Trumpet Kit
My Friend Tom
It’s been a busy few days. I started the week by spending six hours on the phone with the people at Tom Tom trying to re-activate the map software after it came back from a warranty repair. The perseverance paid off and now it’s back to it’s good self.
I’ve been lucky in that both my [...]
Samsung - You’ve done it Again
With the exception of our instruments there’s no finer friend to modern day musicians than our mobile phones.
With technological advancements the way they are it’s getting increasingly difficult to get a phone that makes and receives calls and text messages. A few years ago I got the Motorola V3x - a brilliant piece of technology. [...]
Mobile Blogging = Success
I half expected yesterdays post to be 3 sizes to small and in some obscure font but it seems nice an normal. Mobile blogging has passed it’s first text. I wouldn’t say it’ll be my regular way to post as it’s a little tricky banging out a post on a touch screen phone but it’s [...]
Ear Defenders - Round 2
Another Triumph for the Baby Blue’s.
I used them in the first half of my Soul gig on Saturday and it was like I didn’t have them in. In fact, during the break I took them out and completely forgot to put them back in for the shorter second half and by the end my ears [...]
Audio Relief - Ear Protection
I bought a pair of these on the run up to a gig this weekend - Soul Bands are usually Ear Splitting their very nature.
Obviously as a professional musician I need to look after my ears so I carry a pair of foam ear defenders in my trumpet case.
You know the ones. They’re 75p a [...]
My Monette Mouthpiece
I love David Monette’s creations. They are nothing short of musical works of art. Perfectly balanced in physics and beauty.
I play on a Monette B4S for my classical and solo work as it gives me a beautiful free and sound. The range I achieve with it is not as extreme as the GR but still [...]
The Solution To Sore and Damaged Lips
(This weeks Trumpet Kit post is a little different.)
It’s just another one of those things that every trumpet and brass player has to deal with. Especially in the winter lips can get dry, chapped cracked and sore. Playing on this is painful and often effects the quality of playing and stamina.
The usual solution to this [...]
Reunion Blues Review
As part of my weekly trumpet kit reviews I am looking at my faithful Reunion Blues gig bag.
I’ve heard and seen a lot of horror stories with trumpeters and their cases. My friend who bent his lead pipe, others who have crushed and disfigured bells and more.
I’ve always been protective over my trumpet and naturally [...]
My Cup Mute(s)
If you’ve read my other mute posts you’ll know that I use a jo ral harmon and straight. So you won’t be surprised to read that I also have a jo al tri-tone mute.
However you may be surprised that this isn’t the mute that I use.
The tri-tone is a good mute which comes with three [...]

