Adams at ITEC 2023

[davewerden]

Ruud Corstjens came over from Holland to manage the Adams booth (Ruud is a marketing guy, but he's very bright and knows a lot about Adams brass). Ruud had an interesting problem at the very start. There were 2 main buildings for the event. The concert hall was for large concerts and had some exhibits for mouthpieces, sheet music, Marine bands recruiting, Wiseman cases, etc., all on the one floor. They had a large room reserved for Adams, but it would have been alone on a different floor. The other building was for smaller performances, registration, and all other instrument exhibits. Ruud chose (wisely, IMO) to move to the building with the other horn vendors. The room was smaller, but they still had a very successful run...and some visitors got some very good buys on horns!

Here is a look at the room. One might say it was "intimate" but it was still fine for trying horns. The man at the right of the 2nd photo has a neat Adams with sterling bell and an antique finish. In order to get the silver + antique to look more like the rest of the horn, Adams copper plated it. Nice look! (Sorry I did not get a photo)

[davewerden]

In discussions with Ruud, I learned they have a new(ish) brass guy on the production line. He's a tubist with excellent musical and engineering skills. His ideas and work have been so remarkable that he is not head of the brass instrument production. One result of his efforts was an E1 in gold brass with a trigger, which was at the show. It was indeed a sweet horn, although I can't say for sure what the difference would have been if I tried an older horn configured the same, but this one was great. And the new 6/4 tubas are now seen as outstanding, and I think he did have something to do with that!

For fun, I took a photo of the gold brass E1 with trigger alongside the yellow brass E3.

[ivanhouston]

Hi Dave, those are nice horns.
Does the placement of the bottom bow ferrules have any impact on the sound in your opinion? The standard E1 has higher ferrules than the triggered E1.

[davewerden]

Hi Dave, those are nice horns.
Does the placement of the bottom bow ferrules have any impact on the sound in your opinion? The standard E1 has higher ferrules than the triggered E1.

I wrote the text incorrectly. The horn on the right is an E3 (it is now corrected above).

It's hard to say what effect moving the ferrules has. The tubing beyond the tuning slide in the E3 is different from the E1. Moving ferrules on the E1 would probably have an effect, but I don't know what it would be. Sometimes even moving a brace will affect things.

[John Morgan]

In discussions with Ruud, I learned they have a new(ish) brass guy on the production line. He's a tubist with excellent musical and engineering skills. His ideas and work have been so remarkable that he is not head of the brass instrument production. One result of his efforts was an E1 in gold brass with a trigger, which was at the show. It was indeed a sweet horn, although I can't say for sure what the difference would have been if I tried an older horn configured the same, but this one was great. And the new 6/4 tubas are now seen as outstanding, and I think he did have something to do with that!

For fun, I took a photo of the gold brass E1 with trigger alongside the yellow brass E3.

I notice on the gold brass E1 with trigger that there is not the bracing on the main tuning slide like there is on mine.



I wonder if Adams has stopped putting that v-brace on the main tuning slide when you have a trigger.

[spkissane]

I notice on the gold brass E1 with trigger that there is not the bracing on the main tuning slide like there is on mine.

I wonder if Adams has stopped putting that v-brace on the main tuning slide when you have a trigger.

If so, it's too bad, from an aesthetic standpoint. That brace is really visually striking!

I was only in the Adams room for a few minutes, but I did get to at least honk on each of the horns there. Am I recalling correctly that one of the E2's had a bronze bell? I might have misheard when he was talking about it, but that was what it sounded like to me. There was also an E1 that had a screw-on bell top. Would have been cool to have had a few different bell types to try out on that horn at the conference.

[davewerden]

Am I recalling correctly that one of the E2's had a bronze bell? I might have misheard when he was talking about it, but that was what it sounded like to me.

That doesn't sound familiar. But an attendee had one in antique finish and had a sterling silver bell. He had the factory copper plate the I recall, in order to keep the antique appearance more consistent. (Not totally sure about that part, but I do not think there was a horn with a bronze bell.)

There was also an E1 that had a screw-on bell top. Would have been cool to have had a few different bell types to try out on that horn at the conference.

Agreed, but it was not possible. This was a pre-prototype kinda thing to test the waters. If it gets to production I would think other rim metals might be a great option. I said it was impossible because this one was really hard to manipulate physically to get the rim back on when you remove it. I brought this up with Miel and he recognized the issue; a production model will need different threading, and will probably also have a narrow/lighter edge around the screw mechanism.

[JakeGuilbo]

I notice on the gold brass E1 with trigger that there is not the bracing on the main tuning slide like there is on mine.



I wonder if Adams has stopped putting that v-brace on the main tuning slide when you have a trigger.

I had the entire trigger assembly removed from my E3 and recently just had that V brace removed along with the bits of trigger assembly attached to the horn. Makes QUITE a difference in sound and response. Added a 2 link ABC and the horn is so sweetly dialed in now.

[Brayloo21]

I actually was the one who purchased the Antique Finished E2, unfortunately it never even got to see a rehearsal because it was in a car wreck as soon as I got home from Arizona. I’m now purchasing a brushed E2 that has the same metals just a different finish. That horn was phenomenal though, won’t be forgotten. The SS lead pipe did wonders for that horn.

[davewerden]

I actually was the one who purchased the Antique Finished E2, unfortunately it never even got to see a rehearsal because it was in a car wreck as soon as I got home from Arizona. I’m now purchasing a brushed E2 that has the same metals just a different finish. That horn was phenomenal though, won’t be forgotten. The SS lead pipe did wonders for that horn.

Ouch! I don't know how many times I have warned people to not let their euphonium drive a car!

But seriously, I hope you did not incur any similar damage to yourself.

I hope it is not too long before you get the new one. These horns are amazing, as you have noted.