"Who Builds Harrelson Trumpets?"

6/7/2012

Believe it or not, here at Harrelson Trumpets we get this question every month or so, "Who builds Harrelson Trumpets?". Well, the answer is simple, WE DO! Or more specifically, I personally build every Harrelson Trumpet and my shop assistant James cleans them up while Paul is careful to check each trumpet build a third time against the original order form. It blows my mind that anyone would think we didn't build our own product. And if we didn't, then who would be secretly producing them for us all the while remaining anonymous?

When I step back and think about this question, it makes more sense in the backdrop of modern manufacturing and branding. Many brand name companies do not produce their own products. And those that do produce something often achieve this by way of anonymous factories in China, Indonesia or some other place we associate with soul-less mass production. Maybe Harrelson Trumpets somehow come across as mass produced, but I really don't see how this is possible. I build more custom trumpets each year than all other manufacturers combined. Only a small handful of the instruments I build are stock options, usually within the HT series. Looking at our photos of completed trumpet orders posted daily on Facebook, there is a wide variety of options produced every week.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I also receive this question quite often; "I see so many variations, but what will my Summit look like when it's complete?". The answer is whatever you want your Summit to look like. You also determine how it will play to a great extent by choosing your leadpipe, bell and tuning slide configuration. This may sound like a fair amount of work, deciding on all these options to have your trumpet made custom to your preferences. But in reality, it is a fun and rewarding experience that usually results in learning more about yourself while working with me personally to find the best options to fit your particular needs. Having the final word on each and every piece of your trumpet is seriously an addictive process that many customers choose to repeat with a second or third Harrelson horn.

I am making it my goal to provide more explanation and an inside look at my work through this blog by making new entries every week. I find it easy to forget to write my blog as I really do wear many hats at HT producing just about everything that goes out the door. Hopefully, this blog will answer the big questions and give most of you insight into my approach to physics, acoustics, music, trumpet, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I seriously love what I do and have made tremendous sacrifices to pursue a full-time career in trumpet design, manufacture and performance since 2001. Please feel free to send me ideas for future topics and questions.

Jason Harrelson

ps...here are a few older photos of horns that I built with my own two hands, right here at Harrelson Trumpets in Minneapolis Minnesota!