Play Test Results of the 2000 Cryo Experiment

The Play Test Results of the 2000 Cryo Experiment

Click on a tester to see his responses:

Mark Ponzo: Professor of trumpet,
Northern Illinois University.

Stanton Kramer: Active comeback player
and professional photographer.

John Hagstrom: Second trumpet,
Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Nick Drozdoff: Former Maynard Ferguson
trumpet player, now physics teacher.

Average scores for each
category and average overall ratings.

Comments from the owners.

Contributors.

Main Page

Comments from the owners.

Michael Hohnbaum, Bach owner.

(This instrument was cryo treated after the tests, before being returned to the owner.) The trumpet arrived. It looks and plays great. It got a good workout at a big band rehearsal yesterday. On side by side tests, I prefer my Laskey Bb better for the sound, but the cryo'd horn seems to have better dynamic response. Both are good players (at least for me). I'll probably keep on using the lightweight (cryo'd) horn for big band playing, and use the Laskey for quintet and church work. Now I'm anxious to see the full report on the cryo test.

John Lynch, CG Benge owner.

John owns this horn as part of his inventory to be sold. He felt that he had not played the instrument nearly enough to comment on it.

Jeff Martin, Besson Owner

I recently used this horn at a basketball arena that seats about 1500 to play the National Anthem as a solo with no microphone. I watched the video tape after I got home, and the trumpet easily filled up this huge building even without amplification. It feels to me as if it is much more accurate and clean playing, particularly above the staff. When I heard myself on the tape, I was impressed by how even the tone quality was across the range of the SSB. The lowest notes had the same timbre as the highest notes.

Al DeGaetano, Blackburn owner.

I was without the horn for about seven weeks. I played my Bach while you had it. This is the same horn I was playing before I purchased the Blackburn. This time around my Blackburn made me more excited then the first time. When I first played it, it seemed a little tight. Silly me, I was overblowing and overmuscling it. I got kinder and gentler and WOW! the horn's response and sound and evenness nearly knocked me over. Very even sound that wants to pop out and be in tune and sound great. Intonation, sound and slotting on the higher notes seems better too. I am pondering the mental side of this. Let's face it, Blackburn makes a great horn to start with, so am I just excited because my baby's back in my arms? I really don't think so. Since coming back I feel it's even better than I remember. I can describe it in terms of water skiing. Water being the air/embouchure and physical side on playing. With my Bach, it seems my skis are in the water more, the boat is going slow and I have to work at turns, etc. When I first got the Blackburn, the boat sped up and I just had to think turn, etc. and I did it. Now since getting the horn back from you, it's like the boat got faster and I'm riding the air/water much easier. Plus, now the water is so much calmer. Here I know that's a weird analogy, but it's what came to mind. Another thing I noticed, now that I have been playing the horn for over a week, is I do not get nearly as tired as I normally do when I play long. I can definitely say whatever you did, did not hurt my horn, and whether you did anything or not to the horn, I'd gladly pay for the improvement I feel with it, physiological or not!!

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