Sorry, I know this is probably so redundant, but i was wondering how these things work. I am a High School Student and should get everything down with the cheap stuff first, but I am just as curious as everyone else. I read that it can slot, as in play Double High Es. I thought that was pretty cool, considering most horns slot High Bs supposedly. Wondering how these play out, and I really want to to try one. I live in the Bay Area of California. Thanks.

Hi,

I'd recommend contacting Flip Oakes personally. He lives down in Oceanside but probably gigs in your area from time to time and would be glad to show you a Wild Thing when in your area. He's a really great guy . . . very patient and understanding.

Flip's number is 760-643-1501. When you call, you'll talk to Flip personally, for he's not about making 1,000 horns a day . . . just in turning out a few a month that are as perfect as he can tweak them. He's a real performer/technician and long time trumpet designer who knows his stuff. He's to a trumpet as a top NASCAR engine builder is to a racing engine! His horns simply perform and, as soon as I played one, I simply HAD to have it . . . it was simply THAT GOOD!

Believe me, all us old dinosaurs were once on the performance "plateau" you are at now! I want to encourage you to work hard . . . and work smart. High register comes with the proper embouchere and lots of smart practice!

Keep in mind too that most trumpets are simply copies of the late 1800 French Besson trumpet (that's been copied by Bach, Benge, Schilke, Yamaha and most others. Those instruments did not play literature that went past the F or G above High C. Today's artists and modern jazz music goes waaaaay past there!

Before buying a Wild Thing, I had one of those "one in one hundred" Bach Strads that I further "hot rodded" with a custom Pilczuk "Accusonic" leadpipe. My Strad would slot well to Double C. That is unique because most of the standard weight Bachs choke above the G# above High C and the lightweights usually choke a half step higher.

However, the Wild Thing was soooo stunning in how it sounded and performed . . . in so many little subtile way in ALL registers . . . that I immediately knew that it far surpassed any horn I'd played in my forty years of performance.

Can a high schooler "tell the difference?" If you are a pretty decent high school player yet, you SHOULD be able to notice it right away.

My "performance range" (what I can count on being able to reliably and MUSICALLY hit with surety) has gone up from the G above High C . . . up a FULL OCTAVE with the Wild Thing to the G below Triple C. The horn, from top to bottom plays the notes with instant response and ease.

As I said before, when one plays a truly awesome instrument . . . they immediately KNOW.

Again, contact Flip. Tell him "hi" for me and TALK. He'll help you out immensely . . . and WON'T try to sell you a horn . . . just simply help you. When you are ready, he'll be there too if you decide to purchase a custom, high-performance trumpet.

Hope this helps,

Tom Turner

PS: If you want more information, or if I can help you in any way, please e-mail me at: turner05@bellsouth.net

With a proper embouchere, I believe that anyone can have a nice G above High C. I'll try to steer you in the right direction so you can be like my son Russell. He converted his embouchere just before his Jr. year in high school. At that time he had a weak, airy High C. Two months later he had the biggest, prettiest and most reliable Double C you can imagine.

I also sponsored a chop clinic in our hometown at the high school Russ went to. THREE trumpeters there, counting Russell, made the conversion to a more efficient embouchere that early summer.

When their band got together in late summer, the band director was SO IMPRESSED at those three guys that he rearranged their halftime music--allowing them to soar in the stratosphere! Their band was invited to perform at a college playoff game at Georgia Southern. Before the game some of the college trumpeters were cutting loose some high stuff. Russ and his two friends walked over and let loose . . . and one of the girls in the college band said, "Hey, those guys are better than you!"

Russ is in college now but is still talked about around these parts. His former band director asked me during the holidays to put on another event . . . this time for the entire counties' trumpeters. We're planning to do one this spring.

As Russell humbly said to some awed college music students at a demonstration one day, "If I can do this, anyone can do this." He's right.

First and foremost I would like to thank you, Mr. Turner, for your inspiring and wonderful response. It is great to know there are experienced trumpeters that are willing to help out youngsters like myself.
Thats is awesome that Russell was able to change from an airy High C to a strong played Double C, and continue on a successful musical path. You obviously know the trumpet very well, to have made such an impact of his playing; therefore I fully respect and thank you again.
When I was a lousy 4th trumpet last year in Jazz band, I was upset that my sax playing director put the worst player as lead (I am serious, this guy was horrible, not just was his range below High C, but his tone sounded like...well it was bad) and mine was about D-E above High C and my tone was well rounded. So for spite I wanted to build my range. I bought a 16E Marcinkiewicz Pete Candoi model (very shallow cup, wide flat rim, and tight backbore) and immediately noticed a difference in my range. I could HIT a G above High C, but never play it. I thought I was on a roll to Double C and good playing. However my range stayed the same and became very inconsistent because I also play in Symphonic band and had to switch to my 7c. This lead to many other mouthpiece experiements which lead to what I call a trumpeters mid life crisis. I finally switched back to the standard 7c, and have become a strong player again. I focus on tone, and articulation as well as the fundamentals of the music, rather than just trying to hit high notes. BUT, I will always want to play them. That is why I asked about the Wild Thing. After buying a peashooter mouthpiece and trying the John Lynche Assymetric mouthpiece (check out www.asymmetric-mouthpiece.com) I realized that "miracle worker" mouthpieces aren't going to get me playing Higher notes (even though I can PLAY a High F which is respected in my area) So now I look to the trumpet itself as a possibility to extend my abilities. I feel very fortunate to be able to contact Mr. Oakes, thank you for the number! I guess I'll find out when you are in town, or find a local dealer that has one of his horns. I plan to continue playing in college, and would love to go in with a trumpet that can make me the best to my ability. Don't get me wrong, I practice every day and work hard. Thanks for sharing your experiences with me and giving me some info on the Wild Thing. If it worked out for you, I am sure that it would for me as well. Best wishes!
-Craig

kramergfy,

Yes, listen to Tom! It's rare that we get someone to post with so much knowledge!

I just wish Tom would post more concerning his conversion to the Superchops embouchure (what about it, Tom?)!

Blessings,

Well I tend to agree with a lot of things Tom said in his post. I've been playing professionally with Buena Vista Studios for a few years now, and playing the trumpet for several more. I've tried out a "Wild Thing", and yes the range in this trumpet was slightly better than anything I've used before (I'm currently using a Schilke custom trumpet, switched back because of its better overall quality than a Wild Thing) but overall it lacked the level of tone quality I expect out of a horn. I'm a firm believer that a trumpet player can have an amazing range on one of these "old horns" without trying to make things easier on themselves. I currently have an easily playable Triple G range, and a reachable Triple C range (two octaves above "high C"). Unfortunately my Triple C is, as of yet, not reliably playable for long periods of time, but I'm workin it. Some of my best range came on a Yamaha student trumpet. It's not the trumpet that matters so much as the way you get used to playing it. A trumpet is like anything worthwhile, before you can adequately use it you must break it in. When I get a new horn or mouthpiece (as I'm required to do for most movie recordings I participate in-- as every composer of movie scores wants a different tone, they will dictate which equipment we use to attain such a tone) I lock myself in a practice room for 8 hours straight and just sit with the trumpet glued to my mouth. Even when I take momentary breathers I never let it down. If you truly wish to improve your range, give it time. Keep practicing. I had a double B range (a 7th above high C) in high school with that old Yamaha student trumpet and a Bach 3C megatone mouthpiece, notorious for its lack of range. You can't try to rush range by going with these "quick-fix" alternative solutions like trumpets made for range or shallow, tight mouthpieces that restrict tone, and ultimately range by restricting air flow. The only way to build USABLE range is to work it, as you say you do. So I say keep up the good work and if a wild thing works for you (as it didn't for me) then more power to you. But don't expect them to work for everybody. Just because another musician (i.e. Tom or myself) says they believe in them doesn't mean you'll be able to even get a sound out of them. I've played a Schilke custom mouthpiece, built off of a 6a4A mouthpiece that nobody I met could play well. But it worked wonders for me once I opened up the backbore for a good tone and spent hours with it. In short, there's no substitute for hours on end with the trumpet.

ps- I am a firm believer in Tom's notion of "super-chop" emboucheres. I currently use several different positions to play high notes, as the music dictates. I save my super-chop embouchere for playing lead in movies where Double E's and even F's (not the ones just above high C, but up an octave) are not uncommon to see.

Could you tell me more about these different embrochures? I am struggling to High C and want to gain a bit before I drop down (chair-wise) next year. That might give me a better chance against the seniors. My tone is pretty good to B-flat below high C.