Click here to see bigger pictures of Hub van Laar trumpets & flugelhorns

Mouthpieces

- a Bob Reeves 42ES for lead, Yamaha Bobby Shew lead voor highblowing

- a Bob Reeves 42S for allround playing

- a Bob Reevs 42C for classical stuff

- Best Brass 5C for my Oiram trumpet, 5X for my Oiram flugelhorn

Hub van Laar Oiram II, 2010

You can't compare the new Oiram with the old one. The only thing that is the same is the name... The Oiram II has a big lightweight (7) bell (135mm) instead of the smaller standard weight 5 bell on the old one. The valves are totally new and super fast. Also the new round tuning slide is new and the horn is a bit lighter compared to the old one. As a matter of fact, I don't think it's that much heavier as a Bach. The result is a very fast responding horn with a big sound and very easy to play. I think I never played a horn that was so easy to play over the whole range with such a nice sound!

Hub van Laar Chuck Findley model, 2008

A copy of Chuck Findley's custom made B1 trumpet. It's a lightweight trumpet, ML bore with a 5 bell. The sound is richer compared to the original Calicchio CF model but brighter and a faster response compared to my B4. The upper register is very easy to play. More pictures here.

Hub van Laar Oiram model Ack van Rooijen, 2009

This flugelhorn plays as good as it looks. Like the OIRAM trumpet, the OIRAM flugelhorn was designed by the Belgian architect Mario Garzaniti. It is constructed with a very large bell, a heavy valve unit and curved slides, which guarantee very light wind resistance. The sound in the middle register is cloudy and smoky, but it can be augmented to achieve great power in the top register.

click here for a 3D movie

Hub van Laar Piccolo, 2008

This piccolo plays very easy through the registers. Compared to other piccolos this one feels more open, so it's easier to change between my normal Bb and this piccolo. The intonation and responding is outstanding. This version has a brushed goldplated valvecluster and a shiny goldplated bell. I also have a 3rd valve trigger on it but you also can get it with a ring on the 3rd valve crook. Like all other Hub van Laar instruments this piccolo also has Bauerfeind valves, so they are very fast!

B & S Challenger II 3116/2

Eb-Trumpet Challenger 3116/2 with 2 bells (standard and light weight). This one belonged to Thierry Caens who developed this line with B&S.

Bach Mercedes, New York, #5897 / 1943

Medium bore, 38 bell, 7 leadpipe, raw brass with original case (not Bach)

Build in 1941. In good shape and plays very well. It's original raw brass because that was often the case for Bach Mercedes (cheap Stradivarius). This one is probably build for the U.S. Governement. Bach made some Strads for lower prices and sold them as Mercedes, Mercury or Apollo just to gain money, quality is mostly the same as Strads, because he used the same parts. But by this he kept the Stradivarius name for the same(high) prices.Although the bore is smaller then then Bachs the tone is broader.Great leadhorn, according to www.trumpetstuff.com Lew Soloff plays a Medium Bore Strad NY too.