Tony Esparis Sackbut - which one
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SackbuttRobert
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2021 3:17 pm
Tony Esparis Sackbut - which one
I am interested in having Tony Esparis make me a sackbut. He made me a baroque sackbut mouthpiece for my Juergen Voigt (that I bought last year). It was such a great experience working with Tony and his work looks great that I am very much considering commissioning a sackbut. Ah, but which one since I am only buying one. Schnitzer or Drewelwecz? I will have a tuning slide added and have a modern, chrome slide rather than an original slide. He apprenticed with Geert Jan Van Der Heide. Does anyone have experience with his instruments? I play a range of Rennaissance and Early Baroque music.
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Kbiggs
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- Location: Vancouver WA
Re: Tony Esparis Sackbut - which one
I’m going to punt to LeTromboniste (Maximillien Brisson) on this one. But two questions to consider are: which copy of sackbut do the majority of people you play with play—Schnitzer or Drewelwecz? If you’ve had the opportunity to play each copy (even if from other makers), which do you prefer?
Kenneth Biggs
I have known a great many troubles, but most of them have never happened.
—Mark Twain (attributed)
I have known a great many troubles, but most of them have never happened.
—Mark Twain (attributed)
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JanVG
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Re: Tony Esparis Sackbut - which one
I have a tenor sackbut Erasmus Schnitzer from Tony (2019) which is very satisfying for my needs. As I play mainly ensemble on renaissance courses with instruments as viols and recorders, i ordered the Schnitzer. I have to say that I regret that I didn't order a tuning slide at that moment, especially as on my last course in summer we had to play some pieces with a baroque orchestra at 415 hz! I have a raw brass slide, but still the industrial one. Nowadays you can also order a seamed slide as well.
I am so happy with my instrument that I ordered an Öller bass sackbut from Tony, which should arrive in early summer.
I am curious about the evolution of his mouthpieces. I do play now on a mouthpiece of Geert Jan Van der Heide which is far more flexible and produces a warmer tone in my opinion. But I heard from several people that Tony made great progress with his mouthpieces. The Öller will come with 3 mouthpieces to choose from ... i can't wait
!
I am so happy with my instrument that I ordered an Öller bass sackbut from Tony, which should arrive in early summer.
I am curious about the evolution of his mouthpieces. I do play now on a mouthpiece of Geert Jan Van der Heide which is far more flexible and produces a warmer tone in my opinion. But I heard from several people that Tony made great progress with his mouthpieces. The Öller will come with 3 mouthpieces to choose from ... i can't wait
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LeTromboniste
- Posts: 1034
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 7:22 am
- Location: Sion, CH
Re: Tony Esparis Sackbut - which one
I haven't had a chance to try his instruments but have heard great things, and know well some players who are working with him on new instruments. It's very promising.
Having apprenticed with Van der Heide, he is as far as I know of the school of thought that bells should be only hammered, not spun, which is contentious. As far as I can understand there is compelling evidence for spinning, and some of the other makers do spin bells. Bells that are only hammered tend to be very quirky in my experience, and can vary immensely between two seemingly identical bells (Van der Heide is known for extreme differences in quality for example, some of his instruments being superb and some not so good) so that is something to keep in mind. But from what I can tell Tony's attention to detail is outstanding and his workmanship is great. The prices are also very reasonable.
As for Schnitzer vs Drewelwecz, I would personally go for the latter. The Schnitzer is a very early instrument, further away from what other players are using (I.e. many players play copies of instruments from 70-80 years later). Also, how much of it is actually original is questionable. But I'm sure either of them will be very good
Having apprenticed with Van der Heide, he is as far as I know of the school of thought that bells should be only hammered, not spun, which is contentious. As far as I can understand there is compelling evidence for spinning, and some of the other makers do spin bells. Bells that are only hammered tend to be very quirky in my experience, and can vary immensely between two seemingly identical bells (Van der Heide is known for extreme differences in quality for example, some of his instruments being superb and some not so good) so that is something to keep in mind. But from what I can tell Tony's attention to detail is outstanding and his workmanship is great. The prices are also very reasonable.
As for Schnitzer vs Drewelwecz, I would personally go for the latter. The Schnitzer is a very early instrument, further away from what other players are using (I.e. many players play copies of instruments from 70-80 years later). Also, how much of it is actually original is questionable. But I'm sure either of them will be very good
Maximilien Brisson
www.maximilienbrisson.com
Lecturer for baroque trombone,
Hfk Bremen/University of the Arts Bremen
www.maximilienbrisson.com
Lecturer for baroque trombone,
Hfk Bremen/University of the Arts Bremen
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tubaductilis
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- Location: Brussels, Belgium
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Re: Tony Esparis Sackbut - which one
Hi,
I have only tried Tony's Schnitzer model (I believe it was Jan's!) and found it to be a very nice instrument, and not problematic in terms of blending with other sackbuts. That original (Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nurnberg, inventory nr. MI 170) is, however, problematic as an original because in its current state, it consists of pieces of instruments from.the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, and the bell originally belonged to a trumpet.
Honestly, if rhere is any way you can find one of each model somewhere to try, it would be wise.
That said, having studied a number of original instruments I would agree that the method of making bells only by hammering and not by spinning is questionable. Every original that I have examined showed signs of spinning, often both from the outside and from the inside.
I also would strongly recommend against chromed slides. Yes they are lower maintenance and Is more reliably fast, But the big price you pay in character, sound and response is *really* not worth it. A possible compromise would be to ask him to make your instrument with brass slides but using drawn slide tubes, for example from Jürgen Voigt, who do very good work for thst kind of thing.
Good luck to you!
I have only tried Tony's Schnitzer model (I believe it was Jan's!) and found it to be a very nice instrument, and not problematic in terms of blending with other sackbuts. That original (Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nurnberg, inventory nr. MI 170) is, however, problematic as an original because in its current state, it consists of pieces of instruments from.the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, and the bell originally belonged to a trumpet.
Honestly, if rhere is any way you can find one of each model somewhere to try, it would be wise.
That said, having studied a number of original instruments I would agree that the method of making bells only by hammering and not by spinning is questionable. Every original that I have examined showed signs of spinning, often both from the outside and from the inside.
I also would strongly recommend against chromed slides. Yes they are lower maintenance and Is more reliably fast, But the big price you pay in character, sound and response is *really* not worth it. A possible compromise would be to ask him to make your instrument with brass slides but using drawn slide tubes, for example from Jürgen Voigt, who do very good work for thst kind of thing.
Good luck to you!