Modl Bass Trumpet - Emo Champion

[posaunebone]

Latest acquisition a bass trumpet!

Bell engraving says Emo Champion so I gather it is made by Modl.

I bought it out of sheer curiosity and couldn't find any info on it. Have been wanting a bass trumpet for a while and this one seemed interesting enough to pick up. Wondering if anyone has one of these or knows of them? It arrives on Tuesday for further investigation.

According to the seller it is a .480 bore, small shank trombone receiver, and the rotor drops it like a F attachment/4th piston would. The ring finger trigger operates a main tuning slide. It's definitely been worked on adding/replacing the various water key choices but seems in otherwise solid shape from what the seller states.

I have found info on other brass instruments by modl but not a thing on their bass trumpet.

Pics here and no, I did not pay the full price for it


Emo Champion Bass Trumpet Silver https://reverb.com/item/36131530-emo-ch ... t=36131530

[Burgerbob]

EMO CHAMPION!!!

That looks super cool. Let us know how it is!

[posaunebone]

I know!!!!! So cool looking. It's a puzzle of an instrument - I'm hoping it's not a total dud and there's not a reason the internet has no record of these things

[Finetales]

Why don't more instruments have names as cool as Emo Champion?!

[JohnL]

Somebody thought enough of it to spend the money to trick it out, so hopefully it'll be a winner.

Now you just need to convince someone to play something that calls for a bass trumpet...

[FOSSIL]

Looks that it may be based on the Conn bass trumpet that I have....not a simple copy but it has many of the Conn design elements

Chris

[Basbasun]

https://brasspedia.com/index.php?title= ... pion_Super
The Emo mutes was wellknown in cadinavia in the 50 th. The trumpets was used by Swedish players. Maybe because of Lois Armstrong. I never heard of the basstrumpet.

[Kbiggs]

I wonder whether the rotary valve is pitched in G, Gb, or F.

[posaunebone]

Seller says "it's 2 and a half steps like a 4th piston would be" so it should pitch it in F. It arrives either Monday or Tuesday depending on what kind of mood FedEx is in - I'll be sure to report back. I'm really excited to give it a blow.

[posaunebone]

Holy crap is this thing fun. Plays very well. Notes center very well and pretty immediately. Octaves line up. Ergonomics are great. Partials line up as expected. Wonder if this was a pet project from the modl factory or if there are more of these out there.

I'll likely record some samples at some point but it really seems like an excellent example of a bass trumpet. Now just gotta find the right mouthpiece and onward! Just messing around with a 6 3/4 c and 11C and schilke 51D was super fun! I have a used bach 14D coming which I have seen suggested before for bass trumpet.

If you have the chance to pick one up, should more exist, get it!

[Burgerbob]

So jealous!

[Finetales]

Looks like there are normal trumpets under the name "Emo Champion" as well.

[Katzman1]

I know that horn very well. A friend, Donnie McIntosh who collects instruments, mostly tubas, passed it along to me a decade ago for the princely sum of $350. Like you I purchased it out of curiosity, and like you I discovered it was an exceptionally good instrument. I had the three piston valves and the fourth rotary valve rebuilt and nstalled the updated water keys. But it was only during a visit to the Adams factory in the Netherlands that I appeciated what a fine instrument it is when I asked an exceptional euphonium player if he'd like to play it. His first tuba had been an EMO.

Having done some Googling I'd learned that EMO was short for its maker, an Ernst Modl of Graslitz. Modl built a full line of brass instrument including a trumpet for Louis Armstrong. Modl inherited the company from his father-in-law following WWII. The company closed in the early 1960's.

I'm glad you're enjoying the horn. Because of its weight, and because I don't need the 4th valve, my collection of bass trumpets are all three valved horns: a Getzen Eterna, a Kanstul 1088, and a rotary valve Mirafone.

As you purchased it from Scott Mandsville at Tim's Music in Carmichael, CA know that he has taken good care of the horn for me and will for you.

Steve Katz
San Leandro, CA

[Katzman1]

Here's a link to a comprehensive history of EMO instruments, absolutely any and everything you might want to know.

https://brasspedia.com/index.php?title= ... nstruments

Steve Katz
San Leandro, CA

[Posaunus]

Here's a link to a comprehensive history of EMO instruments, absolutely any and everything you might want to know.

https://brasspedia.com/index.php?title= ... nstruments

Steve Katz
San Leandro, CA

What an interesting (and incredibly detailed) history! (More than I wanted / needed to know.)