Thank you to everyone that came out over the weekend for our Clinics and Shop Tours! We will be announcing our classes and shop tours for the remainder of the year tomorrow. So stay tuned. Well, it's a Monday... and it really feels like a Monday... we're very busy today. Christine is working on assisting Jason with a custom horn... working the tuning slide & bell crook. When not working on that... she's been filling orders and answering phones. Joe is stationed at the lathe... working on proofing 5MM body files. Jason has been working on two custom built trumpets... and I have been helping him with design work for engraving. Here are some highlight photos from today and this weekend. I have to get all of my notes in order and pack... I head to New Orleans early Wednesday morning! I can't wait!

Guess what? Making the most customized trumpets, mouthpieces and small parts is a LOT of work and takes time.  Sometimes when I talk to everyone in our meeting... it feels like they've been working on the same thing all week long... and sometimes they have. Joe is finally finishing up mouthpiece throats today and moving on to mouthpiece bodies. He is probably more excited about that than any of you out there waiting on a mouthpiece body... because he's been standing in front of that machine for hours every day for what seems like a really long time. Christine is really excited to be filling orders with some of the new throats from the last couple of days and prepping those to ship. We're having a series of shop tours and clinics this weekend... so we'll be hosting visitors and working all weekend during the slower hours. If there are any slower hours. What else??? Jason's been working on custom horn builds all week... and was very excited to get his new software today. If you don't know...software is very expensive! We've been saving up for this particular software for YEARS. Yes, for YEARS. We're hoping this will make his life easier... and keep the hair on his head into his 50s. We have a crew of guys here today doing a shop tour with Jason and attending the 5MM Intro Mouthpiece Clinic. It's fun because everyone is NEW. And we really like it when we have a chance to introduce people that have never heard of us to our products and our showroom. If you don't know about the events this weekend... you can find out more here: www.whyharrelson.com/clinics--tours.html

Jason looks kinda happy about the new software... 

What else... I did the final assembly on another demo horn for the showroom today... which will be nice to have on hand for our visitors this weekend... our horns are all custom built and so it's rare we have many in stock as demos in the showroom unless they come to us on trade for a new build. We're trying to bulk up our inventory ... but it's tough when we're trying to catch up on order at the same time. It's not a bad problem to have... and yes... we hear that almost daily.

There's Joe... juggling phone calls... he took like 3 calls at once... and then when he finally got off the phone he sighed and said... "there were two on call waiting that I missed completely"... so if you are trying to call... and you don't get us the first time around... we're probably on the line with another client... try us again... or send an email our way... [email protected]

I hope to see some of you at the festivities this weekend! I head to New Orleans for Satchmo Summerfest on Wednesday next week... time flies!

So... as you probably noticed... I haven't done an update in a while. I was out of town... and the last few times I've sat down to do an update something else has come up. I think I have finally perfected a method for transferring photos from my cell phone to our work pc. Which... sounds pretty easy... unless you try to do it with conflicting wifi and limited cell service. Long story short... here's what we've been doing for a few days. 

Jason has been working hard on a custom client order the last few days. This order required him to alter some programming and cut all new parts. This build also features some inlaid coins in the tuning slide and bell crook... which I think are going to look really smart once it's done. Should be ready for Christine to clean up by later today or tomorrow. 

Jason and I put the Ultimaker to work starting prototyping bell designs... more information on that to come. Some of the first Dichroic finger buttons went out for a custom order late last week (see the awesome blue stones above). Joe has been working on throats pretty nonstop. He does take breaks every now and then to answer a 5MM question or to fill an order that comes in. The phones have been ringing off the hook and Chrstine no sooner hangs up with one client ... before the phone rings again. It's never dull around here. All yesterday she packed and shipped orders... answered phones... and did finishing work on the demo horn for the showroom which will be on hand for our open house/clinics this weekend. Jason, as I said has been programming a custom build and machining parts for that. Including the custom tuning slide. Other than that he's been helping me with custom engraving projects for orders... and helping Joe troubleshoot issues on the lathe. We also had client and friend Brian Graber in yesterday from New Orleans along with his wife Karin. After they left Joe said to Jason and I... wow what friendly, warm and awesome people... we both said... well... of course... they're from New Orleans. 

Our attentions are full speed ahead on finishing 5MM Mouthpiece machining, custom trumpet builds... and hosting our guests. This week we've had one or more visitors every single day... and this weekend we have a full schedule of clinics and shop tours. If you haven't signed up for your spot yet... this is where to do it. Hope to see you there! 

www.whyharrelson.com/clinics--tours.html

Time flies... when you're... busy! We don't have much time to sit around thinking about what comes next... most things happen in fast forward here. Innovation is a constant... and we like it that way. Yesterday Jason and I took delivery on a new Ultimaker 3D Printer. We didn't waste any time setting it up and doing our first test prints. We've had designs for several small parts and tools for many months now... and by the end of day yesterday they were already coming off the new printer. More information on that coming soon.
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The focus for the coming days... finishing as much as possible in the way of displays and other touches on the Showroom in time for our Clinics next weekend. Getting the 3D Printer up and running regularly. Finish packaging for shim kits etc. Cut wooden boxes on the laser... oh... and build trumpets, mouthpieces and trim. 

Jason and I did some work with inlays this morning as well. Hoping to make major progress in the coming days.

Some things we've all been working on this week... 

Joe

Christine

Jason

Me

Monday again already? It seems to have come more quickly this week than usual. That's probably because Jason, Joe and I all worked Saturday. We had visitors picking up a horn from New Mexico on Saturday... so we used that day to get ahead on other projects as well. Today the phone has been ringing off the hook. Fairly typical of a Monday here... but usually not for July. I didn't take a lot of pictures today... we've just been busy with many of our normal tasks... and catching up now that we're all here at the same time after the holidays. 

Joe is working on building 5MM Mouthpieces as well as fielding emails and the never ending phone calls today. Christine filled a plating order to go out to Red Sky this morning... she's been packing horns to ship out... answering emails and phone calls and I believe she's hoping to get rim files into Rhino later today. Jason's tapping stems on the lathe and working on some top secret projects to be released this fall. He's also finishing up showroom displays and working on a client trumpet order today. Hoping to complete 3 or more custom trumpets this week to go out. I am working on a number of projects... and focusing my energies towards the open house coming up... and my visit to New Orleans for Satchmo Summerfest! I confirmed an order for our advertising banner at the festival. We're sponsoring Kermit Ruffins and our banner will be on stage for that show. Ironing out last minute details to meet up with clients for the visit. Stay tuned! More information... and more photos tomorrow.

I am back in the office after my summer vacation at the lake with my family and things certainly didn't slow down around the shop. I was back for one day of regroup and then Jason and I headed out the door to the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute. If you don't know much about RMBI I urge you to learn more: www.mendezbrassinstitute.com/general-information/

Jason gave a short clinic on the Physics of Brass Playing at the Institute... There's a video of the presentation on facebook if you're our friend on there. But here's a still shot.

Today Joe is working the show... so that Jason and I can finish a couple of trumpet orders while hosting a visitor from France. We also just had a surprise visit from a family traveling through from Ohio. June and July are usually our slower months here at the shop... but not this year... this has been our busiest summer in the history of the company... with now slow down in sight. Looking forward to delivering amazing custom trumpets for the remainder of the year and catching up on all of our orders. Stay tuned!