A resource for trumpet players focusing on equipment, concepts, and ways to get the most out of your gear, especially vintage horns. created and maintained by doug meeuwsen, san diego ca. Contact me at lipshurt@mac.com mailto:lipshurt@mac.comshapeimage_2_link_0
My info: I have been playing and teaching for about 30 years of so, and have degrees in Jazz studies and music education. I have always been very interested in trumpets, mouthpieces and the history of trumpet design. I made my first mouthpieces in 1978,and still do all kinds of mouthpiece alterations, screw rims, backbores, throats, shoulder of throats, inner edge contouring etc. I also made a trumpet “almost from scratch” when i was 21 and learned a lot about design in the process. I have designed and built leadpipes and receivers, valve clusters, triggers, and all sorts of experimental mods. I have also owned and played extensively many many horns that played great, or not so great, and have spent a great deal of time figuring out why some horns play better than others. Because there is so much confusion and misinformation about this subject, i decided to finally make a website dedicated to helping players dial in their horns, and make better informed choices about spending money on horns. I’m not one to think that I am always right, so please feel free to challenge any point or add your two cents, The more information the better. We are just trying to make sense of things.http://www.bradgoode.com/home.shtml
Trumpet design For various reasons, there has not really been a lot of progree in the area of trumpet design. I encourage everyone to read Brad Goode’s article on the lost art of trumpet design from his website, which is excellent. His point, with which I agree is that older horns actually played better than modern horns, especially bach copies. I do really like Bach’s, but they certainly are not inherently better than many other horns of that era. Remember, most of Bach’s design work was done in the 30’s and 40’s. Today players I think incorrectly assume that Bach’s are still around because they were the best. Not really true. In the thirties forties and fifties, the Players played a much wider variety of horns. Martin, Conn, Olds, Buescher, Benge, King, Besson, Selmer, Holton, Keefer and others were widely played by great players. Now, when you mention some of those names to a player they might actually scoff, like nobody would seriously play an old connstellation or something like that. They they might turn around and ooh and ahh over a new york Bach. Lots of players just don’t know. Of course, lots of times you pick up a legendary old horn and it just sucks bad. That could turn you off pretty quick and pretty permanently. An old horn really needs to be in great shape to play great. Luckily it’s pretty easy to get one dialed in if you know what to do. Please check out the articles i have written, and feel free to contact me with questions or add your two cents. DMhttp://www.bradgoode.com/home.shtmlhttp://www.bradgoode.com/home.shtmlhttp://www.bradgoode.com/2006/08/lost-art-of-trumpet-design.htmlhttp://www.bradgoode.com/2006/08/lost-art-of-trumpet-design.htmlhttp://www.bradgoode.com/home.shtmlhttp://www.bradgoode.com/home.shtmlshapeimage_5_link_0shapeimage_5_link_1shapeimage_5_link_2shapeimage_5_link_3shapeimage_5_link_4

Just click on the links at the top of this page to find articles and playing examples etc. Check back often because I will be putting more up as we go along