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www.CNC-West.comCNC WEST October/November 2016
and those that try and prevent anyone from discover-
ing them. “Every horn we make is a fully customized
piece of science, and art,” brags Jason. “Customizations
range from a signature inlayed in the slide to adding
decorative designs and finishes. The most important
customization though is the sound and fit. A jazz guy
will want it to sound different than a studio musician
and so forth. Do you want it to sound bright or dark,
we can change all of that.” With thousands of combina-
tions, each horn is fit guaranteed for a year. If you want
a Harrelson Trumpet, be prepared for a minimum wait
of six months. Lead time on their most custom Art
horns is 3 years. Four years ago Jason had a massive
stroke and lost his ability to walk, speak, play and ma-
chine. It took over a year for him to relearn a lifetime
of skills. The Harrelson Trumpets team have spent the
last three years catching up. By the beginning of 2017
they should be back on schedule. The day CNC West
interviewed Jason, a man from Iowa was there picking
up a horn he had ordered 3 years earlier. He traded in a
ten year old Harrelson towards the purchase of his new
one. In a world of instant gratification to wait three
years for something really says a lot about Harrelson
Trumpets and their customer base.
Harrelson Trumpets is always trying to improve
and take things to another level; reach a higher note so
to speak. “Right now we are really close to my original
vision of 100% CNC machined horn,” explains Jason.
“Every year we release new features and new technol-
ogy that improves our product. Next step is to ma-
chine everything. I’m working on a way right now to
machine the bell.” Showing up with a triangle shaped
trumpet will certainly raise some eyebrows, especially
when it out preforms the competition. Jason will be
debuting this winter on Kickstarter a modular hy-
brid trumpet. It will be half machined out of alumi-
num and the other half 3D printed out of a carbon
fiber or Kevlar thread. It will lower the price point
enough that every trumpeter can afford one. “The
high school and college band players will be able to
get a Harrelson trumpet for half the price that has
many of the same features as our more expensive
horns,” concludes Jason. “It will be the next gener-
ation users who embrace the technology of having
a hybrid 3D printed horn. “Where science meets
sound” is more than just our slogan, it’s the way
we do business.”
Harrelson Trumpets are the first of their kind, and 90% CNC
machined. This is just one example of how beautiful their
instruments can be. Do yourself a favor and YouTube “The Carnival
of Venice” on trumpet to truly appreciate how difficult a song
that is to play. While you are at it check out Harrelson Trumpets
channel for some other cool stuff.