Yamaha YTR-6335HSMV Mike Vax Bb

I have never been more satisfied with a horn, I played every professional model Yamaha, Bach, B&S, and in a straight up test the Mike Vax won out hands down because the upper register was exactly where I wanted it. Great lead horn, and if you really need the dark sound, play a flugel horn.

The Yamaha YTR-6335HSMV Mike Vax Bb horn replaced my old Bb Bach Strad. 72-bell of 13 years. Both are nice horns, but there are some trade-offs: Bob Malone was consulted in the design of the Yamaha, and he is known for getting his trumpets to produce consistent timbre in all registers. This is true! The Yamaha is very consistent.

Most of the time, this is nice, but at times, I also miss my old Bach for its inconsistencies. That is, it sounded dark and warm in the low registers, and brilliant in the upper register. Plus the Bach's greater than normal resistance made high register playing easier. On the other hand, this resistance forces you to "fight the horn" at times, especially when attempting to play softly.

I much prefer the Yamaha's intonation, responsiveness, and buttery timbre in the mid register. It's when I go into the upper or lower registers that I miss the Bach's flavor. Overall however, I'm very happy with the Yamaha, and I don't regret the switch away from the Bach instrument.