Trumpet Diaries

Well, I sold my trumpet. Yes I did. My sister and my mother find it to be symbolic of some kind of rejection of them because my upgrading trumpets implies that it is not the greatest trumpet to ever be welded, et caetera... I could go on for a long time on that track, but I shall not. My trumpet is gone. I have no trumpet. I will soon though. One that, I might add, evades all other description besides "pretty dang sweet". It's a used Bach 37 with some modifications, that is going to be largely refurbished by its owner on this Friday. I haven't played it (I will within the week though), but I have played a Bach 72 and it is bliss. Free blowing; a warm, dark, smooth tone; high register with ease; it's the best I've ever played, especially with my mouthpiece (once the god, now the demigod of mouthpieces). It's about 8 or 10 years old and has been used by one of the best jazz players in the area. He's the head mechanic at Wally's Music (is that not the most classic name or what?).

But I need to pause a moment to describe what life is like now that I have officially left the world of the Getzens of Elkhorn, Wisconsin. It's actually pretty strange. That is the horn that I have either played or wanted for virtually all of my trumpet playing existance. It was beautiful. Shiny; silver; smashing pistons; responsive; kind of like the souped-up of BMW Z3s of the trumpet world. Now I'm moving on to the '96 Porshe 911 of trumpets. We're not at the Ferrari F50 level (those would be the custom Monettes at approximately $10,000), but you can't complain. It's maybe not as new and chic as the Z3, but it smashes it on the roads. Now that I actually think about that analogy, it's a terrible one. But you get the idea. It's not as new or shiny but has this brilliant warmness. I don't have any of the chronic sharpness, brightness, or occasional abrasive edginess. Life is good. And at about only $300 net expense, life is really good.