December 12, 2008
Back in October, in response to the economic crisis, we stopped publishing an Engelbert Schmid price list. The dollar was (and is) rising and falling in value so rapidly and unpredictably that any printed price list was obsolete as soon as it was published.
At that time we capped the price a buyer would pay for a horn to prevent unpleasant surprises. Now, we’ve established a new policy: If you pre-pay a horn and the price falls 3% or more by the time we actually have the funds to pay Schmid (which can take up to two weeks from the time we get the check) we will refund the difference to you. See our Purchasing Procedures page for details.
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Posted by Bob Osmun
December 11, 2008
Douglas Yeo
Boston Symphony bass trombonist Douglas Yeo is one of our favorite customers. When he’s not working with the orchestra or maintaining his gigantic web site (yeodoug.com), he’s a devotee of early brass, specifically serpents and ophcleides. Ohecleides are like the bass version of keyed bugles, sort of like a saxophone with a cup mouthpiece. Berlioz wrote a lot of ophecleide parts, including a comic duet for ophecleide and bass drum in Benvenuto Cellini.
Original on the left, our wider copy on the right.
Recently, Doug asked us to build him a special mouthpiece for his ophecleide. He had gotten one he liked from an Australian maker but it was too small for him. We copied it and then enlarged the dimensions to Doug’s standard 28mm inside diameter. The outside of the piece had to be modified as well to accommodate the wider cup. It’s important to maintain the wall thickness so, after redesigning the cup, we carried the same contour to the outside.
Copying a complex outside shape can be a challenge. It’s possible to make a cast and digitize the outside the same way we do the cup and rim but unless there is a need for absolute accuracy it’s usually more satisfactory to do it the old-fashioned way, by measuring and making a drawing. (Of course, once the drawing is made it’s converted to a computer file so the CNC lathe can cut it.) In this case the fact that we were making major changes to the contours made drawing the obvious choice.
This picture clearly shows the difference in diameter between the original and the copy.
Leave a Comment » | All Brass, Mouthpiece, News, Trombone Related | Tagged: brass, drawing, modification, Mouthpiece, ophecleide, yeo | Permalink
Posted by Bob Osmun
December 10, 2008
When you deal with small vendors and esoteric items as we do it’s common for things to go in and out of stock frequently. We’ve recently received mechandise from two of our smaller makers.
Don Maslet horn mutes from England are among the best straight mutes available. They have a warm, open sound and excellent intonation.
Our ever popular Horn Holding Straps keep your hand in the correct position over your valve levers. And, they don’t require to solder anything onto your horn.
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Posted by Bob Osmun
December 9, 2008
We have Bach Bb and C trumpets and 36BO and 42BO trombones in stock and ready to ship. All our trumpets are checked over and adjusted by trumpet guru Jim Becker before leaving our shop. Our checkover includes:
- Valve action and alignment
- First and third valve slides, fit and action
- All tubing is inspected for burrs, solder lumps, and other obstructions
- Mouthpipe venturi and mouthpiece gap are adjusted
Trombones get the same inspection and slide checks plus adjustment of rotor action and end play and replacement of the rotor stops.
These pre-flight checks help insure a top performing and trouble free instrument.
Leave a Comment » | All Brass, News, Trombone Related, Trumpet Related | Tagged: Bach, bach trumpet, brass, trombone, trumpet, Trumpet Related | Permalink
Posted by Bob Osmun
December 7, 2008
Well, it’s that time of year again. All those Thanksgiving football games are just a rosy memory as we get ready to celebrate the holidays.
We’ve got four brass-related CD,s to get you into a Holiday frame of mind:
Christmas Favourites for Four Horns
(Note the Canadian spelling) is a very nice collection of carols for horn quartet done by Marty Hackelman (currently principal horn of the National Symphony)while he was still in Vancouver.
Putting a jazzy spin on the Holiday is A Cool Brassy Night at the North Pole, carols arranged for brass trio. David Hickman, Tom Bacon, and Sam Pilafian do the honors.
Christmas Rejoicing is a traditional British Brass Band setting performed by the Salvation Army New York Staff Band. Who better?
Stan Kenton was one of the premier arrangers for big band. His driving charts thrilled us all back in the day. The Stan Kenton Christmas Carols, her performed by the Boston Brass and friends will delight the Kenton fans on your list.
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Posted by Bob Osmun
December 7, 2008
Click for a larger image
We have a brand new gold brass Engelbert Schmid triple horn in f-alto in stock. This horn is unlacquered, has a wide hand-hammered bell flare, and an adjustable hand rest and pinky ring.
The new, higher value of the dollar makes this instrument thousands of dollars less expensive than it would have been just a few months ago. Follow this link for more information about Engelbert Schmid horns.
2 Comments | All Brass, Horn Related, News | Tagged: Add new tag, Engelbert, french horn, horn, schmid, triple | Permalink
Posted by Bob Osmun
December 7, 2008
Get the most out of your Schmid horn by purchasing another flare!
With Engelbert Schmid Horns and parts coming through the door on a regular basis, it is difficult to stay on top of what bell flares we have in stock. As of November 29, this is what we have available to ship out immediately:
- Medium, Gold Brass, Spun, Unlacquered, with Garland
- Medium, Gold Brass, Hand Hammered, Unlacquered, with Garland
- Medium, Yellow Brass, Unlacqered, with Garland
- Medium, Yellow Brass, Hand Hammered, Lacquered, with Garland
Right now, Schmid delivery time for most flares not in stock is 2-4 weeks. This is a fantastic time to order anything Engelbert Schmid because the US Dollar is at a high point against the Euro. Now is the time to get your order in!
Please email for current prices
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Posted by tcote
