Calicchio Review

An honest review without the jargon

I play on a Calichio Ultra Heavy weight Trumpet. The initial reason I chose this trumpet was to counteract my naturally bright tone as the heavier model (with thicker valve caps and a bigger bell) give it a darker sound than other models and trumpets.

The trumpet is free-blowing which makes it great for lead playing. By free-blowing I mean; even as you enter the extreme register of the trumpet the notes still come out easily and controlled with a big sound.

When I was in training at the Conservatoire Eddie Severn; a great trumpet player with incredible chops, able to slur from a peddle C to a double C without breaking a sweat, helped me choose which trumpet was best for me to play lead on. The Bach which college had bought for me (see my bio) or my trusty Calicchio.

We knew the answer before he played them but I’ve never heard a trumpet in pain until Eddie belted a double C through the Bach. It sounded as if it was going to shatter. Whereas the Calicchio played it with ease and quality of tone.

Since then I’ve developed my own chops and I have to agree that in a Bach Vs Calicchio standoff the Bach doesn’t have a prayer in the upper register.

However, if you’re an orchestral musician and looking to fit in with the tone of the rest of your section this trumpet may not be for you. The tone of each Calicchio is unique (as is the nature of handmade instruments) and so perhaps wouldn’t suite the overall timbre of an orchestral trumpet section.

Summary

The Calichio is a reliable, consistent and free blowing trumpet. The Ultra Heavy Weight is ideally suited for small band jazz, lead playing and for soloists who need to combat a bright tone. Not suited for the orchestral playing cliche (as lets face it, what other trumpet is other than Bach). The Calicchio is a handcrafted work of art and by this nature no two, even of the same model, will ever sound identical, making each one as unique as their player.

I would recommend this trumpet to aspiring and professional trumpet players alike. It’s a fantastic purchase and gets a 100% recommendation from me.