High brass customization options
Some musicians prefer a warmer sound, while others don’t. Some have incredible lung capacity, while others need less resistance. Some love intricate engravings, while others prefer a cleaner look. These deeply personal factors can shape the design of your instrument.
At Adams, we go beyond expectations. With in-house development and production, we can fully customize your instrument according to your personal preferences. In addition to the standard configuration, Adams brass instruments offer a range of custom adjustments, including different bell materials, gauges, finishes, and personalization options.
Bell materials
Every Adams instrument features a unique, hand-hammered bell crafted from yellow brass, gold brass, or sterling silver. Each material offers its own distinctive character, carefully made to provide musicians with a range of expressive possibilities.
Yellow Brass
A yellow brass bell is always a smart choice. As the most common material used in brass instruments, it offers a direct response and a clear, well-balanced sound. Containing approximately 70% copper, yellow brass delivers a consistent and refined character with reliable projection, making it suitable for a wide range of players and musical settings.
Gold Brass
A gold brass bell colors the sound with ease and mixes beautifully, a quality many musicians value. Often chosen as the ideal middle ground between yellow brass and red brass, gold brass contains approximately 85% copper, providing a balance of warmth and projection. It adds depth to the sound, making it smooth, deep, and dark.
Red Brass
A red brass bell delivers a larger, warmer sound compared to yellow or gold brass, making it an excellent choice for more powerful orchestral playing, while retaining clarity and control. Composed of approximately 90% copper, its rich tone provides greater depth and presence, ideal for musicians seeking a fuller, more resonant sound.
Sterling Silver
Our sterling silver bell offers a rich and elegant sound with a complex character. Played softly, it produces a warm tone; at higher dynamics it opens up with clarity, brilliance, and a vibrant overtone spectrum. Its precise response supports clean articulation. It excels in the hands of experienced players, but its expressive depth suits musicians at any level.
Copper is a rare choice for bell material, used exclusively for our F5 flugelhorn. Due to its softness, pure copper is challenging to shape into a bell, but the result is exceptional. Copper produces a soft, pure sound, offering a warm, lush, and rich tonal quality, making it ideal for musicians seeking depth and warmth in their sound.
Finish
At Adams, we offer a range of finishes that not only enhance the appearance of your instrument but also influence its tonal characteristics. Whether you choose lacquer, silver plating, or a raw brass finish, each option is crafted with care, providing both aesthetic appeal and unique sound qualities to suit your personal style.
Silver plated
This finish makes the sound a bit brighter and enhances the projection slightly.
Lacquer
Lacquer
Compared to an unlacquered instrument, lacquer will make the sound a bit warmer and more diffuse. There are often options within lacquer finishes, such as gold lacquer or antique lacquer.
Brushed lacquer
With this finish, the surface is first carefully brushed before being lacquered. This process adds an extra touch of design to a standard lacquered instrument, giving it a distinct and stylish appearance.
Antique
Much like a lacquered instrument, an antique finish adds a subtle warmth and diffusion to the tone. While these tonal changes are minimal, the antique finish truly makes the instrument stand out, especially when combined with high-gloss accents. It’s a unique look that musicians tend to either love or hate, with its distinct blend of vintage charm and modern flair.
Gold plated
A gold-plated instrument not only adds a luxurious and refined appearance but also preserves the pure sound of the instrument. The gold plating enhances the aesthetic without compromising the tonal qualities, allowing musicians to enjoy both a stunning look and the instrument’s original acoustic character.
Raw brass
Raw brass is not truly a finish, as the material is simply polished, allowing you to experience the pure, unfiltered sound of the trumpet’s construction. However, without lacquer, the instrument is more prone to oxidation over time, giving it a natural patina.