Recent showings

My recent brass displays and tuba trips have been a huge success and a wonderful opportunity to connect with old friends. I had lunch with Don Little and Alex Cauthen in Denton. We haven’t been all together since our studies with Arnold Jacobs in grad school at Northwestern in 1971. It was also nice to see Vern and Jan Kagarice at UNT. Vern was very complimentary about the Dual-Use trombone and its potential.

The enthusiasm for the J-700 BBb has been unanimously enthusiastic.
Reaction to the J-880 CC tuba has been mixed. Everyone loves the way it plays. Not everyone loves the ergonomics but those that do are adamant that it should stay as is. Those players put the tuba on a stand in a very upright position. They really like the right hand position; no bends, no stress.
The players that do not like the ergonomics of the J-880 will be pleased to know we will add another model, the J-870 with the mouthpipe positioned like the J-700 BBb tuba. This model will have an 18” bell and brass slide tubes like the J-700.

Pictures of showings at Rice University with Dave Kirk and Mark Barton as well as at UTA with Edward Jones and UNT are posted at the right.

CC tuba

The J-880SP arrived today.
It's on it's way to Capitol Tuba Conference at Ft Meyer with a stop at the Eastman School of Music. Along with the J-700, TU2, EU2 and I-800ST, I will be off to Texas Jan 10-18.

NAMM 2010

After the roller coaster that was the end of 2009, Gemeinhardt is back on firm ground. We are emphasizing the Gemeinhardt name and getting away from Gemstone which only served to confuse people. We are Gemeinhardt LLC, selling Gemeinhardt woodwinds and W. Nirschl Brass. We continue as the distributor of Weril and P. Weingrill brass.

Our booth at NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) was always packed. The brass was extremely popular. Word has spread about the J-700 tuba. The 3/4 French horn continues to be a hit. And I continue to be delighted with the reaction to the H-700, H-879 and H-880 trombones. When I talk about the Dual-Use capability I see expressions of skepticism, then shock, because it really works. (The patent is complete.) See pictures from NAMM at the link to the right.

Next show: Capitol Tuba Conference at Ft Meyer in DC Jan 27-30. I should have the J-880 CC tuba. I am told it is on the way. Then I will be traveling to Texas for TMEA and a few tuba visits the week after. We now have 3 great tubas, The J-700 BBb, the J-880 CC and the TU2 Rotor BBb as well as a slew of Euphoniums.

Tuba & Euphonium update

The new tubas and Euphoniums will be on display at the Army Tuba Conference January 27-30. http://www.usarmyband.com/tuba/tubaeuphonium_conference.html
I will be at the NAMM show in Anaheim with the J-700 tuba and I-800 Euphonium. Unfortunately I will not have the Weingrill tubas and Euphs but I will have them at the Army show. Plans are to have the Nirschl J-880 CC tuba at that show as well.
Then plans are to take the whole dog and pony show to TMEA in San Antonio February 10-13. I will be in Texas the week following TMEA for special appointments showing the instruments.
I have posted the new professional pictures of the aforementioned instruments on the apporpriate links at the right.

Weingrill Tuba & Euphonium

The first samples of the P.Weingrill tuba and Euphoniums just arrived. I am very impressed. I can’t wait to get them out to show.
The TU1 tuba is a monstrous .827"/.905"/.945" bore, with an 18" bell. It’s awesome.
The EU1 is a standard compensating instrument.
The EU2 is a new unique design. The compensators are in the back and the fourth valve is on top of the main branch! WOW!
See pics at the link at right "P.Weingrill Tuba & Euphonium"

Midwest Convention

Midwest Band and Orchestra Convention 2009 was in McCormick place for the first time.
I, for one, like the new venue. Lots of room; high ceiling/we can talk while people are playing.
Thanks to everyone who came by to look at new product. The French horns were a big hit. It's taken a while for the word to spread about the advantages of the 3/4 double but consensus is that it is great for beginners and a very good horn beyond the beginner stage. College players are always impressed with the D-88O big Kruspe-style nickel horn with all its extra features.
The J-700 4/4 BBb tuba was a big draw, thanks in part to Don Harry spreading the word. I will have it on display at NAMM, the Army Conference in DC and at TMEA. Some dealers have it in stock already, Buckeye Brass, Rieman Music and Griggs Music among them.
The CC tuba and the new Weingrill rotor tuba did not arrive in time but I will have both for the Army Conference Jan 27-30 at Ft Meyer. I will have the new Weingrill compensating Euphonium there as well. It is a totally new design.
I posted some pictures from Midwest on the link at the right.

Dual Use Trombone

A problem with step-up trombones is that the band director wants a .547” bore trombone with an F attachment in the concert band. When Johnny goes to the store to buy one he finds that he can’t play as high and often sounds worse for several months. And if he’s first chair in the jazz band, as often as not, he can’t even play the high parts on the new instrument. The W. Nirschl H-700LQ, H-879LQ and H-880LQ are the only trombones on the market with the patented Dual-Use mouthpipe system. Johnny can play the trombone with a tenor shank mouthpiece and the long tenor pipe and it will feel and respond like a small bore tenor. Later he can switch to the bass shank mouthpiece and the shorter pipe when he needs a bigger symphonic sound. Selling feature: He’s set to go out of the shoot. No loss of upper range and he still has a symphony bore tenor by just switching pipes when he is ready. Jim Beckel is the principal trombonist in the Indianapolis Symphony. He plays a Conn 88H/Greenhoe. I took him an H-700. When he tried the Tenor pipe he said “I’ve been looking all my life for the perfect Bolero trombone. I think this is it.” He found it gave him the upper register of a small bore tenor while retaining enough body in the low register. He used one all Summer for pops concerts and ultimately purchased an H-879. I first got the idea for the dual use trombone when working a NAMM show for a previous employer. The first-call trombonist in the Hollywood studios came by the booth I was working. He said he played a .491” bore trombone in the studio and was happy as a lark but when he played for John Williams, James Horner or Bruce Broughton, they went off sight to a big hall and played to just 2 microphones above the conductor to get the real sound of a big orchestra. The engineers weren’t getting enough trombone until he went out to his car and brought in his .547” bore trombone. Problem was he was still being given high parts. They still wanted to rehearse for three hours before recording and his ‘face was falling off’. I handed him a new .525/.547 dual bore slide from a new slide kit we had. He got his small shank mouthpiece, popped it in the big horn with the smaller dual bore slide. He said “This is going to save my butt.” I asked if I could repeat the story. “Why?” he queried. I told him about the typical high school kid who gets a .547” trombone to play in the concert band. Dad just paid $2K and expects to see it on stage that weekend at the jazz band concert but Johnny can’t play the parts on it. Mr. Hollywood said “This would be the answer! Get two slides!”
I never could get that company to package a trombone with two slides but years later, working now at Gemstone, I invented the Dual-Use trombone that accomplishes the same goal with a uniquely long venture tube.