What I play
Instruments
C trumpets
- Yamaha 9445C “Chicago” C trumpetMy main axe and the best trumpet I have ever played. (I also have a spare.)
- Schagerl “Horsdorf Heavy” rotary C trumpetI can’t believe it’s a rotary! So easy to play!
- Monette C937The C trumpet that I played for the first part of my career.
- Chicago Benge C trumpetThis horn from 1949 belonged to Pittsburgh 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 trumpetThis dates from 1955, and I keep it around to demonstrate small-bore French C trumpets. Great easy facility for solo repertoire.
B-flat trumpets
- Yamaha 6335HMV, Mike Vax ModelMy main Bb axe. I finally feel comfortable just picking up a Bb!
- Yamaha Xeno 8335GSThis lives in my studio for lessons. Great all-around Bb.
- Yamaha 8310Z “Bobby Shew”Sure, it is a “lead” horn, but it barks out low orchestral passages like no other.
- Bach Stradivarius 180ML37 (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, 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.
High trumpets
- Schilke E3L Eb/D trumpetBeryllium bell.
- Yamaha 9710 F/G trumpetI have a Schilke large G bell for this as well.
- Schilke P5-4 piccolo trumpetThe same horn I have played since 1985.
Flugelhorns and cornets
- Schagerl “Vienna” rotary flugelhornThis is a very unique instrument with a gorgeous, huge, warm sound.
- Couesnon flugelhornThis 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
- Yamaha 6330S lightweight cornetSo responsive!
- Keefer cornetFrom the early 1920s. A great vintage horn I used when I won the first Streitwieser Trumpet Museum Cornet Competition.
Mouthpieces
- Custom Wedge mouthpiecesI 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” seriesOn all of my horns (C2 for C trumpet, etc.). My C2 has recently been re-plated by Stork. Excellent work.
- Pickett Severinsen ModelDoc convinced me to try them, and I am enjoying them for commercial work. The wonderful unique rim is what Vincent Bach did to his original mouthpiece with a pocketknife many decades ago.
- Marcinkiewicz “Ingram”For lead playing.
- Monette B1-2 cornet mouthpieceFor piccolo trumpet. This came with Tim Hudson’s original Monette cornet in 1990.
- Bach 7EWith shortened shank à la Monette by Jim Becker at Osmun Brass, for high-register piccolo playing.
- Getzen 6V mellophone mouthpieceFor 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.
Case
My horns always travel safely in my Torpedo Coyote case.