Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 17:03:22 -0400
From: Trent R Austin <jazzmanta@juno.com>
Subject: [TPIN] Re: Eclipse
Hi Ole and everyone else on TPIN!
I absolutely LOVE my Eclipse Trumpet... it's by far the best match for
my playing that I've owned (and if you know me I've owned them all!).
I have included a snip of my description about the Large Red I own (and
yes... I had to buy my horn too!). Please feel free to email me on or
off list for any particular questions you might have.
If you want to hear some clips of the horn (I recorded these two or
three days after I had the horn, I'll post new ones soon!) go to:
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze6zcfx/
I was a clinician for Edwards a little over 2 years, actually! I was
very honored to be an Edwards artist and wish them the best in the
future.
I had no relationship with Dave Monette or Monette corp. (long story,
not needed to hash out anymore), but did play a few of his horns in the
past.
To be honest I didn't sign on with Eclipse for the "deal"... if that
was the case I would have stayed on with Edwards. Financially speaking
of course. Don't get me wrong, Leigh has been VERY gracious to accept
me as an artist. When I hear I'm in with the likes of Noel, Kenny
Wheeler (who's playing an Equinox I believe...correct me Leigh if I'm
incorrect!), and others it makes me smile and feel very proud.
I had to pay for my horn and in my opinion it's DEFINITELY worth every
penny. My playing and my sound has been changing over the past few
years and I've finally locked in on what's in my head (besides marbles
bouncing around furiously!) with the Eclipse. I'll follow a guideline
used by my friend Eric Brewington in terms of how he describes his
Lawler for anyone who's interested!
Eclipse Large Red (a picture of my horn is on Leigh's site in the
finish section... satin clear lacquer)
Construction - The horn is
gorgeous. The pictures do not even come close to showing the true
beauty of the instrument. The parts are fitted
perfectly and everything is very tight. Precision crafted is an
understatement here. I can't begin to tell you how impressed I am with
the construction. The little touches that Leigh does make all the
difference. You really do get what you pay for. I have a Monogram of
TRA on my first valve that's absolutely beautiful. The brush finish is
stunning, the hue of the Red Brass alluring, the non-brushed nickel
slides and gold accents truly highlight a one-of-a-kind work of art!
Balance - Perfect. For so many
years I have played a heavy horn... either Monette, Edwards, Heavy
Bach, Stomvi, etc. This horn is light and feels GREAT in my hands. It's
not "bell heavy" like my other horns and that's a serious plus for me.
Putting a Jo-Ral Bubble mute in my Monette or Edwards took a lot of
effort to hold up. I must be losing my strength! I had it on a 5 hour
gig yesterday (my second of the day... don't ask) and it felt good in
my hands. That is so important to me so I don't start bashing the horn
in my face trying to hold it up. I've always wondered if someone could
make a light horn that played on par with my heavy horns. This is it!
Valves - I have heard great
things about Bauerfine valves and now I know why. These things are
perfect. Lightning quick, noise free, and ultra-responsive.
Slides -ditto
Tone - This is the first horn
in my hands that produces the sound in my head. One minute I'm playing
really dark, almost cornetlike, and the next I'm screaming double C's
on it. This horn has so much versatility! It gives me what I was
looking for -- an almost flugel sweet sound and some bite when I push
it. I'll have sound clips up tomorrow to demonstrate what I'm talking
about.
Intonation - Awesome. Better
than my Edwards and as good as my Monette (if not even better because
it's doesn't ride high on the pitch!).
Blow - Open with resistance.
Since I've always played L bore or XL bore horns this resistance took
me a couple of days to get used to. Each time I pick it up I'm getting
a little better on it. I would definitely call this "positive"
resistance. It's not stuffy at all, and the resistance
REALLY helps with the slotting.
Slotting - It would be
impossible in my opinion to make a horn that had better slotting. It's
like driving on rails. Each note has it's particular center and feels
great! I know I'm not going to miss on this horn like I doubted my
other horns. High register is the best out of the 100's of horns I've
owned. The slots up there actually seem to be a little bigger than on
my other horns, allowing me more room for air/chop error. I've had the
horn on 5 gigs now and I haven't missed A NOTE! That's not normal for
me at all! I'm sure it'll happen but it hasn't yet.
Stay tuned for sound file links... and THANKS AGAIN LEIGH, JOHN, and
BRUCE (General LEE) for making all this possible!
Best,
Trent
