Makes me wonder if that was the model number rather than the serial number. With the numbers on the valves, perhaps a factory that only stamped-out valves had well over a hundred possible products, and the three valves in this instrument were from their catalog. Giving the valves and the valve bodies numbers would help with matching up corresponding parts for packing/shipping to the final-assembly plant.
My first trumpet was a Concertone.Years later,I learned they were made in Graslitz,later called Kraslice.It was located in the Sudetenland area of Czechoslovakia.I've got several of them in my collection I've gotten off of ebay.The one I had was given to me back in 1966.It was a "peashooter"as I recall.
Ok the horn is stuffy....did you hear the valves clicking when moving them? That would be because the felts are wore out. Put the proper felts in there and I'm sure it would help the stuffiness as the valves would line up with the ports.
Czechoslovakia actually made many fine items. However since they collaborated with the Nazi's and after the war became part of the Soviet sphere, the U.S. and many of its war allies sanctioned Czechoslovakian imports. The czechs exported Tatra automobiles, Jawa motorcycles, pottery, Apothecary jar sets, tableware, crystal table glasses and practically controlled the entire market on ceramic Nativity scenes, baubbles, glass balls and other ornaments designed for American Christmas trees. The very finely made Skoda Automobile was prevented from being imported to the U.S. because the same craftsmanship used to make their cars and trucks had been applied in the construction of its WWII Machine guns which was too effective in the minds of the American powers-that-be who felt that punishment still needed to be asserted.
I just looked at photos of an identical one on eBay and the valves were numbered 88, 89, and 90. And there was a "10" below the 89. So "10" is probably not a serial number. Maybe for some reason in production that might have started numbering valves with 1, 2, 3 and then 4, 5, 6 for the next instrument and so forth. Perhaps for keeping sets of parts together. At some point if they made enough they might start over with the number, but it wouldn't matter because all of the previous ones that had used the numbers would have been long since shipped. Maybe it had to do with matching valves to casings for which had an OK fit that this made it possible to match them up again later in the assembly process. Maybe those numbers stood in for a serial number and perhaps the "10" means the tenth time that particular series of valve numbers was used.
'Stencilling' was very common. Especially big retailers like Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Ward. SOME stencils were legit bargains, companies like Conn, King etc. did produce instruments for retailers that were not marked with the actual maker's name.
Not true, many marching bands in the day (19th century) had bandbooks that were composed, so that instruments pitched in A could play it easier (not for range just for key) not in the key of Bb.
My son's first cello was also made in Czecholslovakia. It didn't play quite well and I could figure out why until I took it to a luthier a he discovered that the bridge was for a 3/4 a not for the 4/4 it really was.
hi trent, im finally picking up the trumpet after many years. love your comments and informative remarks, by the way you are not an inversile , ha ha ! best wishes from oz.
Good episode, it's always worth exploring the byways of history. I did some digging online and found a document identifying the likely maker as being a company called Bohland & Fuchs which was based in Graslitz. They seem to have specialized in supplying retailers with instruments they could put their own brand name on. The straight through valve design is apparently characteristic of their horns. If the article which I will be linking to at the end of this is correct, the number below the valve number you thought was a serial number is in fact a model number. www.brasshistory.net/B&F%20History.pdf
His shtick of whizzing hyperbole on 80 year old instruments that have had a 1/2 dozen+ less than knowledgeable owners as if they were produced with their numerous defects gets irritating some times.
How does this horn actually stand up when compared to a modern day made-in-China instrument? I mean, it's been around a while and it still functions ; a lot the cheaper China trash, and far more with the India stuff, seem they may fall apart after just a couple of uses.
That was what my first trumpet was.I still have quite a number of them in my collection.I'd like to send you a photo of some of my cornets and trumpets.I'm the one who mentioned the reverse wrap trumpet.
I don't know brass instruments brands that well, but that cornet seems to be in poor condition and in need of a setup. Now about czech instruments, saxes are really high quality and actually can compete with their contemporary top of the line horns, but this is due to the craftmen that worked at that time and not the brands.
The piston brass are, almost without exception, this average. They all play stuffy. Some trumpet players like the higher-end trumpets, like the Hüttl Line 800 or the Amati ATR-613H, but I haven't seen many of those come through my shop, and I have seen many of the cheaper instruments. The rotary brass range from average to amazing. I've heard reports that the tubas can be very good players (V.F. Červeny). The french horns I have the most experience with, and they are very durable instruments with OK tone. The rotary valve trombones are decent, sometimes more than that.
Do you know a site where I can look up the serial number of a horn? Someone gave me this very old trumpet, possibly made in 1920's, Czechoslovakia. It's called Fidelity.
Thank you Trent... this help identify my nickle plated Concertone! Mine is made in Bohemia for what ever that means. At least now I know more about the history. 👍
Bohemia is one of the old European regions which made up what was once called Czechoslovakia and is now the Czech Republic, so yeah, your instrument comes from the same place (roughly) that Trent's did.
My first TRUMPET was a Concertone "peashooter" that was given to me back in 1966.I collect peashooter trumpets.If you're not familiar with the term,they are trumpets that have the tuning slide entering the third vave from the rear rather than the front.I've heard peashooters referred to as "reverse wrap" horns.The famous Conn Victor cornet Bix Beiderbecke played was one.I owned a version of one which was the forerunner of the Conn Director.
The demonstration at the end was an extract from "Grand Russian Fantasia", and the outro music is a part of a multi-track recording I did featuring the Pearl Fisher's duet.
Hey Trent, a few years ago you posted a video about the piccolo trombone and I had a quick question about it. I’m a tenor saxophone player but I used to play trombone, and I would like to try some brass instruments again, would you recommend the piccolo trombone as an easy side instrument? If not, what should I try instead?
I absolutely recommend you start on a normal tenor trombone, or maybe an alto trombone if you're after something smaller. The piccolo trombone is not easy to play at all, and the tenor trombone is by far the most standard trombone there is, and there is the benefit that it's in the same pitch as the tenor sax.
I'm So Emu Yeah same. I’m like a cheap instrument too. My tone is bad, my valves are usually screwed up, I’m made out of cheap metal, I usually have a crusty production buildup on the inside of my slides, etc hahahahahah...😂😅😢😭😭
Is it bad that most of the time he goes "GOD LOOK HOW AWFUL THIS SOUNDS" It sounds fine to me? On top of that, a lot of his "good" stuff sounds the same if not worse :/
In the piece he plays at the end there's an airiness present and some valve noise that probably shouldn't be there. Bear in mind that you're listening through your speakers or headphones, on a video that has been encoded for RUclips, that may have been recorded on a microphone and other system that may not be as nice as what a professional recording studio would use. Arguably most of RUclips has this kind of setup. You may simply be unable to hear the difference between the low-end and high-end because the quality difference is lost through all of these steps. It's kind of how we joke that some cars look great with 20/20 vision. Where you're 20 feet away and the car is going past you at 20 miles per hour. You won't notice the flaws.
Leliana Livesley I didn’t hear him talk about the sound much if at all. What he did say was that it was stuffy and unpleasant to play. An experienced musician can make any instrument sound good if they must, but if the build quality is shoddy then it’s not going to be enjoyable. I believe that’s what he meant by calling it an “abomination”.
I'm not understanding why the instrument plays a quarter tone flat. It's certainly not your fault as a player. Does the mouthpiece sticking so far out have something to do with it? It doesn't look like the slides are very far out at all.
In the world of woodwinds we say that a good flautist could play a broom handle. You seem to get a nice tone out of what appears to be a rather mediocre instrument.
I am Not an expert by any means, but you have to be careful with Made in czechoslovakia. Exported Instruments tend to be shit, mostly mass produced, but mass produced is shit from almost any country. But the "original" Czechoslovakian Instruments are said to be one of the best in europe. Ať least that says my grandfather.
"Yeah, serial number 10, what an honor,"
I loled.
Makes me wonder if that was the model number rather than the serial number. With the numbers on the valves, perhaps a factory that only stamped-out valves had well over a hundred possible products, and the three valves in this instrument were from their catalog. Giving the valves and the valve bodies numbers would help with matching up corresponding parts for packing/shipping to the final-assembly plant.
I chortled! Love Trent's humour that catches me off guard.
For a "crappy" instrument, it actually sounds pretty good.
My first trumpet was a Concertone.Years later,I learned they were made in Graslitz,later called Kraslice.It was located in the Sudetenland area of Czechoslovakia.I've got several of them in my collection I've gotten off of ebay.The one I had was given to me back in 1966.It was a "peashooter"as I recall.
"This instrument is actually serial number...TIN!" :D I just love the NZ accent
Ok the horn is stuffy....did you hear the valves clicking when moving them? That would be because the felts are wore out. Put the proper felts in there and I'm sure it would help the stuffiness as the valves would line up with the ports.
Obvious to me, Mr. Hamilton, that you could pick up a broken plumbing drainpipe and make it sound great.
Adding a little digital reverb does wonders for the sound!
Czechoslovakia actually made many fine items. However since they collaborated with the Nazi's and after the war became part of the Soviet sphere, the U.S. and many of its war allies sanctioned Czechoslovakian imports. The czechs exported Tatra automobiles, Jawa motorcycles, pottery, Apothecary jar sets, tableware, crystal table glasses and practically controlled the entire market on ceramic Nativity scenes, baubbles, glass balls and other ornaments designed for American Christmas trees. The very finely made Skoda Automobile was prevented from being imported to the U.S. because the same craftsmanship used to make their cars and trucks had been applied in the construction of its WWII Machine guns which was too effective in the minds of the American powers-that-be who felt that punishment still needed to be asserted.
Your trumpet skills have definitely improved with time.
I just looked at photos of an identical one on eBay and the valves were numbered 88, 89, and 90. And there was a "10" below the 89. So "10" is probably not a serial number. Maybe for some reason in production that might have started numbering valves with 1, 2, 3 and then 4, 5, 6 for the next instrument and so forth. Perhaps for keeping sets of parts together. At some point if they made enough they might start over with the number, but it wouldn't matter because all of the previous ones that had used the numbers would have been long since shipped. Maybe it had to do with matching valves to casings for which had an OK fit that this made it possible to match them up again later in the assembly process. Maybe those numbers stood in for a serial number and perhaps the "10" means the tenth time that particular series of valve numbers was used.
'Stencilling' was very common. Especially big retailers like Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Ward. SOME stencils were legit bargains, companies like Conn, King etc. did produce instruments for retailers that were not marked with the actual maker's name.
John Coffin hell, stencil horns can still be good. Wessex Dolce euphoniums have been getting a lot of praise recently
Thank you Trent Hamilton, when I have a bad day I look forward to your videos to cheer me up. Your videos are great!
it used to be set up to play in the key of A that is what the tuning slide stop was for this made easier to play in tune above hi G above high C
Not true, many marching bands in the day (19th century) had bandbooks that were composed, so that instruments pitched in A could play it easier (not for range just for key) not in the key of Bb.
The acoustic profile of the room you are playing in is amazing!
John Bond it’s post production reverb. If you watch his older videos, there is no reverb.
My son's first cello was also made in Czecholslovakia. It didn't play quite well and I could figure out why until I took it to a luthier a he discovered that the bridge was for a 3/4 a not for the 4/4 it really was.
hi trent, im finally picking up the trumpet after many years. love your comments and informative remarks, by the way you are not an inversile , ha ha ! best wishes from oz.
Great to see you back Trent.
"10" is the Bohland & Fuchs model number. They were the main supplier for cheap imports.
Good episode, it's always worth exploring the byways of history. I did some digging online and found a document identifying the likely maker as being a company called Bohland & Fuchs which was based in Graslitz. They seem to have specialized in supplying retailers with instruments they could put their own brand name on. The straight through valve design is apparently characteristic of their horns. If the article which I will be linking to at the end of this is correct, the number below the valve number you thought was a serial number is in fact a model number. www.brasshistory.net/B&F%20History.pdf
His shtick of whizzing hyperbole on 80 year old instruments that have had a 1/2 dozen+ less than knowledgeable owners as if they were produced with their numerous defects gets irritating some times.
How does this horn actually stand up when compared to a modern day made-in-China instrument? I mean, it's been around a while and it still functions ; a lot the cheaper China trash, and far more with the India stuff, seem they may fall apart after just a couple of uses.
That was what my first trumpet was.I still have quite a number of them in my collection.I'd like to send you a photo of some of my cornets and trumpets.I'm the one who mentioned the reverse wrap trumpet.
I’d like to see the photos. My email address is trenthamiltonnz@gmail.com
what kind of valve caps do you have on the second trumpet you showed (on 5:34)
Selmer stamped their valves like this.
Anybody know what the intro song is (not the song he plays, the one where it has his name and website URL)?
The video thumbnail is the best.
Will you eventually tackle begineer brass instruments from places like Thomann?
“And if we look at valve #125...”
I don't know brass instruments brands that well, but that cornet seems to be in poor condition and in need of a setup. Now about czech instruments, saxes are really high quality and actually can compete with their contemporary top of the line horns, but this is due to the craftmen that worked at that time and not the brands.
The piston brass are, almost without exception, this average. They all play stuffy. Some trumpet players like the higher-end trumpets, like the Hüttl Line 800 or the Amati ATR-613H, but I haven't seen many of those come through my shop, and I have seen many of the cheaper instruments. The rotary brass range from average to amazing. I've heard reports that the tubas can be very good players (V.F. Červeny). The french horns I have the most experience with, and they are very durable instruments with OK tone. The rotary valve trombones are decent, sometimes more than that.
Sounds great
Is that mouthpiece a blessing 5 for the mellophone
The music in the opening few measures of this video sound like, "And the home of the brave," to this Yankee. :-)
Request
Play the HyperOctoSubContrabasoon with an Oboe mouthpiece
do you mean a hollowed out tree
I bet that modest cornet made some boy or girl happy when they received it and were able to join the school band.
Do you know a site where I can look up the serial number of a horn? Someone gave me this very old trumpet, possibly made in 1920's, Czechoslovakia. It's called Fidelity.
Thank you Trent... this help identify my nickle plated Concertone! Mine is made in Bohemia for what ever that means. At least now I know more about the history. 👍
Bohemia is one of the old European regions which made up what was once called Czechoslovakia and is now the Czech Republic, so yeah, your instrument comes from the same place (roughly) that Trent's did.
My first TRUMPET was a Concertone "peashooter" that was given to me back in 1966.I collect peashooter trumpets.If you're not familiar with the term,they are trumpets that have the tuning slide entering the third vave from the rear rather than the front.I've heard peashooters referred to as "reverse wrap" horns.The famous Conn Victor cornet Bix Beiderbecke played was one.I owned a version of one which was the forerunner of the Conn Director.
Can anyone refresh what the name of the music Trent played at the end of the video? Thanks!
The demonstration at the end was an extract from "Grand Russian Fantasia", and the outro music is a part of a multi-track recording I did featuring the Pearl Fisher's duet.
The valve numbering leads me to believe this was continued from another instrument.
Hey Trent, a few years ago you posted a video about the piccolo trombone and I had a quick question about it. I’m a tenor saxophone player but I used to play trombone, and I would like to try some brass instruments again, would you recommend the piccolo trombone as an easy side instrument? If not, what should I try instead?
I absolutely recommend you start on a normal tenor trombone, or maybe an alto trombone if you're after something smaller. The piccolo trombone is not easy to play at all, and the tenor trombone is by far the most standard trombone there is, and there is the benefit that it's in the same pitch as the tenor sax.
What is the name of the song he played at the end?
Alex Rider Grand Russian Fantasia
Is that a cornet in A? Or is it just really really flat?
Bit harsh on the Czechs. Some of their makers (Lidl for example) were pretty reputable manufacturers. Hope the recovery is going well!
Almost sounds like it's built in low B flat kinda like some are built in high B flat.
Luggage unless he said it’s in B flat, it’s in concert C, thats why I imagine it would be called concertone
Even though you didn't like this particular cornet, you made it sound nice. It's nothing like as bad as the Indian trumpets and cornets you reviewed.
You should make an improved six valve trumpet but with the 88 dollar trumpet you reveiwed
What does he use to record his videos?
Could you do a video on the trombone behind you please? :)
I'm like a cheap instrument, people use me, then they break me and throw me away hahahahahah...😂😅😢😭😭
Oooh we have a mega edge lord here, careful or you'll get cut!
XDD
I'm So Emu Yeah same. I’m like a cheap instrument too. My tone is bad, my valves are usually screwed up, I’m made out of cheap metal, I usually have a crusty production buildup on the inside of my slides, etc hahahahahah...😂😅😢😭😭
😓
Wew lad
That doesn't look like a cornet
Sounds fine to me.
A good player can make the worst instrument sound good.
Is it bad that most of the time he goes "GOD LOOK HOW AWFUL THIS SOUNDS" It sounds fine to me? On top of that, a lot of his "good" stuff sounds the same if not worse :/
Leliana Livesley i think it sounds fine :/
I think he was harsh calling it an abomination. For its age it sounds a lot better than a lot of the cheap trumpets made in China and India today.
In the piece he plays at the end there's an airiness present and some valve noise that probably shouldn't be there.
Bear in mind that you're listening through your speakers or headphones, on a video that has been encoded for RUclips, that may have been recorded on a microphone and other system that may not be as nice as what a professional recording studio would use. Arguably most of RUclips has this kind of setup. You may simply be unable to hear the difference between the low-end and high-end because the quality difference is lost through all of these steps.
It's kind of how we joke that some cars look great with 20/20 vision. Where you're 20 feet away and the car is going past you at 20 miles per hour. You won't notice the flaws.
Leliana Livesley I didn’t hear him talk about the sound much if at all. What he did say was that it was stuffy and unpleasant to play.
An experienced musician can make any instrument sound good if they must, but if the build quality is shoddy then it’s not going to be enjoyable. I believe that’s what he meant by calling it an “abomination”.
I meant more in general, from his other reviews.
I'm not understanding why the instrument plays a quarter tone flat. It's certainly not your fault as a player. Does the mouthpiece sticking so far out have something to do with it? It doesn't look like the slides are very far out at all.
Am I the only one that thought it said cancer tone cornet in the thumbnail? 😂
Yes.
6:11 Ukraine Folk song "Їхав козак за дунай"
In the world of woodwinds we say that a good flautist could play a broom handle. You seem to get a nice tone out of what appears to be a rather mediocre instrument.
" piece of instrument "
Sounds like a trumpet
In WW 1 what? 😂😂😂
Concertone? More like 'Cancertone' amirite?
Concertone? More like CancerTone.
It's "checks" not "chicks"
made in Japan.
I am Not an expert by any means, but you have to be careful with Made in czechoslovakia. Exported Instruments tend to be shit, mostly mass produced, but mass produced is shit from almost any country. But the "original" Czechoslovakian Instruments are said to be one of the best in europe. Ať least that says my grandfather.
Especially those made my Kohlert. They’re fantastic
It's not all that horrible, I’ve seen and played worse.....
First+2
Fourth! wooooooo
Ayyy only dislike but not cuz I dislike it... its cuz I'm special