ABOUT ECLIPSE 

Eclipse was originally set up as a repair facility for all brass instruments and very quickly gained a very good reputation for high quality repair and lacquer work. Our reputation led to repair work being carried out on behalf of many leading manufacturers and soon after, finishing work on custom manufactured trumpets. 

In July 2001 we decided to develop a new design of professional level trumpet. Prototype models were developed, assembled and put through their paces by pro players from a variety of backgrounds. Many years experience in manufacture meant the company already knew how to make trumpets – the challenge was now to design one that really kicked!

The Eclipse line of trumpets was launched in March 2003 at the Frankfurt Music Messe.

LEIGH MCKINNEY

Leigh started work in 1986 at the age of 15 as an apprentice Brass Instrument Maker with a company that was built up of the very best ex Boosey & Hawkes technicians in the industry. Over the next 8 years he learnt every aspect of manufacture from cornet right up to tuba. At the end of this term Leigh was the head maker of instrument manufacture there. 

In 1994 he moved to Norway to become a teacher of brass instrument repair in a specialist music university. 3 years later he was asked to head up the brass manufacture at a German Instrument Company. Returning 1 year later for another 2 year spell with his first employer as head maker again. In 1999 Leigh decided that he wanted to make his own mark on the brass world and started First Class Brass Ltd (Eclipse Trumpets) in September of that year at a small workshop in Dunstable, England.

CARL SKINNER

Carl has worked for Eclipse straight out of school at the age of 16. Having been with us for 19 years now he is truly one of the most talented repair and making techs in the UK. Leigh and Carl run the Eclipse workshop as a team. One’s skills complimenting the other. Carl is Eclipse through and through, and has a real and true passion for the instruments, contributing to design and structure of new products.

It’s been a while since the reality of playing ‘Live’ is on the cards. During lockdown more and more students have been taking lessons via Zoom and now coming to the studio which is fantastic. Since Christmas I have taken delivery of the S43HDL-F Faddis Model which was designed for legendary jazz artist, musician, conductor, composer and educator Jon Faddis,  It is built on the HD valve section, which is heavier in mass at the centre of the trumpet. No nibs on the second slide, no water key on the main tuning slide, heavy valve caps, and adjustable sound-post.

The S43HDL-F* is available by special order with an optional bell crown that provides more core to the sound with increased resonance, mine is this model with the following features One-piece, Hand-Hammered Yellow Brass HD Tuning Bell

Soldered Bead w/ Steel Wire

#3 Bell Taper

.450″ Medium Bore

Reverse Leadpipe

Round Main Tuning Slide w/ Brace

Heavy Design

1st slide ring & 3rd slide ring

Heavy Bottom Caps

Adjustable Bell Brace

Yellow Brass Bell Crown

Anyone who knows me will confirm my affection with Schilke trumpets and I’ve had more than a few over the 50 years gone by… My S42L Faddis I’ve loved over the last twenty years and this now moves to professional ‘spare’.

Highly unusual for me during the last few months I’ve also taken delivery of the Stomvi Master Titanium Bb/A Piccolo Trumpet as it really is a direct copy of the P5.4 from Schilke and with the two bells it really is a stunning instrument to play having it’s debut performance on Easter Sunday in Church here in Hambledon in the South Downs National Park.

“Our Salvation is always going to be in some type of creativity, some type of music… it’s very important that we find a way to make it. Be as creative as you possibly can in your everyday life; whether it’s music or not. Make sure you have stuff you want to do on your own… Don’t depend on something that you don’t have right now, like 16 other musicians and a rehearsal space, for your creativity to thrive.”

1. BREATHE THROUGH THE NOSE

2. START WITH ‘HIGH SET’

3. DON’T MOVE CHOPS – KEEP PLAYING TENSION THROUGHOUT

DIMARTINO/ADAPTED SCOTT BELCK

Dr. Scott Belck currently serves as the Director of Jazz Studies and Professor of Music at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) where he directs the CCM Jazz Orchestra and teaches applied Jazz Trumpet.

This is a Calisthenic Study that I use regularly, it should be treated in the same fashion as a Carmine Caruso Exercise, stay calm and relaxed and keep the air moving gently throughout. When you get to the point where you can proceed no further, take a break for 10 minutes and then resume at the point you left off. I am very much an exponent of the Bill Adam Method and use his advisory words to remind myself how important it is to keep a full beautiful sound always in all practice periods… go be awesome.