A fair number of people make comments that have me scratching my head. Like this one, "It must be nice to have those expensive CNC machines that will make whatever you want." In reality, my CNC machinery will do exactly what I program it to do. There is far more to building trumpets than pressing a few buttons!

This is somewhat related to another comment I have heard hundreds of times, "If you know so much about brass acoustics, why haven't you published your findings in any scientific journals?"

I could literally write numerous volumes of information, instructions, guidelines, rules, tips and tricks on running CNC machines alone. And I could write even more about entrepreneurship, communications, psychology, brass acoustics, manual machining, fabrication, engineering, aesthetic design, brass pedagogy, musicianship and the topic of minding your own business. But wouldn't you rather have the fruit of my labor rather than my knowledge? Who wants to read all those books that I could potentially write when I could be building instruments?

So let's leave it at this... Yes, I have done my homework. Yes, there is much more to designing and building trumpets than you may imagine. And yes, you are welcome to visit either of my shops to get a glimpse of the process first-hand. An no, there is no team of little elves doing the work for me. Jen, Christine, Kate, James and I do all of the work ourselves. And craftsmen like Tom Green and the staff at Anderson Plating assist us in the final finish. Our team is small, our integrity is high and our results are second to none.

Want a glimpse into the magic of CNC machining set to some of my own free improvisation? You're in luck! This video shows the final stages of a custom tuning slide being machined on our VMC.

We are launching a new series of short informative videos on YouTube, Facebook and my blog. Designed to give all musicians a better understanding of our products, services and the physics behind our designs, our videos are divided into three categories; Product Reviews, Performance Tips and Physics Facts.

Our goal is to give you a lot of valuable information in three minutes or less. The video below was our first attempt, which is nine minutes long, but considering the topic, it is a good start.

I have been testing trumpets for many years. "Testing" may include lab tests with a spectrum analyzer, oscilloscope, ultrasound, microphones and a laser spectrometer. Or it could be as simple as picking up a horn for the first time and playing it. Either way, the scientific process and the subjective feedback from players must both be taken into account when building a new trumpet.

Today, we're just having a little fun. Here's a video of me picking up a trumpet for the first time only to miss a few notes!

Harrelson Trumpets is entering a new era of increased productivity. We have recently upgraded our Vertical Machining Center to a late model Hurco VM20 with numerous time-saving options. And we've upgraded our CAD/CAM software to an extremely powerful system that will take our designs to the next level.

To better serve our customers, we will soon launch a new order system that limits our custom trumpet builds, custom 5MM and custom trim kit production. This will allow us to focus on creating a wide array of instruments available for immediate purchase through our Denver and Minneapolis showrooms.

If you are serious about having a custom VPS Summit built to your exact specifications, contact us soon as our pricing will increase on October 1st.

I would also like to personally thank everyone who supported our tremendous growth this summer by purchasing trim kits, mouthpieces and prototype instruments. Your rally truly made a difference. We purchased our new VMC with your help and we greatly appreciate your loyalty and support. The next generation of Harrelson Trumpets is on the way with the first generation Muse and the HT6ve. Watch for prototype photos and hints of these new models on our Instagram and Facebook pages.