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This is a blog about being a professional freelance trumpet player. It is a cyber representation of things I have done, am doing, that I hope to do and that I love. From my professional music life to the photography and videography projects I do for fun.
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Taylor Trumpets… Discuss
Recently I received an email commenting on a post I made a year and a half ago (January 2008) entitled, Want The Worst Trumpet In The World? Make Mine A Taylor!!
This boldly titled post, which has proved to be one of my most controversial, takes a slightly satirical poke at the trumpets made by Taylor. This particular post discusses my views, opinions and experiences of this particular make of trumpet and is written in a pretty light hearted manner in order to promote discussion. Which I’m very pleased to say it has and did.
Which left me a little surprised when I received the following email from Mr Andy Taylor himself.
Dear Matt.Mind telling me where you get off on all this personal slagging off stuff??I read your rant with interest. Pity you didn’t have the good grace to pick up the phone and address this to me. What is it with some players who think ‘all’ instrument makers are fair game to be insulted at will? We are a small band of guys who pretty much all know each other, so this is not new, or big, or useful. We exchange stories and sometimes have a good laugh about them, and sometimes not. Believe me there are number of players out there who some would like to see put against a wall for far less!Next time, face your accuser and stop hiding behind the blog veneer. You are obviously still young and relatively inexperienced, so I shall put your rudeness down to that and hope you learn some humility in time.Kindest regards.Andy Taylor.
First of all I’d like to say what a shame it is that you have taken this so personally Andy. But I’d like to answer some of the issues you’ve brought up in your email.
I don’t appreciate you’re opening line as that seems to start off your email as a ‘rant’ and as a personal attack on me, however, that aside I’m glad that you read my post and I hope you enjoyed the rest of my site. I’d like to say that I have plenty of good grace thank you but if I picked up the phone and laid into all the manufacturers and service providers that I wasn’t a fan of I think it’d waste a lot of time and come over as quite rude.
However I would like to say that I am sorry if my post insulted you personally. If you carried on to read the many comments you’ll see that I’ve tried to be fair and state over and over again that these are my opinions. You are clearly very proud of your work to be so passionate and respond in the way you have. That’s great! Unfortunately it doesn’t change the way I feel about your trumpets. But then again, what do I know? I can’t make a trumpet! But I can play one. And I know what makes a good trumpet for me. Let me restate that last point; I know what makes a good trumpet FOR ME.
As for your final unfounded statement…
Next time, face your accuser and stop hiding behind the blog veneer
I’m not sure of whom my “accuser” is but I’d like to point out that if you continued to read the post you could have seen the comments of pro-Taylor players. Some were quite forceful with their views but following a post like this one I can understand why. That’s why the least I could do was write back. Please take time to read the comments and see that I am not hiding in any way. If I was I wouldn’t have put up the post in the first place.
I hope that this addresses the issues that you brought up in your email.
I think you might be right in saying that you can forget there are people who create these trumpets who might read a post like this and feel a certain amount of resentment and hurt. I hope you understand a little more now that my post isn’t a personal attack. It was perhaps a little insensitive but by the same token you can see that there are a fair few pro-Taylor comments there too. That should make you feel better about the debate.
I hope that you will leave your own comment on the post (providing that it’s not too rude or confrontational so that you can put your own views across in the right context. All the best Mr Taylor!!
Back to regular blogging; I hope to find the time to write a post on what I’ve been up to over the past few weeks over the weekend although things have been and are very busy with gigs. I’ll try my best to get something online soon!!
8 comments so far, add your own below
You are currently reading "Taylor Trumpets… Discuss" by Matt
Published: August 14, 2009 / 3:42 pm
Category: Trumpet
Tags: Andy Taylor, Taylor Trumpets
Hi Matt.
Got your attention then, in much the same way you got mine. If that was your idea of a ‘slightly satirical poke’ then I’d hate to see you angry! No mate, that took time to compose and think out. You knew exactly what you were doing. Your talent for twisting words is admirable, if such a talent can be described that way. I take my hat off to you. Remind me not to get into a debate session with you. Perhaps you’ve missed out on your true vocation in life as a politician. Mandelson and Adams come to mind. This is a compliment, you’re up there with these guys!
To address an issue, to coin your phrase. I can’t make a trumpet, but I can play one. Mmm.. that gives you the knowledge and experience to critisize people who can make a trumpet? So, by that reasoning as I can play the trumpet as well (maybe not in your league, but I know a trick or two. I’m 51 now and learnt to play when I was 14. You can do the sums. I started getting paid for gigs when I was 16, and still manage a few ‘profitable’ ones.) So that puts me in a good position to critisize your or any other players technical and musical abilities!! Don’t panic, that’s not likely to happen, just making a valid point. Unless you’re going to turn that around as well!
On the quality of work issue. Taylor Trumpets is a product we make. We make other specialized components, mostly bells for other brass manufacturers. Now if you consider Paxman French horns to be anything other than ‘Top Draw’ then we are in trouble. The reason we make the bells for them? Coz we know what we are doing and can do a damn good job at it. Other top level makers prefer not to say where they buy certain parts from and I respect their wishes, nice to know you managed to ridicule them as well. And the companies we make whole instruments for with their names on, and the custom makers we do the prototyping for. Do i need to go on?
On the issue of ‘other taylor users’. I really think you should have done you homework before coming up with that chestnut! There are some I would stake money on being far better than you, in a far better proffesional position than you, and you basically refered to them as tossers! You see, as ‘most’ Taylors are fairly ordinary looking horns they blend in and pass under the radar quite easily. Because you only see what you want to see…. do I really need to go on? Your an intelligent person, so I hope not.
Tell you want. You stick to playing, and I’ll stick to making. There, that wasn’t so painful was it. Or is my sense of humour not up to your level?
Kindest regards.
Andy Taylor.
PS… I’m not bothered if you post this or not, I just want to put accross my view to you.
Alright Andy,
Thanks for taking the time to respond. I have no other comments on this issue but I’m glad you’ve had your chance at a rebuttal. It’s been a very interesting exchange to have with you and I thank you again for your time. We seem to have very different views so I hope you’ll make a return visit to the site to offer a counterpoint to my thoughts and opinions in the future.
Until then, I wish you all the best in your future plans.
Hi Matt.
Thank you for putting that to rest.
Good luck with the carreer, and look forward to recieving a copy of your new CD. (That was a free plug for you. See, I’m not so hard after all!)
All the best.
Andy T.
Well, this is a first for me, having the maker of an instrument come on a blog! First of all I take my hat off to Mr. Taylor for taking the time out to talk to Matt over what has obviously become a very ‘sensitive’ matter.
Secondly, as a trombonist myself I have NO idea about Taylor trumpets, BUT I can see where Matt is coming from about preferring certain makes of instruments over others.
I remember when I was playing with a certain brass band (who’s name I won’t mention!) that the conductor was a sponsor for them, and he tried to push this make on to me in the short time I was in the band. I gave it a go, but absolutely HATED it! It sounded tinny, crass, looked ugly and now I won’t touch one with a 20-foot barge pole – no that’s harsh to the barge pole – I wouldn’t touch it AT ALL! It was horrible!
BUT some people liked them – And these people, to me, are plonkers, but that doesn’t mean I’m right and the God of trombones, it’s just my preference.
Now, where did I put my Shires Bass trombone…? Mmmmmmm, there you are you lovely thing!
Nick M
As a further comment to this discussion:
I have had a few comments that where a little too aggressive to let through onto the site but some had enlightening and positive points to them.
Away from those; Thanks to Brian Jones who pointed out that Eddie Severn had a hand in the development of the Taylor Flugel and also that Clause Deppa plays on a Taylor. I’ve played with Claude (since the article was written a couple of years ago) and he’s a brilliant trumpet player. I didn’t know know either of these facts and respect these trumpet players a great deal.
I can’t take back my first post on these trumpets and nor would I want to. I’m still not a fan of Taylor Trumpets but I would give them another chance to have a play with. I’d also say that although I might have grown up with idiots who played these trumpets (perhaps further tainting my views on them) it’s clear that this is untrue for the entire spectrum and most that I’ve exchanged emails and comments with seem friendly and humble chaps. Thanks
I’m really happy about the discussions that have come from this and what I’ve learnt – so there you go
Just as a final remark:
Please take this point on board. I think the Taylor players have made a great stand and made many good points here so if you are a moron or an idiot-hole, don’t bother leaving a comment 
.
Again I’m flattered that some morons out there assume that my word is gospel and fail to grasp that instead they are merely my opinions and that this is a discussion.
Hello Matt,
I am a fathere of five musicians and was trined at the Guildhall myself (and Phil Wilby at Leeds in composition), and they have played trumpet frnech horn, trumpet and flugel, cello flute violin, and Tuba.
We wbought the best instruments we could afford and in Edwards case who is my demon 10 year old trumpeter (grade 8 this summer, not that he cares as he is lovely impoviser and makes a great sound which are the main things). He is the proud owner of a Schilke trumpet (true intonation and quailty of build) and Getzen custom Fluegel which he loves for its free-blowing (direct air through the trumpet without ‘bends’). I once offered some views on the treament of youn player sat festival by adjudicators and was told by the organiser to ‘get a life’. I though I had one, and wonder at Mr taylors sensitivity: silly man
All the best
Keith Freeman
First of all, wow! 5 musicians! Secondly grade 8 at 10! Awesome and finally, a beautiful improviser too. That’s amazing. you must be very proud.
I haven’t seen a Schilke in years but some of my friends had them growing up and I always thought they made a nice sound. I need to go into a a decent music shop (if I can find one!) and play through their stock again soon. It’s been a while.
Thanks for your comment, but I lost the flow of your story at the end. You where told to “get a life” by an adjudicator? That’s nice hey? What where your opinions that got that response.