CURRY C CAPS
Disclaimer: Please note any reviews on this site are purely of my own opinion.
I recommend you check other sites or Google for additional information on products when trying to make a purchase decision.
I've always been skeptical of elements such as this.
I mean - with all the work that goes into designing trumpets in the first place is it not better just to stick with the factory designs?
Whilst this may have been true for custom and pro horns - these days I am not so sure.
I've seen extensive parts lists from major manufacturers recently and can tell you sometimes your precious new horn is a mis-mash of various models stuck together.
Therefore - it might not be the best period- but the best of what was available at the time from the factory.
Anyway - someone recently asked about these - so I thought I’d give them a go first to see what all the fuss is about.
First things I can tell you about these are that they are indeed heavy.
The packaging is very simple and you get 3 caps along with 3 Rubber O Rings and 3 Shims (Brass Washers)
Now the tricky part is really using this combination of what you get in the box to best match you horn.
Taken directly off Curry's Website (www.currympc.com) it suggests the following combinations:
Mounting Methods
1) Stretch the O-rings over the valve casing threads and screw CCAPS on. The amount of tension can be varied on each valve. This is the darkest sounding method. Shims are not used in this method.
2) Insert the O-ring into the CCAP and the lay the brass shim on top. This has the effect of "grounding out" the bottom of each valve and the effects are slightly different.
Resulting sound is less dark than method #1.
3) Screw the CCAPS on as you would any other valve cap. This method retains some of the brightness of your horn and provides some slot-lock.
4) Screw #1 and #2 on normally (no 0-rings or shims). Drop 2 shims in #3 and screw CCAP on. This is slightly brighter than #3.
5) Any combination of #1, #2, #3, or #4. No two horns or players are alike.
You will have to experiment to see which method is best for your needs.
So you really have to sit down and change out each cap on your instrument and find what works the best for you.
I recommend trying as many combinations as you can - whilst jotting down some notes for each combination that you try.
For some people they might only use one cap across all 3 valves.
For me I tried these out on my trusty Yamaha 6310Z trumpet.
I know this particular trumpet well as it's been with me for around 12 years - so I can identify when it's working better etc.
So the question is do they work?
Well, I am happy - and somewhat a little surprised to say that they do in fact do everything that they are reported to do.
For me I went with the O-ring and Shim in each cap - these seemed to work the best for me as I didn't want to brighten the sound too much.
(I prefer it a little on the darker side myself)
Anyhow - what these caps did was add some serious 'slotting stability' to my playing.
So if you played arpeggios the notes seriously locked in with and almost laser type precision.
For combo - jazz solo stuff this might not be ideal (Martin Committees are so popular for their loose slotting and fluid changes) but for band work these
are great!
I noticed immediately that notes above the ledger were just there are there with some pin point projection and sat nicely.
I have not idea how this is done - but the additional weight just seems to give the horn some extra stability.
PROS:
Low Cost Upgrade: They are not that cheap - but they are a lot cheaper and will help tweak most horns out there that just need a little bit of extra mass to lock in the notes.
Change your sound fast: With come quick adjustments and putting shims in different caps you can quickly tweak your sound slightly lighter or darker.
CONS:
Design: How come we can't get it in the cool Schilke Hex design for other trumpets?
If you play Yamaha - you get stuck with the C Caps round design - which whilst comfortable and practical could have been much cooler with some customization options.
I don't see this happening anytime soon as Mark Curry is a very busy one man operation as it is.
Results will differ: I am sure that some people will find only a tiny change for them - or perhaps even no change.
I used a lightweight horn for this test - so a little extra mass in the right place is bound to have a notable change.
HOW MUCH WOULD I EXPECT TO PAY?
RRP in the US for these is US$48 - but you can find for about $10 US cheaper from a few online retailers.
In NZ these would sell for around NZ $85 to $90 I would think.
Whilst I have no plans to bring these caps in at this stage if I have enough people requesting them I would be happy to bring some in as a bulk lot.
OVERALL RATING:
They work - they are about the same price as a mouthpiece is, and they allow you to subtlety tweak my sound.
It's all good news - and I will continue to use mine for playing Jazz band - the jury is still out if I want these on for combo work - but the best thing is I can change the caps in under a minute if I find the notes to be to rigid for solos etc.
Disclaimer: Please note any reviews on this site are purely of my own opinion.
I recommend you check other sites or Google for additional information on products when trying to make a purchase decision.
I've always been skeptical of elements such as this.
I mean - with all the work that goes into designing trumpets in the first place is it not better just to stick with the factory designs?
Whilst this may have been true for custom and pro horns - these days I am not so sure.
I've seen extensive parts lists from major manufacturers recently and can tell you sometimes your precious new horn is a mis-mash of various models stuck together.
Therefore - it might not be the best period- but the best of what was available at the time from the factory.
Anyway - someone recently asked about these - so I thought I’d give them a go first to see what all the fuss is about.
First things I can tell you about these are that they are indeed heavy.
The packaging is very simple and you get 3 caps along with 3 Rubber O Rings and 3 Shims (Brass Washers)
Now the tricky part is really using this combination of what you get in the box to best match you horn.
Taken directly off Curry's Website (www.currympc.com) it suggests the following combinations:
Mounting Methods
1) Stretch the O-rings over the valve casing threads and screw CCAPS on. The amount of tension can be varied on each valve. This is the darkest sounding method. Shims are not used in this method.
2) Insert the O-ring into the CCAP and the lay the brass shim on top. This has the effect of "grounding out" the bottom of each valve and the effects are slightly different.
Resulting sound is less dark than method #1.
3) Screw the CCAPS on as you would any other valve cap. This method retains some of the brightness of your horn and provides some slot-lock.
4) Screw #1 and #2 on normally (no 0-rings or shims). Drop 2 shims in #3 and screw CCAP on. This is slightly brighter than #3.
5) Any combination of #1, #2, #3, or #4. No two horns or players are alike.
You will have to experiment to see which method is best for your needs.
So you really have to sit down and change out each cap on your instrument and find what works the best for you.
I recommend trying as many combinations as you can - whilst jotting down some notes for each combination that you try.
For some people they might only use one cap across all 3 valves.
For me I tried these out on my trusty Yamaha 6310Z trumpet.
I know this particular trumpet well as it's been with me for around 12 years - so I can identify when it's working better etc.
So the question is do they work?
Well, I am happy - and somewhat a little surprised to say that they do in fact do everything that they are reported to do.
For me I went with the O-ring and Shim in each cap - these seemed to work the best for me as I didn't want to brighten the sound too much.
(I prefer it a little on the darker side myself)
Anyhow - what these caps did was add some serious 'slotting stability' to my playing.
So if you played arpeggios the notes seriously locked in with and almost laser type precision.
For combo - jazz solo stuff this might not be ideal (Martin Committees are so popular for their loose slotting and fluid changes) but for band work these
are great!
I noticed immediately that notes above the ledger were just there are there with some pin point projection and sat nicely.
I have not idea how this is done - but the additional weight just seems to give the horn some extra stability.
PROS:
Low Cost Upgrade: They are not that cheap - but they are a lot cheaper and will help tweak most horns out there that just need a little bit of extra mass to lock in the notes.
Change your sound fast: With come quick adjustments and putting shims in different caps you can quickly tweak your sound slightly lighter or darker.
CONS:
Design: How come we can't get it in the cool Schilke Hex design for other trumpets?
If you play Yamaha - you get stuck with the C Caps round design - which whilst comfortable and practical could have been much cooler with some customization options.
I don't see this happening anytime soon as Mark Curry is a very busy one man operation as it is.
Results will differ: I am sure that some people will find only a tiny change for them - or perhaps even no change.
I used a lightweight horn for this test - so a little extra mass in the right place is bound to have a notable change.
HOW MUCH WOULD I EXPECT TO PAY?
RRP in the US for these is US$48 - but you can find for about $10 US cheaper from a few online retailers.
In NZ these would sell for around NZ $85 to $90 I would think.
Whilst I have no plans to bring these caps in at this stage if I have enough people requesting them I would be happy to bring some in as a bulk lot.
OVERALL RATING:
They work - they are about the same price as a mouthpiece is, and they allow you to subtlety tweak my sound.
It's all good news - and I will continue to use mine for playing Jazz band - the jury is still out if I want these on for combo work - but the best thing is I can change the caps in under a minute if I find the notes to be to rigid for solos etc.
