G-horns Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 And playing in tune helps Yeah, well one has to assume that the drivers know what they're doing. Even the best chart in the world will sound like crap if played by inexperienced people. (And then they blame it on the composer/arranger!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geneseo_bari_87 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 People are pansies these days. That's why the switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow_7 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 All about the money. When the switch was first made, a lot of the Bb marching brass were still student model horns. They've come a long way, but some of them are still specialized for indoor use and/or student model horns. As far as the money, buying new Bb horns at MSRP is actually more money than the equivalent G line. But Bb's hold their value better. With a quicker turn around since you can sell them to every marching band on the planet. The other justification was that you could borrow a hornline from idle school inventory and such, but I don't know of many going that route. With more Bb manufacturers, corps can sometimes get a better package deal from said manufacturers. And financing. As opposed to choosing between two remaining manufacturers of G bugles, at least one of which wont finance a purchase. With so few corps buying new G horns in bulk, I just don't see that tradition lasting. I prefer G horns. Designed for and built for the genre. But attrition in combination with collectors takes a lot of these horns out of use. I think that the Troopers and the Kilties are the only corps to buy lines of new G horns since 2000. And the Troopers are now on Bb. From my experience the Bb marching brass tends to be stuffier than Gs. And tend to favor smaller mouthpieces. Great if you need to play softer and higher. Not so much if you want to honk some pedals. And Bb's tend to have better intonation tendencies, expecially on the higher partials. To each their own though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigscontrachik05 Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 (edited) My favorite G bugle? The OLDS Ultratone piston/rotor. Just fun to play. Especially in chrome, (I only said that because I know Ray Fallon hates chrome plating - ) Are you serious when you say that ultratone piston/rotor were "fun" to play????? I started my drum corps career on a contra like that, and good player or not, weather you can make it sound decent or not, it's definitely the worst peace of crap horn I've ever played on! Or maybe it's just because the instrument was older than me and should have been recycled into chromed car parts instead of being played by a poor little 13 year old. lol Back on topic: I think the change was mostly to make the recruitment of marching band kids easier, and the playing and teaching a lot easier too. Bb horn are much easier to play on, in my opinion, less crap to deal with, anyway. Edited July 23, 2009 by Brigscontrachik05 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Are you serious when you say that ultratone piston/rotor were "fun" to play????? I started my drum corps career on a contra like that, and good player or not, weather you can make it sound decent or not, it's definitely the worst peace of crap horn I've ever played on! Or maybe it's just because the instrument was older than me and should have been recycled into chromed car parts instead of being played by a poor little 13 year old. lol Trying to picture a 13 year old with one of those (we had Olds Duratone contras). Let me guess you had to put your left hand behind your left ear to work the rotor. Tried one of ours at 5' 6" and just a weird feeling. Then again you could have been 13 and trying one of the monsters we have today. At least the Olds was light if awkward to hold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigscontrachik05 Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 (edited) Trying to picture a 13 year old with one of those (we had Olds Duratone contras).Let me guess you had to put your left hand behind your left ear to work the rotor. Tried one of ours at 5' 6" and just a weird feeling. Then again you could have been 13 and trying one of the monsters we have today. At least the Olds was light if awkward to hold. yes that's it. Left hand behind the left ear, right hand far in front. Very awkward. I think I have pictures, somewhere... You know they are old and crappy when a whole line of that is GIVEN to your corps. Hey we made the best of it and won brass in our class in 95! haha Edited July 23, 2009 by Brigscontrachik05 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 yes that's it. Left hand behind the left ear, right hand far in front. Very awkward. I think I have pictures, somewhere...You know they are old and crappy when a whole line of that is GIVEN to your corps. Hey we made the best of it and won brass in our class in 95! haha LOL, after I posted I noticed when you started playing Contra. Good Lord that was about 20 years after my corps bought our P/R Old contras. They showed up January 1975 (memory of a pratice site withot heat) . Nothing like competing with a horn older than you are. LMAO if you had the serial number, HornsUp posted a link to a site with the Olds production info on another thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martybucs Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Are you serious when you say that ultratone piston/rotor were "fun" to play????? I started my drum corps career on a contra like that, and good player or not, weather you can make it sound decent or not, it's definitely the worst peace of crap horn I've ever played on! Or maybe it's just because the instrument was older than me and should have been recycled into chromed car parts instead of being played by a poor little 13 year old. lol Back on topic: I think the change was mostly to make the recruitment of marching band kids easier, and the playing and teaching a lot easier too. Bb horn are much easier to play on, in my opinion, less crap to deal with, anyway. definitely serious, but I'm talking soprano not a contra, and "fun", as in, although a Ferrari is a better, nicer sports car, it would be a bit of fun to run about in an old TR6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigscontrachik05 Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 definitely serious, but I'm talking soprano not a contra, and "fun", as in, although a Ferrari is a better, nicer sports car, it would be a bit of fun to run about in an old TR6. ooooooh, I see! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Which reminds me..... olde pharte story alert... Back around the mid 80s my sister bought a P/R contra (with case even) for $50 at a flea market near Hershey. PA. Guy had no idea what a contra was but was glad to sell it because he hurt his back trying to move it once. Sis played with it a few years then asked me to find a buyer. Sold it to the Yanee-Rebel Alumni which were starting up..... <snipping long story> Guy who picked it up recognized the dent pattern in the bell. Turns out it was stolen from the Buccs after the Hershey show. And not really a surprise as we guessed it was stolen anyway... but nice to find out for sure.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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