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RE: New Soprano Cornet

Ineke,

I have tried a few sops in the last couple of years, and the Courtois was
the worst tuned.  A lot of Courtois instruments are good, but I don't think
they have mastered a sop yet.

Sometimes you get good and bad instruments, they all seem to have different
tuning.  I recently got a new Schilke, which has decent tuning (not perfect
though as I still have to use alternative fingering for a couple of notes),
but it was the second one I tried from the supplier, the tuning on the first
Schilke wasn't good.  You need to try more than one (of the same make)
before buying.  Some also seem more free-blowing than others, so try before
you buy.

Out of the sops I have played or tried, here are my thoughts (others may
have different opinions):

Schilke:slightly better than Kanstul, the best all-rounder but still
slightly flawed tuning.
Kanstul: excellent with good tuning, but not comfortable to hold, nice
trigger on 1st valve.
Sovereign: hard to blow, hard work up top, tuning strange.
Smith-Watkins: quite a good blow and pretty good up top, but poor tuning,
interchangeable bell.
Courtois: poor tuning, especially middle C, average really.
Getzen: not bad, but hard work up top (although excellent for pitching top
A's).

The worst note I have found on sops is middle Ab being flat (on every
Schilke and Kanstul I have tried).  Middle E's and Eb's always seem to need
alternative fingering.

I haven't tried Yamaha so can't comment.

Also, why don't manufacturers put 1st and 3rd valve triggers on sops?  It
would make life so much easier.

Martin.
sop - B&R.

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