NAMM Report 2020
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:02 pm
Hello all. Just completed two noisy, energy sapping days (couple hours each) at NAMM in Anaheim.
Here's my thoughts on some low brass instruments... remember that sound isn't something I can judge really well in a huge convention center, so most of this is feel based rather than how it sounds in a great hall on a recital.
For reference, basses are played with a Greg Black 1G .312 #2, tenors are all played with a Greg Black Alessi 3.5M, small tenors are played with one of my 6.5ALs, euphoniums are all played with my Wick SM3X
1. Courtois:
Courtois didn't bring any of the fun New Yorker stuff. Pretty lame, last year they brought a bass and two tenors I think. This year it was just the normal line stuff.
AC502 was ok. It's their basic pro bass. It's basic- gets the job done. Plays well enough, isn't too heavy, responds ok, technically sounds like a bass trombone.
AC420H was really, really good. This is the 42 copy with Hagmann, all yellow. Very even, great hagmann install (not always a given!), built really well, and just felt good to play.
AC420BO (think that's the designation). This is the 42BO copy with their own rotor. I only played it for a couple minutes because the F side felt so, so bad compared to the Hagmann above. Didn't center, didn't inspire any confidence. Could be a show horn thing.
Xtreme .508 is a great 3B competitor- nice heavy slide to lock everything in and feel solid, but very flexible and even across the range. Great horn.
2. Bach:
50A3 was a really good bass. Quick response, felt nice and big, good feedback, kind of no big downsides. Honestly the first of the kind that I felt I could actually work with for a while. Very happy about that one. It looked like they had perhaps fixed the install issue that's been in place for the last decade+, as well.
50AF3G was ok. Last year they brought a yellow bell 50AF3 that was the best bass at the show, by far (including all the Greenhoes and Shires and Edwards). This year it was not a contender. Good horn, wasn't nearly as bad as some 50AF3s I have played, but just a much, much slower response than the 50A3 and many of the other basses. Not sure if it was the heavier gold bell doing its thing.
42BOF is a great instrument- the best 42 with a rotor that they have ever made. This one was much the same, very even, nice and open, big Bach sound. If you want a 42 and don't like the weird shaped valves, get one of these after playing a couple to find the right one.
42AG was also a really solid horn... I feel like the 42A has been the best stock 42 for a while, this didn't change my mind much.
LT16M at the show was GREAT. Last year the same model was nothing special... don't even remember playing it really. This one was awesome, I would have bought it if I could have. Flexible, easy, everything I want in a small Bach.
3B (is made Conn Selmer, don't worry!) was ok. Mine is better! The 2B at the show was great, just can't deal with the smaller horns as well.
3. Adams
They had several tenors. They offer a Hagmann and Meinlschmidt option (much the same as Bach, funnily enough), as well as a ton of slide, crook, tuning slide, and bell options. The best horn was a nickel slide (with oversleeves), Hagmann, red tuning slide, yellow bell. Perhaps my favorite large tenor of the show. Easy to play, great attacks, response, low range, you name it. Felt very well built. The others were ok (red bell with nickel flare, sterling bell, both with Meinls).
The new bass (there are only 6 so far) was ok. I think it's built in a very European style... large bell, Hagmanns, looked to be Edwards sized after the valves. The bell was heavy as well. It played ok, but really isn't my cup of tea.
One thing to note about the trombones... they are very, very cheap. A tenor with a normal-alloy bell (not sterling!) and Meinlschmidt is $3600. This is with every tapered part built as seamed tubing by hand, great valves, and all the options you want. Even the Hagmann option only brings the price to $4200. I'm not sure what this is all about, since the Adams euphoniums and tubas are crazy expensive.
The euphoniums, as per usual, are amazing. Nothing to see here.
4. Shires:
Q series. These are a quandary. They shouldn't be good. China is bad! And yet, as per usual, they are silly good. Really good. There was a gold bell bass with rotors that was one of the best at the show. I will say that I think the variability is definitely higher on these horns... more of the time they are not going to be as good. Try before you buy. But even then, they are annoyingly good.
New Shires Alessi is a good horn. Very much in the Edwards camp as opposed to the typical Shires... Not bad, just different. I would play one if you gave it to me for free and have no problem with it. The Q series version was actually very different, but I liked it as well.
Colin Williams horn felt very tight... didn't dig it at all.
Now for the star of the show... the George Curran model bass. According to Shires, it has a custom BII flare and lightweight axials (not sure what those entail- someone can fill me in). Otherwise it's just a dual bore slide and C tuning slide, all yellow, and the B2 leadpipe. And yet this is one of the best bass trombones I have ever played. Even, sure footed, big sound, quick to respond in all registers, in tune, the whole shebang. It's not often I feel like I could approach the level of the top players in the world, but playing that horn made it seem about 50% closer than my typical day. Take the hyperbole as you will, but I thought long and hard about going into a little debt for this particular instrument.
the Q Series Euphonium has arrived! Actually, two. One is a Willson style, a bit smaller, and one is a Besson style with the 12 inch bell. If you weren't annoyed by the Q series yet, then you can start now. These were some of the best, most in-tune euphoniums I have ever played. I own a Yamaha 842, and have played the Willsons, Bessons, Adams E1, E2, E3, all the Chinese stuff, Miraphone, Hirsbrunner, Stirling, York, you name it. These might just take the cake.
If you hadn't heard... Q Series Contrabass (in F) coming in 2020.
5. Greenhoe
Some really great horns. I'll lump the tenors in as one unit... I don't like them much. I have a friend, also on the forum here, with a really nice Bach style tenor that is great. I can't remember playing another Greenhoe that made me feel the same way. Meh.
The basses, though, are really great. I've played a good amount of the old Greenhoes, so I feel like I can compare them to the new ones. Personally, I find the new horns stack up just fine, and in some cases are just better.
My favorite was a Bach style, all yellow with gold valve tubing. This was a solid runner up for best bass at the show for me. Very even, fun to play, great valve feel. Just a bit harder to play than the Shires, as well as missing the magic response and slot above the staff the Shires had. I'd be perfectly happy with this instrument.
The other basses are all good, but dependent is quite useless to me at this point, and TIS horns just aren't me.
I did, however, get to play Bob Sanders' personal Greenhoe- all red brass, TIS, dependent. What a crazy horn! Instant response, great big sound, lots of color. If I could deal with dependent it would be great. I didn't think all red would work like that, but it really does.
6. BAC
My friend Dan had his BAC modified Bach 12 at the booth. I'll just say that if I had a 12 like that, I wouldn't be looking for a 16M. What a great horn! Instant response, slots up to high F, Bach sound, everything I want out of a big band horn.
Reggie Chapman's bass was there again, and I swear every year it plays better. I still don't like how it looks (it looks quite silly) but boy, it can play. If you can think the lick, you can play it on this horn, as evidenced by Reggie's playing.
His bass trumpet was also in attendance, fun horn. Awkward ergonomics.
7. Edwards
New B502 was ok. The valves play better for me than the Rotax ever did, very happy about that. The throw on the 2nd valve was very long... not sure if the geometry is still being worked on. I found it to be overall fine, but the sound just isn't there like it is on some of the other horns. Keep in mind that I didn't like the previous B502 much, and I don't play the same mouthpiece as Markey.
New 396 was good. Didn't get a lot of time on it, it largely felt like the old one to me, which is one of my favorite large tenors. I'd play one.
Toby Oft model was ok. Didn't stand out to me in any way, much like the average T350.
8. I'm sure I played other things at the show, but I didn't take notes the first day. Oops. May update this if I remember.
Here's my thoughts on some low brass instruments... remember that sound isn't something I can judge really well in a huge convention center, so most of this is feel based rather than how it sounds in a great hall on a recital.
For reference, basses are played with a Greg Black 1G .312 #2, tenors are all played with a Greg Black Alessi 3.5M, small tenors are played with one of my 6.5ALs, euphoniums are all played with my Wick SM3X
1. Courtois:
Courtois didn't bring any of the fun New Yorker stuff. Pretty lame, last year they brought a bass and two tenors I think. This year it was just the normal line stuff.
AC502 was ok. It's their basic pro bass. It's basic- gets the job done. Plays well enough, isn't too heavy, responds ok, technically sounds like a bass trombone.
AC420H was really, really good. This is the 42 copy with Hagmann, all yellow. Very even, great hagmann install (not always a given!), built really well, and just felt good to play.
AC420BO (think that's the designation). This is the 42BO copy with their own rotor. I only played it for a couple minutes because the F side felt so, so bad compared to the Hagmann above. Didn't center, didn't inspire any confidence. Could be a show horn thing.
Xtreme .508 is a great 3B competitor- nice heavy slide to lock everything in and feel solid, but very flexible and even across the range. Great horn.
2. Bach:
50A3 was a really good bass. Quick response, felt nice and big, good feedback, kind of no big downsides. Honestly the first of the kind that I felt I could actually work with for a while. Very happy about that one. It looked like they had perhaps fixed the install issue that's been in place for the last decade+, as well.
50AF3G was ok. Last year they brought a yellow bell 50AF3 that was the best bass at the show, by far (including all the Greenhoes and Shires and Edwards). This year it was not a contender. Good horn, wasn't nearly as bad as some 50AF3s I have played, but just a much, much slower response than the 50A3 and many of the other basses. Not sure if it was the heavier gold bell doing its thing.
42BOF is a great instrument- the best 42 with a rotor that they have ever made. This one was much the same, very even, nice and open, big Bach sound. If you want a 42 and don't like the weird shaped valves, get one of these after playing a couple to find the right one.
42AG was also a really solid horn... I feel like the 42A has been the best stock 42 for a while, this didn't change my mind much.
LT16M at the show was GREAT. Last year the same model was nothing special... don't even remember playing it really. This one was awesome, I would have bought it if I could have. Flexible, easy, everything I want in a small Bach.
3B (is made Conn Selmer, don't worry!) was ok. Mine is better! The 2B at the show was great, just can't deal with the smaller horns as well.
3. Adams
They had several tenors. They offer a Hagmann and Meinlschmidt option (much the same as Bach, funnily enough), as well as a ton of slide, crook, tuning slide, and bell options. The best horn was a nickel slide (with oversleeves), Hagmann, red tuning slide, yellow bell. Perhaps my favorite large tenor of the show. Easy to play, great attacks, response, low range, you name it. Felt very well built. The others were ok (red bell with nickel flare, sterling bell, both with Meinls).
The new bass (there are only 6 so far) was ok. I think it's built in a very European style... large bell, Hagmanns, looked to be Edwards sized after the valves. The bell was heavy as well. It played ok, but really isn't my cup of tea.
One thing to note about the trombones... they are very, very cheap. A tenor with a normal-alloy bell (not sterling!) and Meinlschmidt is $3600. This is with every tapered part built as seamed tubing by hand, great valves, and all the options you want. Even the Hagmann option only brings the price to $4200. I'm not sure what this is all about, since the Adams euphoniums and tubas are crazy expensive.
The euphoniums, as per usual, are amazing. Nothing to see here.
4. Shires:
Q series. These are a quandary. They shouldn't be good. China is bad! And yet, as per usual, they are silly good. Really good. There was a gold bell bass with rotors that was one of the best at the show. I will say that I think the variability is definitely higher on these horns... more of the time they are not going to be as good. Try before you buy. But even then, they are annoyingly good.
New Shires Alessi is a good horn. Very much in the Edwards camp as opposed to the typical Shires... Not bad, just different. I would play one if you gave it to me for free and have no problem with it. The Q series version was actually very different, but I liked it as well.
Colin Williams horn felt very tight... didn't dig it at all.
Now for the star of the show... the George Curran model bass. According to Shires, it has a custom BII flare and lightweight axials (not sure what those entail- someone can fill me in). Otherwise it's just a dual bore slide and C tuning slide, all yellow, and the B2 leadpipe. And yet this is one of the best bass trombones I have ever played. Even, sure footed, big sound, quick to respond in all registers, in tune, the whole shebang. It's not often I feel like I could approach the level of the top players in the world, but playing that horn made it seem about 50% closer than my typical day. Take the hyperbole as you will, but I thought long and hard about going into a little debt for this particular instrument.
the Q Series Euphonium has arrived! Actually, two. One is a Willson style, a bit smaller, and one is a Besson style with the 12 inch bell. If you weren't annoyed by the Q series yet, then you can start now. These were some of the best, most in-tune euphoniums I have ever played. I own a Yamaha 842, and have played the Willsons, Bessons, Adams E1, E2, E3, all the Chinese stuff, Miraphone, Hirsbrunner, Stirling, York, you name it. These might just take the cake.
If you hadn't heard... Q Series Contrabass (in F) coming in 2020.
5. Greenhoe
Some really great horns. I'll lump the tenors in as one unit... I don't like them much. I have a friend, also on the forum here, with a really nice Bach style tenor that is great. I can't remember playing another Greenhoe that made me feel the same way. Meh.
The basses, though, are really great. I've played a good amount of the old Greenhoes, so I feel like I can compare them to the new ones. Personally, I find the new horns stack up just fine, and in some cases are just better.
My favorite was a Bach style, all yellow with gold valve tubing. This was a solid runner up for best bass at the show for me. Very even, fun to play, great valve feel. Just a bit harder to play than the Shires, as well as missing the magic response and slot above the staff the Shires had. I'd be perfectly happy with this instrument.
The other basses are all good, but dependent is quite useless to me at this point, and TIS horns just aren't me.
I did, however, get to play Bob Sanders' personal Greenhoe- all red brass, TIS, dependent. What a crazy horn! Instant response, great big sound, lots of color. If I could deal with dependent it would be great. I didn't think all red would work like that, but it really does.
6. BAC
My friend Dan had his BAC modified Bach 12 at the booth. I'll just say that if I had a 12 like that, I wouldn't be looking for a 16M. What a great horn! Instant response, slots up to high F, Bach sound, everything I want out of a big band horn.
Reggie Chapman's bass was there again, and I swear every year it plays better. I still don't like how it looks (it looks quite silly) but boy, it can play. If you can think the lick, you can play it on this horn, as evidenced by Reggie's playing.
His bass trumpet was also in attendance, fun horn. Awkward ergonomics.
7. Edwards
New B502 was ok. The valves play better for me than the Rotax ever did, very happy about that. The throw on the 2nd valve was very long... not sure if the geometry is still being worked on. I found it to be overall fine, but the sound just isn't there like it is on some of the other horns. Keep in mind that I didn't like the previous B502 much, and I don't play the same mouthpiece as Markey.
New 396 was good. Didn't get a lot of time on it, it largely felt like the old one to me, which is one of my favorite large tenors. I'd play one.
Toby Oft model was ok. Didn't stand out to me in any way, much like the average T350.
8. I'm sure I played other things at the show, but I didn't take notes the first day. Oops. May update this if I remember.
. IMO the issues with the Greenhoe tenors are the stock leadpipes. Every single leadpipe I've dropped in played objectively better than either of the stock pipes. Leadpipe choice also affects these horns A LOT, moreso than most other instruments I've played. Right now I've got a Brassark Seamed Copper MV42 in it (tight), but it played great with an Edwards T3 (very open) as well. Unless they changed something, the slides will also take edwards-threaded pipes no problem.