Built 1st Real Trumpet - Lignum Vitae

[gergg]

I posted a sound clip and picture of my very first trumpet build a week or so ago, figured I might as well keep going at this adventure. As the title states, this is my 1st "real" trumpet out of wood that I really cared about, but it really is approx my 6th one that I have turned. It took me 5-6 practice trumpets to settle on my internals and sound, amazing how sensitive the trumpets are to minimal changes in internals, not easy to get where I wanted. I experimented like a mad scientist, ruining all of the previous trumpets just testing the bounds of internal changes(which includes mouthpiece variables). It has been a lot of fun figuring these things out, and I must say that I could not be happier with the sound and playability I am getting. I will post a sound file of this one after I get it finished. I used a piece of Lignum Vitae that I had from my guitar building days, truly a lovely blank.....wish I had more than I do. Here is my first go at a design that works for my eyes, please let me know what you think about it. Obviously this is only the barrel, I am still waiting for the finish to dry before gluing in the mouthpiece. Went ahead and posted the original sound clip here since the internals are very similar.

https://soundcloud.com/user480895638/recording-68-gg-1st

[guesswho]

I'm liking the sound.   Im sold on the internals, not so much on the externals.  To busy for my simple mind.   I like a more traditional look with not much going on but clean lines.   Give me plain simple looks with turkey sounds coming out of it and I'm happy.  I've never been a fan of the Chess piece looking trumpets.   Everyone has different likes, so there is a market out there them.    Good luck and keep experimenting and having fun with it.    Don't take any of my comments personal, just my opinion.

[Sir-diealot]

I think it is a very attractive piece myself. Sounds good too.

[gergg]

I'm liking the sound.   Im sold on the internals, not so much on the externals.  To busy for my simple mind.   I like a more traditional look with not much going on but clean lines.   Give me plain simple looks with turkey sounds coming out of it and I'm happy.  I've never been a fan of the Chess piece looking trumpets.   Everyone has different likes, so there is a market out there them.    Good luck and keep experimenting and having fun with it.    Don't take any of my comments personal, just my opinion.

Thanks, that is why I asked, not sold on the externals either. Iwas turning it while my son was telling me what he wanted it to look like.....lol....never considered the chess piece look, it does kind of look like one.

[guesswho]

Your all over the sound I like, hold on to those internals.

[sbbow]

Sounds good to me !


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[gergg]

Well, a simple, classic trumpet design would be easier so there is that. Yes, I am very happy with the internals, they are working out nicely....... better to be lucky than good....lol

[bobk]

Nice sound.

[gergg]

Nice sound.

Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it....I am so happy with the sound and playability of the trumpets. I was very fortunate to have brewed up a decent form of "secret sauce" this quickly.

[Sixes]

Very nice sound, let us know when you start selling some of them. I do think it might be a little too much decorative look. I do really like the look of the bottom half

[Scpossum]

Nice wood and sound

[gergg]

Very nice sound, let us know when you start selling some of them. I do think it might be a little too much decorative look. I do really like the look of the bottom half

Thanks Sixes, yeah, I am not into the deco look either, not sure why I did it except that I am new to a lathe and I just kept cutting crap because it was fun.....lol.....cool, you like the bottom half, that is a good start then, I will clean up the top on the next one and see what she looks like. I am also experimenting with some different ferrule/transition pieces, but I want it to be simple and clean.

[gergg]

Nice wood and sound

Thanks....I have been eyeballing that wood for years, I bought that stuff maybe 8-10 years ago, I used it for binding/accent pieces on acoustic guitars, have enough left to do 15-20 trumpets. I also was looking around my shop and found some amazing figured Australian Blackwood(cousin to Koa) that I bought from a logger in Australia 10+ years ago. Aussie Blackwood is a great musical wood, better than Koa in my opinion, quite a bit more sound reflective.....I was excited now that I am messing with trumpets because I could build close to 200 trumpets with it.....Hehe....The picture below is a guitar I built with this exact wood in my shop, pretty stuff.

[outdoors]

WELL
I'LL BE THE FIRST ONE TO PLACE A ORDER FOR A
**  Australian Blackwood **  TRUMPET

[gergg]

WELL
I'LL BE THE FIRST ONE TO PLACE A ORDER FOR A
**  Australian Blackwood **  TRUMPET

You got it......I had to laugh, late last night I walked out to the shop and my wife asked what I was doing out there....Ah, just measuring Aussie Blackwood billets to see how many trumpets I could build with them....lol. There is plenty that is for sure, and it all has that figure.