I’ve noticed a few dents and dings on a couple of pipes I’ve made and have decided to make the bodies a little bit thicker. I think this should increase the lifespan and make it hold up better in my glove box.
The extra weight is not very noticeable and the pipe is much more rugged [...]
I’ve had a pretty wild week, I’ve finished work on a heat treating technique for my bells which is having a nice improvement in response and color. I’ve also finished up another horn and am hard at work on a single Bb and a new double to show at a few regional workshops in March.
I [...]
I got a wonderful opportunity to study an original Geyer from 1929 that was owned by Dr. Winter at Fresno St. and his sons. A special thank you to Prescott Winter for the opportunity!
The horn is in amazing condition and I took some very good measurements of the leadpipe that I hope to discover some things about. [...]
Here is an interesting question that was posted that I thought everyone might enjoy reading.
Hi Jacob,
Just stumbled on your website and enjoy reading your philosophies and about your horns. I’m curious about the Yamaha horn… What prompted you to open the venturi? I always thought Yamaha horns had already just about the largest venturis around. [...]
Some hornplayers have asked recently about pinky hooks, hand straps and my recommendation. Normally, I stay out of these kinds of endorsements, but in this case I have a very passionate opinion.
At issue are methods of holding the horn up with the left hand. There are 4 methods of doing this. (5 if you count [...]
Okay, I’ve been talking about this Bb ascending horn for a while and now I should probably prove that it does indeed exist. Here it is in its current condition,
This has had to be a side project because I am readying a new double horn to sell at the IHS workshop. It still needs its [...]
Easy answer, they are way cool and work extremely well!
I’ve heard ascending Bb horns called the “poor man’s descant” but the fact of the matter is, if you look at what each horn does well, single Bb horns with ascending valves are lighter than descants and can play things like Beethoven and Mozart with a [...]
The Southeast Horn workshop was great! Thanks to everyone who played the horn and chatted with me. The response was overwhelmingly positive, the horn was very well received.
The Mid-South Horn Workshop in Memphis is next for me, I am going to update a few features on the prototype and present it again in two weeks. Also, [...]
I have discovered a way to have my new B-flat horn change back and forth from an ascending 4th valve to descending stopping valve. This isn’t actually all that unusual except that my new design requires no restringing or turning rotors. The switch can be made between movements, even in the middle of long rests [...]
I’m working on a new (to me anyway) design for a single Bb horn. I’m told that Dennis Brain favored a Raoux piston horn with an added ascending thumb valve and I’ve decided to try this design out, using rotory valves.
It’s a tricky thing, making a short horn and still having a tuning slide, but I [...]