WoodSheddin wrote:You can't leave us hangin like that. Details, details!!!
Well, the following are my own personal observations on the way the horns played and sounded. I won't presume to speak for others in attendance who - in beltway parlance - live and thrive
FAR above my paygrade...
Yamayorks
Broad, omnipresent. Not the most core-laden sound I've ever heard, but when you dig in, it sure fills up a room. Fills up a room soft, too - which may be good or bad, depending on your perspective. Smooth, even sound on more lyrical excerpts like Prokofiev 5 and American in Paris. Would've liked a little more aggression in the sound on something like Fountains. Preferred the sound and feel of one Yamayork over the other, and there was a bit of a weight difference between the two (newer axe was heavier). It's been said this horn has its own voice, and I'd have to say I agree with that statement. It's an earthmover, for sure, but it doesn't seem to have that little sense of heat in the center of the sound that I like. Just my preference. Very, very nice player, though.
Baer
Next to the Yamayorks, I'd call this around a 5.5/4 horn. Around 15% less bacon fat in the sound, but a really nice sense of clarity that the Yamayork just didn't have. Very nice voice for something soloish like American in Paris, and a great combination of cutting, but broad sound for something like Fountains or those heinous fast, low runs in Mahler 5. Very easy low end, and from what I've heard, the handmade variants are even easier to play. A similar sense of punch to the sound that the Thor had, but scaled up 15-20%. Both listening and playing, this was my favorite horn.
6/4 Nirschl
Slightly fatter sound than the Baer, but a nice sense of point as well.
Thor
Norm calls it point-n-shoot, and I wouldn't disagree! I think for me, this thing kinda defines "5/4 horn". Not an 800 pound gorilla like the Yamayorks, but definitely a bigger presence than the 188, HB-2P, PCM, etc. Excellent scale, and can be brutal if it has to be. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give the low end a solid 7.5. It's definitely there, but nothing that made my head spin around. I liked the basement on the Baer better.
Willson rotary 3050
Somewhere between the Baer and the Yamayork in terms of size, and more like the Baer in terms of point in the sound. Very energetic low end, better than most of the others. Nice sense of character soft as well.
PCM
Nice presence of sound, and the low register is FUN! Not as much bite in the sound as the 4/4 Nirschl, but it feels *very* similar to the Yamayorks in terms of response. For a quintet horn, the PCM might be a fine choice. Don't be fooled, though - it can still throw out some quality weight in larger ensemble settings.
Hirsbrunner HB-2P
Very easy player, and can generate some really nice sound. Can be quite dark, but with the right mouthpiece, I think you could heat the sound up.
4/4 Nirschl (handmade)
Great axe! I didn't find the low end as quickly as I did with the other horns, but it's definitely there. No surprises that it shares a lot of playing and sound characteristics with its big brother. There was a bit of fire in the sound that the HB-2P and PCM didn't quite have.
188
Provenance and run-in time that few horns will ever enjoy. Considering who aligned the horn's molecules over the years, it's no surprise that this horn is something special. Surprising sense of mass for a 4/4 horn, but with a strong sense of Miraphone-ish clarity to the sound.
As I mentioned in my first post, no dogs. Finding something criticial to say about these horns is about like using a magnifying glass to find a freckle on a supermodel's butt. Each horn had its own unique voice, and Norm, Chuck, Justin and Greg all sounded different than each other on the same horns. Just as the same paintbrush in the hands of different artists yields all different kinds of results, these horns are just tools. Hearing four great players rotating through a great collection of axes really drove home the point that "what horn/mouthpiece so-and-so was using on such-and-such recording" is really only the very beginning of any musical journey.
So again, as I always say -just my $.02, your mileage may vary. These opinions don't necessarily reflect the views of anyone else in attendance.
Can I qualify that any more?
...Dave
