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Toolshed<br />
DOWNBEAT<br />
MUSICIANS<br />
GEAR GUIDE<br />
Best of the 2009 NAMM Show<br />
BAND & ORCHESTRA<br />
Dark, Focused Flugel<br />
Jupiter has released the XO series 1646 B-flat flugelhorn,<br />
which features a .413-inch bore and a nickel silver tunable<br />
leadpipe providing a more focused and darker timbre. The 1646<br />
has a 6-inch hand-hammered one-piece bell of silver-plated yellow<br />
or rose brass and a custom wooden third-valve<br />
trigger with mini-ball linkage. It comes with an XO<br />
series Tourlite case. More info: jupitermusic.com<br />
Exquisite Release<br />
Ja Musik has introduced new Malcolm McNab<br />
model B&S trumpets—a medium-bore B-flat, a<br />
medium-large-bore C and a three-valve E-flat.<br />
The bell of the B-flat model is hand made with<br />
a French bead wire. The trumpets have excellent<br />
intonation and projection.<br />
More info: ja-musik.com<br />
Mouthing Off<br />
Denis Wick has introduced a new line of trumpet<br />
mouthpieces. The 4E is made for jazz and<br />
lead playing, as it has an extra-shallow cup to<br />
allow for a bright sound, and an open throat<br />
and V-type backbore. The 4X has all the same<br />
attributes as the 4E with an additional extrawide<br />
rim. The MM4C was designed for combo<br />
and solo jazz work. It was originally designed to<br />
be a versatile classical mouthpiece, but its open<br />
throat and V-type backbore allow for the projection<br />
and upper-register response desired by<br />
most jazz musicians. It has a medium-shallow<br />
cup. More info: dansr.com<br />
Brass Arrival<br />
P.Mauriat has entered the trumpet market with<br />
the introduction of the PMT-600Y (yellow brass)<br />
and PMT-600G (gold brass) professional trumpets.<br />
The instruments have .46-inch medium-large<br />
bores, and come in silver-plated, clear epoxy lacquer<br />
and colored epoxy lacquer finishes. The PMT-600Y has a<br />
normal weight receiver, twin tube yellow brass leadpipe<br />
and hand-lapped stainless steel valves. The PMT-600G has<br />
a heavyweight receiver, twin-tube nickel-silver leadpipe and<br />
hand-lapped stainless steel valves. More info: pmauriatmusic.com<br />
80 DOWNBEAT April 2009<br />
P.Mauriat<br />
trumpet<br />
Sonaré<br />
flute<br />
Antigua<br />
trumpet<br />
Regina<br />
Carter<br />
violin<br />
Jupiter<br />
flugelhorn<br />
Denis<br />
Wick<br />
mouthpiece<br />
Ja<br />
Musik<br />
trumpet<br />
The economy may be in a recession,<br />
but that does not mean that music<br />
instrument manufacturers did not<br />
release any new products at Winter<br />
NAMM 2009. Rather, the musicians<br />
at the Anaheim Convention Center<br />
had plenty of musical toys with which<br />
to play, as manufacturers rolled<br />
out thousands of new and enhanced<br />
products. Combing the aisles for four<br />
days offered a peek into possible new<br />
directions in music making, and gave<br />
us a glimpse of some new products<br />
that could become essential gear for<br />
professional and amateur musicians.<br />
Regina’s Strings<br />
Regina Carter has won the DownBeat<br />
Critics Poll Violinist of the Year for the<br />
past 11 years. So when her name is<br />
attached to a violin, the instrument should<br />
have playability outside of the classical<br />
realm. That being said, the Regina Carter<br />
Violin Collection from Erwin Otto Strings<br />
emulates Guarneri and Stradivari violin<br />
designs, so they have heavy classical<br />
chops as well. The four violins in the<br />
series—RC10, RC20, RC30 and<br />
RC40—are professional-level instruments,<br />
designed by luthier A.J.<br />
Pantalone and Carter. The violins<br />
range in quality depending on materials<br />
used, which include maple and<br />
spruce, and range from $3,495 (RC10)<br />
to $7,695 (RC40). More info: rsberkeley.com<br />
Golden Tone<br />
Sonaré added some sparkle to its flute<br />
line with the 14K rose gold-plated 700<br />
series flutes. The 707 is the 705 model<br />
with a gold-plated lip plate and crown;<br />
the 708 features a body and headjoint<br />
plated entirely in gold, as well as silver-plated<br />
keys; and the entire 709<br />
is plated in rose gold. The three<br />
new flutes feature a hand-cut<br />
Powell headjoint. MSRP: starting at $2,200.<br />
More info: sonarewinds.com<br />
Stylish Looks<br />
Antigua’s TR3580BN intermediate B-flat<br />
trumpet takes the company’s silverplated<br />
counterpart and adds a stylish<br />
black nickel finish. It features a .462inch<br />
bore and 4 3 /4-inch, two-piece bell.<br />
Two sets of finger buttons—convex or<br />
concave—suit a player’s preference, and<br />
stainless alloy pistons provide faster<br />
valve action. MSRP: $1,199.<br />
More info: antiguawinds.com
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