial work. Wonderful unique rim is what Vincent Bach did to his original mouthpiece with a pocketknife many decades ago.
  • Marcienciewicz “Ingram” for lead playing
  • Monette B1-2 cornet mouthpiece for piccolo trumpet. This came with Tim Hudson’s original Monette Cornet in 1990.
  • Bach 7E – with shortened shank a la Monette by Jim Becker at Osmun Brass for high register piccolo playing
  • Getzen 6V Mellophone mouthpiece for Eb trumpet – Try it!

Mutes

My collection of mutes is too extensive to list. However, for most things, I use Trumcor brand mutes as they are the best in the business. Chris Legaux makes them by hand in his Marysville TN workshop. 

My horns always travel safely in my Torpedo Coyote case.