Mt Vernon Bach back in production? Miles O'Malley trombone

[Tomnormann]

I want to draw attention for a moment to this news, from perhaps the most interesting boutique manufacturer at the moment. This trombone is a collaborative project between Noah Gladstone at BrassArk, the extremely dedicated and uncompromising youngster Miles O'Malley and the legendary Jay Friedman of the Chicago Symphony.

https://brassark.com/maker_horns/orches ... y-pricing/

According to Jay Friedman, the goal of this unique project is to "duplicate the best qualities of the best Mt Vernon Bachs, which are super responsive [...] hopefully they will duplicate the old sound that is not available anymore from the current companies." Everything is hand made in-house by O'Malley and his enthusiastic team, and all metal is sourced from the USA.

In general I find the specs close to Mt Vernon's. The thin bell has the same taper, a French flat rim, the leadpipe is a copy, the closed wrap is balanced by an .562” F attachment bore. The valve was designed by O'Malley, based on the original Berni Marston rotary valve used on the Mt Vernon Bach's. However, I understand that O'Malley likes to be more careful when heating the bell during the hammering than usual, and perhaps that will give the horn his personal touch.

Jay Friedman will personally test each trombone. I'm guessing this project is very special to Jay, because this responsive quality is something he has repeatedly expressed that he has missed in modern horns. Jay is the master of orchestral sound production, and here he has had a model tailor-made from scratch, together with Noah Gladstone, and not just assembled parts, like many artist models on the market.

I myself have ordered a copy of this instrument, gold/nickel set up, and cannot wait to receive it.

[Tbarh]

Cool! I would like to Get Your opinion of the Horn as soon as You receive and play a bit on it..As You can see from my profile i live not too far away from You ! ( hint ;1 snau time med tog sørover fra Oslo )
Trond

[Tomnormann]

Cool! I would like to Get Your opinion of the Horn as soon as You receive and play a bit on it..As You can see from my profile i live not too far away from You ! ( hint ;1 snau time med tog sørover fra Oslo )
Trond

I will for sure let you know my opinion, and arrange so you can try it as well.

[Tbarh]

Cool! I would like to Get Your opinion of the Horn as soon as You receive and play a bit on it..As You can see from my profile i live not too far away from You ! ( hint ;1 snau time med tog sørover fra Oslo )
Trond

I will for sure let you know my opinion, and arrange so you can try it as well.

Tusen takk !

Enten hos meg i Moss ( så kan du teste prosjekthornet mitt også ),eller der hvor du holder til !

[slipmo]

More information is here as well: https://omalleytrombones.com/

Seven pre-orders have been sold already (including Tom's!), five slots remain in this first pre-production batch. Prices will go up once we go into full production. Delivery is approx Feb 2025. Available in raw brass or lacquer.

Happy to answer any questions about these new trombones as best I can. The prototype is also available for testing at The Brass Ark in Los Angeles but be warned the three people that have play tested it have all placed orders on the spot (you know who you are)

[ryant]

So do you have your horn now Tom?

[Tomnormann]

So do you have your horn now Tom?

Still waiting! I ordered and prepayed in May 2024, and while the horn has been completed for some time, it hasn’t made its way across the ocean just yet. It’s been a masterclass in delayed gratification – but I remain hopeful that this long-awaited beauty will land in Norway before the leaves start turning red again. At this point, I’m considering sending it a postcard to remind it where home is.

[ryant]

Waiting is hard. I just talked to Noah this week to put in an order for mine. I’m very excited. I ordered all yellow brass un lacquered.

[sf105]

any plans for a 36?

[Blabberbucket]

So do you have your horn now Tom?

Still waiting! I ordered and prepayed in May 2024, and while the horn has been completed for some time, it hasn’t made its way across the ocean just yet. It’s been a masterclass in delayed gratification – but I remain hopeful that this long-awaited beauty will land in Norway before the leaves start turning red again. At this point, I’m considering sending it a postcard to remind it where home is.

Thanks for your patience - we haven't forgotten where its home is. We are waiting for the tuning slide to come back from lacquer and then it just needs a final setup before it finds its way to Noah. I believe he is out of the shop until mid-July so once he is back it will get shipped to him.

Waiting is hard. I just talked to Noah this week to put in an order for mine. I’m very excited. I ordered all yellow brass un lacquered.

Awesome! Thank you so much!

any plans for a 36?

I believe we've already taken one order for our a bell section paired with a .525" slide - you'll have to contact Noah Gladstone to confirm with him on that.

[Tomnormann]

Thanks David – good to finally get a bit more insight into the holdup and future timeline! I was actually told lately by your company that the horn was finished and ready to ship, so I appreciate the clarification. Either way, I’ll take progress in any form.

At this point, it seems half the trombone elite has tested it and given it a thumbs-up, so I’m just hoping mine makes it across the Atlantic soon. Looking forward to joining the club! Wouldn’t mind if updates came directly and unprompted — though I know that's not producer's domaine. Anyway, I’m definitely looking forward to meeting mine. Appreciate the update, and fingers crossed for a smooth slide into mid-July!

[Tomnormann]

For those who’ve followed this journey since the early days: it’s been fascinating to watch it unfold. This wasn’t just a matter of assembling parts — mandrels had to be made, tooling developed, and a critical mass of players had to jump on board, sight unseen, before production could start. That collective leap is what made this project possible.

Now, with instruments starting to find their homes, it’s been great for me to have feedback roll in. One world class professional described it as “very good — lots of color and a very good response,” calling Miles “a very fine instrument maker.” Another noted: “He has really captured the most attractive qualities from those early Mt. Vernon horns [...] I’d be happy playing this instrument in all circumstances — including solo repertoire.”

Hard not to be excited!

Glad to see the thread still alive 13 months on — I guess good things really do take time!

[Tbarh]

Hey,Tom !
What are the specs on Yours?

Trond

[Tomnormann]

Hey,Tom !
What are the specs on Yours?

Trond

Hi Trond,
I went with the gold brass bell and a lightweight nickel silver slide — I generally like that mix of warmth and brilliance. Warm, but not dark. I also chose to stick with the original MV42 leadpipe rather than the newer, slightly more open Minick version (which I understand is now the standard). I prefer a bit of resistance, and I think that can actually help with responsiveness too.

[Tbarh]

Hei, Tom !
(Vi kan ta det på norsk, kan vi ikke?).. Høres ut som en fin kombo du har valgt ut.. Særlig med tanke på at O'Malley klokkene er tynnere , som Mount Vernon klokkene.. Moderne standard Bach 42G klokker er av en eller annen grunn tykkere enn yellow klokkene.. Derfor jeg valgte yellow den gangen jeg brukte Bach.. Vet du om hvor tunge slide rør O'Malley bruker? Jeg spiller på et "Frankenstein" horn sammensatt av forskjellige deler ; 1920 model Conn "Symphony large" klokke.. enda større volum enn en vanlig 88H klokke.. Sliden er en Conn SL 6262 som er for lett.. Jeg er på jakt etter en tyngre "Bach-stil" slide.. Er på evig jakt etter en Bach/Conn hybrid med fordelene begge uten bakdelene..
Mvh Trond

[Tbarh]

Sorry , I must be dehydrated or something in this heat.. I thought I was answering a PM from Tom.. That's why the "funky"language..

[Blabberbucket]

I have googletranslated for the sake of the forum

Hei, Tom !
(We can take it in Norwegian, can't we?).. Sounds like a nice combo you've chosen.. Especially considering that the O'Malley bells are thinner, like the Mount Vernon bells.. Modern standard Bach 42G bells are for some reason thicker than the yellow bells.. That's why I chose yellow the time I used Bach.. Do you know how heavy slide tubes O'Malley uses? I play a "Frankenstein" horn composed of different parts; 1920 model Conn "Symphony large" bell.. even bigger volume than a regular 88H bell.. The slide is a Conn SL 6262 which is too light.. I'm looking for a heavier "Bach-style" slide.. Am forever looking for a Bach/Conn hybrid with the advantages of both without the back parts..
Mvh Trond

Our inner tubes are .547"/.570" and .583" at the stocking, so .0115" wall thickness on the relief and .018" wall thickness on the stocking - comparable to Bach tubes. Our outer tubes are much thinner and lighter than modern Bach tubes, averaging out about .010" wall thickness. We use a wider, Bach-styled crook.

[RJMason]

Played the gold brass nickel slide .547 today briefly. Mostly was focusing on the small bore stuff. I don’t play much orchestral stuff these days either so take this with a grain of salt I guess…

It was even better than the prototype I tried at Noah’s last fall. I sounded like a professional symphonic musician on a random Blessing blank large shank piece lol. It just immediately speaks. Dynamics are all there. Horn is in tune. Rotor is quick and quiet. Super fluid. They really nailed it. Honestly if you wanna buy a brand new custom .547 get theirs. I may order a .525 down the line. Or maybe just get back on the large bore path. For now their leadpipes are doing the trick!

[Tomnormann]

Played the gold brass nickel slide .547 today briefly. Mostly was focusing on the small bore stuff. I don’t play much orchestral stuff these days either so take this with a grain of salt I guess…

It was even better than the prototype I tried at Noah’s last fall. I sounded like a professional symphonic musician on a random Blessing blank large shank piece lol. It just immediately speaks. Dynamics are all there. Horn is in tune. Rotor is quick and quiet. Super fluid. They really nailed it. Honestly if you wanna buy a brand new custom .547 get theirs. I may order a .525 down the line. Or maybe just get back on the large bore path. For now their leadpipes are doing the trick!

Glad to hear it played that well! Do you know if that horn’s a demo, or did someone’s future instrument take one for the team?

[RJMason]

I’m not sure, I think it was a demo cuz they said all the other horns were either shipped out or about to be imminently. Worth the wait I say. I would’ve bought that horn if I could.

Just my opinion, but having played both, I think the O’Malley is more interesting sounding and closer in sound to MV Bach style than the Stephens, yet still very contemporary like that horn is. The Rotor is very very good and quiet.

I was able to trial the small bore prototype and it is well on its way. I also compared it to Jay Friedman’s NY 8 bell and 6 slide, one of several instruments referenced in the design, and the O’Malley is very close to the allure of that horn, yet also sharing the contemporary response of its large bore counterpart. As I wrote earlier the prototype large bore was nice, but the final version is leagues better. They are still refining the design and the blow, but if the small prototype is this good it’ll be game over when finalized.

Keep watching what this team does, they are very good and I’m very impressed by all their offerings.

[Tomnormann]

I’m not sure, I think it was a demo cuz they said all the other horns were either shipped out or about to be imminently. Worth the wait I say. I would’ve bought that horn if I could.

Just my opinion, but having played both, I think the O’Malley is more interesting sounding and closer in sound to MV Bach style than the Stephens, yet still very contemporary like that horn is. The Rotor is very very good and quiet.

I was able to trial the small bore prototype and it is well on its way. I also compared it to Jay Friedman’s NY 8 bell and 6 slide, one of several instruments referenced in the design, and the O’Malley is very close to the allure of that horn, yet also sharing the contemporary response of its large bore counterpart. As I wrote earlier the prototype large bore was nice, but the final version is leagues better. They are still refining the design and the blow, but if the small prototype is this good it’ll be game over when finalized.

Keep watching what this team does, they are very good and I’m very impressed by all their offerings.

Thanks for the detailed impressions – really exciting to hear. The way you describe it differs from Stephens is exactly what I was hoping for when I signed up. From what I gather, mine might finally be en route to LA now. Reading your comments makes the wait both easier and harder – but mostly harder

[RJMason]

I will say this. I understand how the long wait can be frustrating. But I really respect the fact that they wanted to get the designs RIGHT before they started sending things out. I have waited 15 months for horns that were supposedly finalized in design and then the horn I got looked different than what I thought I was getting. I don’t like that.

This crew is not cobbling together random components sourced from a myriad of locations in a stressful and reckless way like other modern American makers I’ve witnessed in the past. The vibe is way different and way more in line with my expectations of what this process should be. It’s a process that is more in line with the dedication to craft that we put in as professional musicians.

The only consolation is that you are going to get an amazing horn that will be a part of history I hope!

*these are all my opinions and mine alone*

[Tomnormann]

I will say this. I understand how the long wait can be frustrating. But I really respect the fact that they wanted to get the designs RIGHT before they started sending things out. I have waited 15 months for horns that were supposedly finalized in design and then the horn I got looked different than what I thought I was getting. I don’t like that.

This crew is not cobbling together random components sourced from a myriad of locations in a stressful and reckless way like other modern American makers I’ve witnessed in the past. The vibe is way different and way more in line with my expectations of what this process should be. It’s a process that is more in line with the dedication to craft that we put in as professional musicians.

The only consolation is that you are going to get an amazing horn that will be a part of history I hope!

*these are all my opinions and mine alone*

I completely agree: if you're going to wait, you'd want it to be for the right reasons. And knowing the design was allowed to evolve until it was truly ready — not rushed out the door — makes the anticipation feel more like part of the craft than just a delay.

Fingers crossed it's headed my way soon. Appreciate your thoughts – they definitely help keep the spirits high!

[slipmo]

The first production large bore trombones are shipping out (including Tom's!) and I now have two O'Malley Tenors here at The Brass Ark available for play testing for anyone that wants to make an appointment. I'm also taking production instrument orders now for these large tenor trombones.

Here's some photos for your enjoyment! This trombone (#138) has a yellow brass bell, yellow brass slide with standard weight nickel oversleeves and yellow bass crook, in house rotary valve, gold brass tuning slide and is lacquered. Each instrument comes with a shop card and these first 12 were all play tested by Jay Friedman and the shop cards we signed

For more details, don't hesitate to reach out to me [email protected] and I'm happy to offer any thoughts or guidance.

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[Burgerbob]

I need to go play those again.

[JTeagarden]

The ferrules are an interesting design, is this an acoustic thing, a comfort thing, or an eye-candy thing?

[slipmo]

The ferrules are an interesting design, is this an acoustic thing, a comfort thing, or an eye-candy thing?

It's comfortable and eye pleasing!

[JTeagarden]

Two excellent reasons.

Now to address the 800-lb. gorilla in the room: the Irish are not well-known for brass instrument-making, has any thought been given to changing "O'Malley" to "Von Stottlemaier," or something similarly teutonic-sounding?

Just spitballing here.

[slipmo]

With almost all of the pre-order O'Malley large tenors delivered or about to be delivered, we're now starting on the current production orders. I've had my personal O'Malley large tenor trombone for about a month now and finally felt comfortable taking it to a heavy orchestral program last night to really put it through its paces. My normal trombones are my 1959 Red Brass Bach Mt Vernon 42 and my 1916 Conn Symphony, so a brand new instrument is not something I've had for myself in a while! I only took the O'Malley to rehearsal as to not be tempted to swap back to my default. A leap of faith...

Now, I know I’m a bit biased, since this is a project I’m personally invested in through my own Brass Ark business along with Jay Friedman and the whole O'Malley shop, but I’m giving this feedback honestly, from my own professional use and experience, to help give folks an idea of what they can expect from these horns. I know a few others on this forum have theirs in hand now too, so maybe they’ll also chime in.

This week I’m performing Shostakovich 10 and Tchaikovsky 4 with an orchestra here in LA, playing 1st bone, so I thought it would be a great test for the horn to see how it handles some heavy lifting. Initial thoughts: the trombone was incredibly engaging to play. I felt like I had full control over my dynamics and colors, and the feedback I was getting on my chops was exactly what was translating out the front of the horn and into the hall. Because of that personal connection, I was encouraged to really push the resonance of the instrument and see how much sound I could get out of it, especially in the Shostakovich, where blending with the trumpets in the middle register is usually fuzzy on .547" trombones. On this horn it was absolutely clear and focused, and the result was incredibly satisfying to play. I genuinely enjoyed myself.

The valve register and low range are exceptional, smooth, and placed exactly where I wanted them on my embouchure to get the full impact of the energy I was putting in. The upper register is clear and brilliant, with warmth and sparkle, and it was easy to sit on top of my section. I also felt like my colleagues could hear me better, which in turn gave me more support from the 2nd and bass trombone players without needing words. The sound has strong vintage Bach vibes but with more modern, updated playability. It’s not exactly a Bach 42 sound—it has its own identity, which is exactly what I want. I also feel the range of colors this trombone can produce has a lot more possibilities, and I’m excited to see how that develops as I continue playing it.

Functionality was excellent. My slide is breaking in nicely after a month at home, and the valve is phenomenal. I even got a few unprompted compliments from string players as I was walking to the parking garage, which, as you know, is a rare thing when it comes to trombones. That said, there are still a few tweaks I want to make to my setup. I haven’t quite settled on the best leadpipe yet, since one or two notes aren’t as clear as I’d like, but I’m confident I’ll sort that out with the available options. Incredibly optimistic having this special new instrument in my arsenal and I know its going to get a lot of use in the rotation.

My specs:
O'Malley Orchestral Tenor, 8.5" red brass bell, one-piece French rim, gold brass tuning slide, standard weight nickel slide with oversleeves, leadpipe TBD, Bob Reeves-Brass Ark Gladstone 5GS mouthpiece in bronze Gemini weight

[OMalleyBrassInstruments]

Thanks Noah! We think it is a really special horn, and are excited to have them out in the world. Stay tuned for our small bore trombone, coming very soon!

[Tomnormann]

To Noah and the O’Malley team: Congrats on a really successful project!

And really inspiring to read your orchestral impressions, Noah.

What has stood out the most for me so far is the horn’s behavior in soft dynamics. Playing legato in pianissimo honestly feels like cheating, almost as if the notes connect themselves. Even more striking is how warm, colorful, and rich in overtones the sound remains at that level. I only fully realized this quality when testing it in ensemble settings.

My first impression overall was how easily the horn responds and how even it feels across the entire register. The valve is stunning. But the real winner for me is the colorful, vibrant sound.

As Jay Friedman put it recently: this horn is on par with – or even better than – his legendary ’59 Mt Vernon, and superior to anything from the modern era. That’s a pretty inspiring verdict.

My set up is gold brass bell and lightweight nickel silver slide. At the moment, I’m using the O’Malley VG leadpipe in seamless yellow brass. It works really well, though I haven’t had the chance yet to dive deep into the different alternatives I have available.

I’m really looking forward to continued testing, also together with orchestral trombonists and students here in Oslo. I’ll be glad to share more impressions as I spend more time with it.