| "Improved Duplexcho" Double Cornet in Eb/Bb with Echo Bell |
I'm extremely fortunate to have a few customer who enjoy
unusual instruments as much as I do (Tom Meacham in this
case) and are willing to pay me to take on unusual jobs.
This is an all new instrument and an improvement of a
double echo cornet that I had made a few years earlier. It is
German silver with engraved Sterling silver trim. The bore
measures .460", allowing me to utilize mass produced crooks
and slide tubing. The open bell was supplied by Zig Kanstul
after testing many for acceptable acoustics in both Eb and
Bb. I had to make the echo bell myself, of course. All six of
the valves had to be custom built just for this instrument. I
started with the advantage of having been given the
remaining stock from Bernie Marston who made all the
rotary valves for Olds in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Included was dozens of various French horn valve
assemblies in all states of being made. Most of the casings
were drilled and threaded but without the knuckles silver
soldered in place yet. I was able to place the knuckles at the
exact angles and spacing that I needed for this project. For
the three change valves, I shorted the double casings to
single, retaining the threaded ends. I was also able to use the
partially made change rotors by cutting the same end off and
silver soldering new stem and bearing on. I then silver
soldered the knuckles in place in the casings to fit the layout
of my design. Engineering the valve levers to fit both the
compact design of the tubing and to conveniently fit the
hands was a little bit of a challenge. It is fairly comfortable
to hold, but rather a heavy cornet.
The three main valves function the same as in a double
French horn, the lever for the left thumb changing the pitch
from Bb to high Eb and switching to the shorter valve slides
at the same time. The sixth valve, actuated by the right
thumb, switches from the open bell to the muted or "echo"
bell. Unlike the common echo bells seen on historic cornets,
I provided a sliding tube inserted in the sounding end. This
functions the same as in a Harmon mute, giving different
timbres, depending on being fully inserted, extended or
removed. To tune this cornet, the player would first tune the
Eb cornet by setting the sliding mouthpipe shank. Then the
Bb cornet is tuned with the long slide that is seen between
the mouthpipe and first valve assembly. There is a second
Bb slide on the opposite end of the valve section which is
used primarily for convenience of cleaning and oiling.
Lastly, the echo bell is tuned with the short slide with pull
ring that is situated between the valve levers and valve slides.
unusual instruments as much as I do (Tom Meacham in this
case) and are willing to pay me to take on unusual jobs.
This is an all new instrument and an improvement of a
double echo cornet that I had made a few years earlier. It is
German silver with engraved Sterling silver trim. The bore
measures .460", allowing me to utilize mass produced crooks
and slide tubing. The open bell was supplied by Zig Kanstul
after testing many for acceptable acoustics in both Eb and
Bb. I had to make the echo bell myself, of course. All six of
the valves had to be custom built just for this instrument. I
started with the advantage of having been given the
remaining stock from Bernie Marston who made all the
rotary valves for Olds in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Included was dozens of various French horn valve
assemblies in all states of being made. Most of the casings
were drilled and threaded but without the knuckles silver
soldered in place yet. I was able to place the knuckles at the
exact angles and spacing that I needed for this project. For
the three change valves, I shorted the double casings to
single, retaining the threaded ends. I was also able to use the
partially made change rotors by cutting the same end off and
silver soldering new stem and bearing on. I then silver
soldered the knuckles in place in the casings to fit the layout
of my design. Engineering the valve levers to fit both the
compact design of the tubing and to conveniently fit the
hands was a little bit of a challenge. It is fairly comfortable
to hold, but rather a heavy cornet.
The three main valves function the same as in a double
French horn, the lever for the left thumb changing the pitch
from Bb to high Eb and switching to the shorter valve slides
at the same time. The sixth valve, actuated by the right
thumb, switches from the open bell to the muted or "echo"
bell. Unlike the common echo bells seen on historic cornets,
I provided a sliding tube inserted in the sounding end. This
functions the same as in a Harmon mute, giving different
timbres, depending on being fully inserted, extended or
removed. To tune this cornet, the player would first tune the
Eb cornet by setting the sliding mouthpipe shank. Then the
Bb cornet is tuned with the long slide that is seen between
the mouthpipe and first valve assembly. There is a second
Bb slide on the opposite end of the valve section which is
used primarily for convenience of cleaning and oiling.
Lastly, the echo bell is tuned with the short slide with pull
ring that is situated between the valve levers and valve slides.
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