August 26, 2008
Osmun Music has just received another shipment of AK Brass Press titles. Andrew Kissling, the founder and operator of AKBP is at the forefront of producing and arranging brass ensemble music that is highly organized and enjoyable to perform. All of the AKBP is printed using Finale and includes full scores. Also, the AK arrangements will include transposed trumpet parts for both C and Bb trumpets. AKBP produces a full line of standard and non-standard pieces for brass quintets/quartets as well as the arrangements for the Synergy Brass Quintet. In our opinion, the AKBP titles are quite a value and would be perfect for filling out your brass ensemble repertoire.
Click here to start browsing
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Posted by tcote
August 22, 2008
When Dan Ryan brought his Conn double-bell euphonium in for repair, it needed more than the usual TLC. Somewhere in the far distant past, before Dan had acquired it about thirty years ago, this euph had lost its second bell.
Dan Ryan and Osmun Repair Tech Jim Becker examine Mr. Ryan's 1923 Conn Double Bell Euphonium
Double bell euphoniums enjoyed a vogue during the early years of the last century (this one was made in 1923). In addition to the regular large bell a smaller, trombone sized bell, controlled by a piston valve, made it possible for a skilled soloist to make it sound like he was playing duets with himself.
Jim Becker did a major restoration of this instrument to return it to good cosmetic and playing condition and was able to locate, in our vast collection of spare parts, a Conn alto horn bell of the appropriate size and about the same age, as evidenced by the engraving, as the missing one. The original bell faced forward and this one is bell up so the sound was not as directional, but we felt that this was acceptable. It would have been possible to construct a 70 degree elbow to match the original direction but it would have been, we felt, a very expensive solution to a minor problem.
Jim cleaned up the bell, tested it and trimmed it to length, and made a new tenon ring to attach it to the body of the instrument. Play testing confirmed it’s pitch and sound quality and now it’s ready for the next hundred years.
Follow this link to Osmun Music Repair Services
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Posted by Bob Osmun
August 14, 2008
We currently have the Sonare 900S and 900L trumpets in stock. The only difference between the two is that the 900S is silver plated and the 900L is lacquered. I took the time yesterday to sit in our concert room and play them back to back. I found the 900S to be a shade heavier, but delivered more of an edge when pushed. The 900L felt a bit lighter in feel and smoother from note to note. Both horns had solid slotting of notes and the pitch center was very stable in crescendos and decrescendos.
The state of MA is having a tax free weekend on August 15-16th. This would be a good time to pick one up in person. As always, we can ship almost anywhere.
http://www.osmun.com/prod/Sonare/sonare.html
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Posted by tcote
August 13, 2008
I’ve just finished updating our Osmun Horn Cups Page. I’m trying to make our mouthpieces as accessible as possible. The original “Sound Family” idea, to link certain styles of mouthpieces with regional sounds has been very successful. It gives people a head start on finding their way into the right ballpark and then making intelligent selections.
Our new page provides drawings of the mouthpieces and also depths. And you can click on a drawing to get a PDF file showing it at 500% life size, very useful for comparing shapes or for marking changes for mouthpiece modifications. By using a PDF we get a to-scale drawing that we can measure so we can make very accurate changes.
The next step is to get the new drawings and measurements into the store and to provide buy buttons. Then, on to the rims!
Follow this link to our Osmun Horn Cups page.
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Posted by Bob Osmun
August 12, 2008
Engelbert Schmid is offering a new option, nickel-free components. For people with allergies to nickel, playing the horn can present problems, form rashes to blisters to illness. Now you can order your Schmid with nickel-free levers, hand guards, and mouthpipe parts (guard, ferrule). This is usually enough to prevent nickel allergies. If that doesn’t do it, Schmid also has the capacity to build a completely nickel-free instrument. Here’s a link to a page about Schmid’s nickel-free horn.
2 Comments | All Brass, Horn Related, News | Tagged: Add new tag, allergy, french horn, horn, mouthpipe, nickel, schmid | Permalink
Posted by Bob Osmun
August 11, 2008
As I’m sure you know, a big part of the financial crunch we’re all feeling right now is caused by the very low value of the dollar against European and Asian currencies. It makes everything we buy from overseas a lot more expensive. For example, in November, 2003 we were able to buy one euro for $1.18. By July of this year the cost for the same euro had risen to $1.62, an increase of 37%! And that doesn’t take into account manufacturer’s price increases, which have been in the 4-6% per year range. No wonder these European instruments have gotten so expensive.
This week we caught a break. The value of the euro dropped by almost ten cents. The reason? Decreased demand for oil, the same reason that gas prices have declined. I don’t know how long this is going to last but I’ve taken the occasion to substantially lower the prices of Schmid horns. We have committed to holding these prices for two months. If the price of the euro declines again by the same amount we will recalculate the prices to reflect it. So, when you order your horn you will get a guaranteed price and, if the price is lower when your horn is ready for payment and delivery, that’s the price you will pay.
Follow this link to check the new, lower Schmid Prices.
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Posted by Bob Osmun
