Re: instrument attributes


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Posted by Lee A. Stofer, Jr. on July 25, 1999 at 15:38:54:

In Reply to: instrument attributes posted by mark on July 23, 1999 at 15:17:07:


Mark,
I agree totally with Sean, and would like to amplify a point- the Individual "personality" of different instruments. I've played a number of perfectly acceptable instruments that were very different from each other, but each one had a good balance of it's own attributes. Bore size, bell diameter, conical taper, overall size of instrument, and thickness of metal, not to mention # and placement of braces, all figures into how an instrument responds (or doesn't). The finish makes a very slight difference, but not nearly as much as how carefully the instrument was assembled- hence the playing difference between two instruments of the same make and model.
When I asked Peter Hirsbrunner, Jr. why all of their instruments were silver-plated, he told me that there was not a sufficient lacquer facility in Switzerland- it was cheaper to have them silver-plated than to ship them to Germany for lacquer. When I asked Rudolf Meinl why his instruments were lacquered, he said that silver-plating was prohibitively expensive in Germany, but lacquer was not expensive there.
Take anything an advertiser says with a grain of salt, and play-test every horn you possibly can. Consider taking a second set of ears with you, a teacher or trusted colleague. They can be valuable help.
-Lee Stofer


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