Construction program of historical wind instruments
Welcome to the building program of Brass Atelier De Wilde, where we continue the tradition and expertise of Geert Jan van der Heide in crafting high quality historical wind instruments. Our program offers a wide range of options for customizing your instrument while maintaining authentic construction techniques and materials.
Historical accuracy and craftsmanship
At Brass Atelier De Wilde, we understand the value of historically accurate musical instruments. We use original measurement data and molds to build instruments that stay true to their historical roots. Our instruments are designed for flexibility and sound mixability, essential for authentic musical performances.
Customized
We offer you the opportunity to put together your instrument according to your wishes:
- Seamless tubes:
For a cost-effective option, we can use seamless tubes, which can be combined with handmade tubes for bends if desired. - Engraving and finishing:
You can choose instruments with or without engraving. Small parts can be polished, silver-plated or gold-plated, or a combination. - Coulisse execution:
Available in historic style (without chrome inner slide) or modern style (with chrome inner slide). The choice of coulisse affects the character of the instrument, especially with trombones. - Voice tube and correction holes:
Some instruments (horn/trombone) may have a voice tube built in. Correction holes are possible for specific tones, such as the 11th natural tone in trumpets and horns. - Hand-hammered cups:
We offer cups that are historically hand-hammered in one piece, which is essential for the proper wall thickness (0.2 mm) and typical sound. - Tortils for trombones:
We can supply additional curls (tortils) that can be placed between the cup piece and the slide section to lower the tuning, available in a variety of tone distances. - Deviant mood:
Upon request, we can supply instruments with different tuning.
Mouthpieces
We pay great attention to the mouthpieces of our instruments. Mouthpieces play a crucial role in the sound and playability of the instrument.
We offer mouthpieces made of high-quality materials with careful attention to proper shape and finish. They are based on original designs from various historical periods and are customized to the musician’s specific needs and playing style.
Decoration and aesthetics
In historical instruments, musical characteristics as well as external form and beauty play an important role. We hand engrave and chisel decorations to create an authentic look, similar to Renaissance and Baroque instruments. The instruments are not polished and varnished, so they retain their historic texture and appearance.
Materials and production methods
We use copper alloys very similar to those used in the 17th century. After extensive research into historical labor methods, we apply them completely. All the material is hammered to the correct thickness by hand and the cup shape is obtained using only hammer and anvil. This allows us to achieve very thin wall thicknesses of 0.2 mm, contributing to an overtone-rich and authentic sound.
Interested?
Are you interested in our building program and want to know more about the possibilities of having your instrument customized? Contact us for personal advice and a no-obligation quote.
New in our assortment
Brass Atelier de Wilde
Brass Atelier "De Wilde" was founded in 1999 by Roland de Wilde.
We are a music store and repair shop for wind instruments. In our store in IJsselmuiden, we sell new and used musical instruments and related accessories.
In our repair workshop, we repair and maintain wind instruments. In addition, we build historical wind instruments.
