Kruspe Jazz

Kruspe and all that jazz

Note: This horn is part of a private collection in the United States. It is NOT part of the collection of Dick Martz. The photographs and description below are used by permission of the owner.

The horn pictured below is a single B-flat four- (or possibly five-) valve model by Ed. Kruspe, Erfurt. Judging by the design of its label its date of manufacture is prior to 1918. The horn has been fitted with two additional bells: one is a small bell facing forward, the other is an "echo" bell. Both auxillary bells are part of an assembly of unknown manufacture that was added to the original Kruspe horn . The Kruspe horn is nickel silver throughout, while the added assembly is silver plated brass.

This horn was probably used by a jazz musician during the early part of the twentieth century. Echo attachements were popular on cornets from the mid nineteenth century. The wear on the plating in small bell is evidence that it was used with a mute or for "wah-wah" effects. Open, it probably gives a cornet or fluegelhorn sornority. The key of Bb would make it easily adaptable for a trumpet or cornet player.

The absence of the familiar Kruspe eagle trade mark and
the inscription reference to the imperial German court date
this horn to sometime before 1918.

The pinky finger valve was probably originally used either for stopping compensation or as an F extension, depending upon the slide length. (See the catalog illustration, below.) The added assembly is inserted into one leg of this valve with a removable plug inserted into the other:

When the pinky valve is pressed, the original first branch, bell tail and bell are cut out of the air way. The airway is then directed through several loops of tubing to the thumb valve which selects either the small bell or echo bell. (The several loops of tubing are necessary to compensate for the removal of the first branch and bell tail.) The whole assembly appears to have been intended to be removable. It is secured by two screws and can be slipped out of the pinky valve leg. It has since, however, been spot soldered to the main corpus in two places, probably to prevent rattling or buzzing.

This illustration from a ca. 1920 Kruspe catalog shows a very similar single Bb horn with F extention and stopping valve. This, or its predecessor is probably the base model used for the "Jazz" horn pictured above.

(Larigot, Bulletin de l'Association des Collectionneurs d'Instruments à Vent, No. 19, December, 1996, p. 21)

The above illustration is a patent drawing for an echo attachment similar to the one added to the Kruspe.
Hans Pizka, Hornisten-Lexicon, Hans Pizka Edition, Kirchheim bei Munchen, 1986, p. 353

This horn is in the Gestopftmitscheist Collection, Prof. I. M. Gestopftmitscheist, proprietor
Principal 8th horn and Principal 4th Wagner Tuber, Schplittenotendorf am Oedland Staatsoper und Philharmoniker, (ret.)
Solo Horn, Exit 2 Brass Quintet Hornist,
Broken Winds WW Quintet
Solo 4th Horn (Leader, call me for bookings), Smirnoff Horn Quartet
Assistant Associate Principal Mellophone, NJ Turnpike Authority Drum and Bugle Corps, "The Phantom Lane Changers"
Hornist as Needed, L'Ensemble du Chambre des Palourdes
Principal Natural Horn, I Soloisti di Feces
Principal Baroque and Hunting Horn, Camarata Vongoleforte
Adjunct, Part-time, Arms-length Professor of Horn and Pest Control, Exit 2 Community College, Exit 2, NJ
Author, "The Kopprasch Connection," "Kopprasch for Fun and Profit," "Kopprasch for the New Millenium: Where Do you Fit In?" "Hooked on Hornonics," and "What If Saddam Had Given Ouday and Qusay Olds Ambassador or Conn Pan American Single F Horns and a Kopprasch Book Instead of AK 47's, Booze and Porn?"
Founder, Director and CEO, Universal Institute for the Study, Preservation and Dissemination of Kopprasch Throughout the Solar System
Founder and Guru Extraordinaire, Hornaholics Anonymous
Grand Poobah of the Koppraschian Kult
Director and Program Manager, The All Kopprasch Channel (AKC), Kopprasch Public Radio (KPR)
Host of The Kopprasch Factor on AKC and All Kopprasch Considered on KPR
Founder of Kopprasch Depot, your one stop shop for all you need!
Interplanetarily Known Soloist and Artist of Record Exclusive Bundy, Carl Fischer, Olds Ambassador, Sansone and Conn Artist Who Does Not Get His Horns For Free
Phone: yes
Fax: yes
E-mail: yes
Website: no

The horn pictured below is a single B-flat four- (or possibly five-) valve model by Ed. Kruspe, Erfurt. Judging by the design of its label its date of manufacture is prior to 1918. The horn has been fitted with two additional bells: one is a small bell facing forward, the other is an "echo" bell. Both auxillary bells are part of an assembly of unknown manufacture that was added to the original Kruspe horn . The Kruspe horn is nickel silver throughout, while the added assembly is silver plated brass.



This horn was probably used by a jazz musician during the early part of the twentieth century. Echo attachements were popular on cornets from the mid nineteenth century. The wear on the plating in small bell is evidence that it was used with a mute or for "wah-wah" effects. Open, it probably gives a cornet or fluegelhorn sornority. The key of Bb would make it easily adaptable for a trumpet or cornet player.
	The absence of the familiar Kruspe eagle trade mark and the inscription reference to the imperial German court date this horn to sometime before 1918.

The pinky finger valve was probably originally used either for stopping compensation or as an F extension, depending upon the slide length. (See the catalog illustration, below.) The added assembly is inserted into one leg of this valve with a removable plug inserted into the other: When the pinky valve is pressed, the original first branch, bell tail and bell are cut out of the air way. The airway is then directed through several loops of tubing to the thumb valve which selects either the small bell or echo bell. (The several loops of tubing are necessary to compensate for the removal of the first branch and bell tail.) The whole assembly appears to have been intended to be removable. It is secured by two screws and can be slipped out of the pinky valve leg. It has since, however, been spot soldered to the main corpus in two places, probably to prevent rattling or buzzing.

This illustration from a ca. 1920 Kruspe catalog shows a very similar single Bb horn with F extention and stopping valve. This, or its predecessor is probably the base model used for the "Jazz" horn pictured above. (Larigot, Bulletin de l'Association des Collectionneurs d'Instruments à Vent, No. 19, December, 1996, p. 21)
The above illustration is a patent drawing for an echo attachment similar to the one added to the Kruspe. Hans Pizka, Hornisten-Lexicon, Hans Pizka Edition, Kirchheim bei Munchen, 1986, p. 353
This horn is in the Gestopftmitscheist Collection, Prof. I. M. Gestopftmitscheist, proprietor Principal 8th horn and Principal 4th Wagner Tuber, Schplittenotendorf am Oedland Staatsoper und Philharmoniker, (ret.) Solo Horn, Exit 2 Brass Quintet Hornist, Broken Winds WW Quintet Solo 4th Horn (Leader, call me for bookings), Smirnoff Horn Quartet Assistant Associate Principal Mellophone, NJ Turnpike Authority Drum and Bugle Corps, "The Phantom Lane Changers" Hornist as Needed, L'Ensemble du Chambre des Palourdes Principal Natural Horn, I Soloisti di Feces Principal Baroque and Hunting Horn, Camarata Vongoleforte Adjunct, Part-time, Arms-length Professor of Horn and Pest Control, Exit 2 Community College, Exit 2, NJ Author, "The Kopprasch Connection," "Kopprasch for Fun and Profit," "Kopprasch for the New Millenium: Where Do you Fit In?" "Hooked on Hornonics," and "What If Saddam Had Given Ouday and Qusay Olds Ambassador or Conn Pan American Single F Horns and a Kopprasch Book Instead of AK 47's, Booze and Porn?" Founder, Director and CEO, Universal Institute for the Study, Preservation and Dissemination of Kopprasch Throughout the Solar System Founder and Guru Extraordinaire, Hornaholics Anonymous Grand Poobah of the Koppraschian Kult Director and Program Manager, The All Kopprasch Channel (AKC), Kopprasch Public Radio (KPR) Host of The Kopprasch Factor on AKC and All Kopprasch Considered on KPR Founder of Kopprasch Depot, your one stop shop for all you need! Interplanetarily Known Soloist and Artist of Record Exclusive Bundy, Carl Fischer, Olds Ambassador, Sansone and Conn Artist Who Does Not Get His Horns For Free Phone: yes Fax: yes E-mail: yes Website: no