Courtois Evolution I EV1 Large-Bore, Heavyweight Trumpet!
One of several professional trumpets we are offering for sale. This is a hard-to-find Courtois Evolution I Bb trumpet in raw brass. S/n 5XX makes this a pre-Buffet horn, roughly 2006-2007. The EV1 is a large (0.463) bore, heavyweight horn, but with the specially designed leadpipe and bracing it is much more flexible and easier to control than the typical large trumpet. Tends toward a big, dark, Teutonic sound but can be made to sound brighter and lighter with the right mouthpiece and technique, and plays equally well at low volumes. Includes an adjustable gap receiver which allows further fine tuning of slotting and response, and heavy weight bottom and top caps for additional focus and projection. Includes Courtois’ “easy ball stop system” for the third slide.
It is in excellent condition: raw brass with just a couple very tiny dings which are hard even to capture in the photos, and some light external pitting along the bell bow and lead pipe—the latter of course being Courtois’ floating “covered mouthpipe.” All tuning slides are free, Monel valves are fast and smooth and have the same big feel as the rest of the horn. Note that this horn is oiled with synthetic oil (Hetman #2) and you must use something similar or thoroughly clean the pistons and casings prior to switching to a petroleum-based product. Compression is excellent.
Just through the shop where it was hand polished, lubed, and had the water key cork replaced. Includes some extra water key springs and corks (no clue why, but they were in the case, so they’re yours!) and the original hard case in very good condition with one key. An amazing horn for jazz and solo work, or anywhere else that you need to cut above the rest of the band and throw a huge wall of sound out to the audience. Crazy hard to find on the used market and more than $500 less than the only other one I can find for sale anywhere!