Updates from our Denver location...

It's time for an update from our Denver location where the majority of Harrelson instruments, accessories and 5MM mouthpieces are designed and produced. Yes, I do build everything myself. I get that question all the time and the response is always the same, "I do in fact build all of my instruments, mouthpieces and accessories myself, alone in my Denver shop."

Did you know that Harrelson Trumpets has two locations? Our Minneapolis location is home to Jen, Christine and James who are my support team. And James Knabe is our traveling HT rep currently living in the Dallas, Texas area. Together, we are a small team of five dedicated to designing, producing and delivering the finest high quality brass instrument solutions possible.

We don't just build trumpets. We take great pride in creating high efficiency works of art from your specific ideas and requirements. Unlike any other brass instrument manufacturer, we build exactly what you want incorporating the latest advancements in Standing Wave Efficiency Technology, cutting edge CAD and CAM systems and precision CNC machining. 

With this in mind, many of you have been anxiously awaiting updates on our latest offerings including the modular mouthpiece system (5MM), adjustable gap receiver (AGR), Bravura Flugelhorn and Summit Eb production and delivery dates on existing instrument orders. I have good news for almost all of you!

The 5MM System is in full production. I am literally working through a different size every day of the week. Bach sizes are finished and have been shipped out for plating. For those of you new to the 5MM, the MM designates MODULAR MOUTHPIECE. When I say modular, I really mean that every piece is completely interchangeable within a few seconds. The Rim, Cup, Throat, Backbore, Body and Nut are all modular. This means you can create any size mouthpiece including thousands of sizes that were never before available. I have over 200 pre-orders for the 5MM System and many of you have ordered 11 and 19-piece kits. I'm working long hours to finish every order as quickly as possible. Please watch my Facebook pages for production photos and videos.

The AGR has been in full production for over a year, but the last piece of this system was recently finished. I'm referring to the fully machined leadpipe system for Summit and Gravity trumpets. The new leadpipe is completely machined on our CNC mill/turn center to tolerances less than .0007" in four segments. We no longer offer drawn leadpipes on our higher end instruments. The first segment of the new leadpipe IS a proprietary high contact threaded mount designed to fit the Adjustable Gap Receiver (AGR). This new system gives you, the player, the ability to fine tune every aspect of air flow/resistance, impedance, slotting and flexibility AFTER you receive your new trumpet.

The AGR is most likely the greatest contribution I have ever made to brass instrument design and performance. I mention this specifically because the vast majority of my own clients do not at first understand the importance of the AGR. It will literally change the way you play trumpet for life by giving YOU control over all performance variables. With 450 AGR Insert variations, you will continually fine tune your playing setup until wide interval leaps, upper and lower register attacks and endurance feel easier than you ever imagined. I will spend much more time demonstrating the AGR in short YouTube videos next year so that the average player (with no knowledge of the science behind the system) will sit back and say, "Wait a minute, he's onto something!" 

The new 2013 Bravura Flugelhorn has now become the new 2015 model. Many of you know that the Bravura flugel was not introduced in 2013 as I originally promised. Nor was it released this year, so it has been pushed back to 2015. The bad news is that I have seven orders and my clients are justifiably anxious to receive their horns. My life has been quite challenging the past two and a half years as I have revealed in previous blog entries. Despite my set backs and long, but successful recovery, the Bravura Flugel production date has eluded me. I have been working so hard just to keep up with Bb and C trumpet orders that this project has been slow. I have done a great deal of work and the final design is pretty much done. Now I only need to finish making the custom fixtures to machine all components and move on to final assembly.

The good news is that I expect to finish the first Bravura Flugel sometime in February of 2015. Thank you all for being so very patient with the development of this instrument. I promise it will be the most advanced and sweetest sounding flugel you have ever played.

And last on my list of updates is the Bravura Eb trumpet. I have great news here...it's almost done! The new Eb valveset is finished and I will be building the new machined leadpipe in several variations with something to meet the needs of every preference. There will be an AGR option on the Eb with a Summit version to follow someday in the future.

With Christmas and the New Year around the corner, I would like to say thank you to all of my clients, fans and friends. I hope you have taken the time to achieve your own personal goals this year. I have had the best success by prioritizing my projects every day and working on one little piece at a time. It is the sum of the parts that matters, but you do have to spend solid focused time on each and every part. And my last reminder to those of you who think I spend all of my time working...remember to put your goals into perspective with a well balanced life experience. This includes time well spent with friends, family, colleagues and maybe even a few people (you don't already know) who could benefit from some extra unexpected kindness.

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