What our customers are saying:

I have been playing my new silver plated Stomvi USA VRII with the oversize bell for almost 2 months now, and thought I would give you an update on how things are going. First of all, I have played quite a few horns in my career that I would consider “very good.” However, they all lacked something. There always seemed to be a compromise going on. Open blow vs. squirrely slots; secure slots but a too-tight feel; fast response with a trade-off of lack of projection, etc….

The first day I got my VRII I knew I had a special horn (finally). It is incredibly even from the bottom of the staff to as high as I can play. Intonation is impeccable, the best I have ever experienced in a trumpet. You do not have to bend or move any notes to get them in tune. Just blow through the center of the pitch and everything is right on. The slots are very secure, especially up high. Yet there is plenty of flexibility to move from note to note. Projection-wise, it moves the most sound with the least amount of effort of any horn I have previously used. That oversize bell helps to broaden the sound without losing any projection. This horn will do it all! I can use a 3C and it warms up nicely for legit work and shows, but when I put in my Stomvi-Flex S14A VR and ES VR pieces, it will cut like a torch though an ice cube. I have had many positive comments on it from my colleagues. They marvel at how easy it is to play, and it is obvious to them that I do not have to work as hard as I used to.

I have been trying for years to be a more efficient player (especially as I get older). At the end of a 4-hour big band gig, I do not feel like I am winded at all, (as I used to feel using other equipment). I feel that this horn will allow me to become even more efficient and will make my work more enjoyable. Thanks again for creating a wonderful piece of art. I look forward to many years of continued work with my VRII.

Mike Supple
Freelance, Minneapolis/St. Paul

I am a Band Director in the area, and a now-and-then trumpet player as well, and I have to admit that I've never heard a presentation like that given by K.O. and Jim Manley before. During college, I had the pleasure of studying with both Vincent Cichowicz and Luther Didrickson at Northwestern and, although they were wonderful teachers, I simply was not enough of a player to really take advantage of what they had to say. Subsequent years, plenty of practice, and serious reflection on what they professed have helped.

I'm a 'now-and-then player;' but, I have tried to incorporate some of what you guys mentioned and have done so with GREAT success. Thanks very much again for your generosity in coming here; and, please accept my most sincere best wishes for continued success in your work.  

Chicago

I've been playing for 64 years starting with a Holton. I moved to a NY Bach extra large bore, then a Martin Deluxe Committee Dizzie horn which I played for 50 years. I've also owned and played Selmer Paris 80J, a Taylor Chicago custom, a vintage Holton MF horn, a vintage Benge # 2, and a very early vintage LA Benge # 5. In addition, I've played all the "great horns" that other musician friends have owned. I'm not a professional musician, but have played first chair in symphonic and wind ensembles, was a lead jazz player in my younger big band days, and now specialize as a ride player in a NC big band and in the San Luis Valley Big Band in CO during the summers. Our fabulous lead player Rob Williams loaned me a gold plated V Raptor (his backup horn) for a few weeks to try, I was amazed at the intonation, the easier playing made possible by the polybore design, and the precision in articulation with fast passages throughout the entire register. The gold plating seemed to give the horn a bit of a dark color which was very pleasing. However, Rob felt I would see an even greater level of perfection and excitement with the VRII. That's when I contacted you. 

I simply couldn't believe a horn could be any better than the V Raptor. I was wrong. It's impossible to describe the multiple colors as you increase air that this horn produces. You and your colleagues have done an incredible job! It's fun to produce some fat G's at my age and be able to wow an audience with both "sizzle" and rich ballad sounds. I couldn't ask for a better horn.

Thanks,  

North Carolina

"The new VRII Bb is an excellent trumpet. I have used it with my commercial mouthpiece for a variety of performances as 1st trumpet for Dionne Warwick, Marilyn McCoo and Broadway programs and it feels and sounds great. In contrast, I've used it for the Prelude to Carmen brass quintet and for the Arutunian Concerto with my "legit" mouthpiece and it fits beautifully in that setting as well. It is wonderfully smooth without feeling "slippery" and the ease of producing the sound is amazing.

Congratulations on making such a great trumpet."

California

The best sounding, most in tune, easiest horn I have ever played! On my gigs I always have other players tell me what great ears I must have to play that in tune - I tell them it's my horn - I recently finished a new CD - this is the first one I used my VR2 on and the engineer also commented on the rich sound and fullness all over the range of he horn as well as the intonation.

I have never played a trumpet that made my jobs easier then my VR2!  

St. Louis
www.jimmanley.net

I have played on the same horn for 20 years and it was time for a new one.  I tried many different trumpets at the 2008 ITG conference in Banff but kept coming back to the VR II made by The Brass Spa, Stomvi, and Cambrass.  Not only does this trumpet make an exceptionally beautiful sound and play very easily but the passion and knowledge expert craftsman K.O. Skinsnes brought to the conversation made purchasing the trumpet an easy decision for me to make.  K.O. was instrumental in designing this beautiful trumpet.  It lives up to what he told me it would do and I have received several compliments from my colleagues about the quality of the sound it makes.  I am able to play very quietly while still maintaining a rich sound and the sound in the lower register is incredible.  There is something about an instrument that has had so much love and attention put into its design that makes it special to play.  Thank you K.O. for putting so much hard work and dedication into your craft to make my job on the trumpet easier.

I really do love the horn and this weekend I taught at the Vic Lewis Band Festival in Canmore (just east of Banff) as the Classical trumpet clinician.  Each day there is a faculty recital; a Classical one on the Saturday and a Jazz one on the Sunday.  I was asked to play last post just before the jazz recital (Canadian taps for Remembrance Day).  I played it on my VRII and I received many compliments for the sound. Thanks for that and VERY best of luck with your new business.  

Artistic Director, Storyfair Productions
www.storyfair.com

I purchased one of your brushed lacquer VRIIs this summer.  My first impression taking it our of the box was that it is a beautiful horn to look at.  Then I played it.  That first time I couldn't put it down, the sound, the ease of working through the entire horn, I just kept moving from etude to etude wondering what kind of player I might be now if I would have had this horn before!  The sound is amazing!  I love the depth and color it provides.  I have never had the prettiest sound, but the color I can get out of the VRII is dark and thick.  My wife heard me that first day and immediately told me I had made the right decision in purchasing it. 

I have a jazz quartet and after we played our first song, the guitar player just stared at me and said,"New horn, huh?".  The ease of playing it totally opened up a new level of my improvisation.  He heard me play things I had never attempted before.

I also love the horn's versatility.  You can easily go from playing in a small combo with a beautiful sound, to screaming lead in a show with a sound that rips like a lead player's should.  Before I would always have to change horns in order to do that. 

My first gig with the horn in the Wind Symphony I play in is coming at the beginning of next month and I can't wait to see what kind of comments I get on it and my playing. 

I have always stressed to my students and tried myself to play with what I call "effortlessness".  I have always struggled to really achieve it that though.  With this VRII however, I am playing better, cleaner and more efficiently that ever before,  My goal of playing with real "effortlessness" might actually happen!

The horn has really given me a confidence I have not had since I was a kid and didn't know any better.  I thank you for building me such a great horn.  

Texas

Here is my opinion about the VRII I purchased in March 2008. My friend and fellow trumpeter John Foss has a Raptor which he let me try. I thought it was a great horn but wanted to do some more research and make sure this was what I wanted and what would work best for me.  I was excited to see the VRII on the Brass Spa website and even more excited to see that Jim Manley played one.  So I called to see if I could try one out.  I could not believe the difference in the weight of my Bach and the lightweight VRII.  I hadn't been playing a lot when I got it but the first practice session I had with it was over four hours.  I couldn't have done that with my Bach.  It was so much easier to play.  Almost effortless really.  There was so much back-pressure on my Bach and none with the VRII.  And the valves were so smooth.  I always felt like I was pushing through sludge on my Bach. During that first practice session I played some etudes, jazz pieces, and some big band charts.  As good as the horn felt and sounded, I felt like I could have played anywhere with anybody.  The best description I can give overall is "effortless".  I get a great open sound without all the hard work.  The air flows through the horn so efficiently.

I am not going to be the next hot shot trumpet player, but that doesn't mean I don't deserve to have a great horn.  I am thoroughly enjoying playing it and wonder why I waited so long to get a new one.  I guess I was just waiting for the right horn - and this is it. Thanks so much! Take good care,

Maine

It's easy for me to talk about my two V-Raptors because they are simply the best horns I have every played! And that comes from playing for the past 50 years. I have a silver light weight, and a gold heavy weight horn. They are amazing horns, each in their own right. I use the silver horn the most, as I play lead in the San Luis Valley Big Band, in Alamosa, Colorado. Alamosa is a small community with a big band. An unusual situation to say the least. The love of big band jazz is the glue that keeps the band together. For a non-professional band made up of "jazz addicts" with day jobs, we are still able to play Basie, Kenton,  Herman, and Maynard charts. The lead parts are demanding! The V-Raptor makes it possible for me to play the lead with power and edge. I actually sound better now than I did when I was in my twenties playing in Los Angeles.

Like many players, I have run the gamut with horns. I've played nearly all the major brands. When I tried the V-Raptor about two years ago, I was blown away (pun intended). I had purchased a Yamaha, Bobby Shew model, and was very pleased with it. Then I discovered the V-Raptor and compared the two. Much to my surprise the Raptor was more responsive, more centered, and added about a third of an octave to my range! That was all it took. I bought the two horns and I am telling everybody I know about the horn. 

Thanks for making such great horns!

Colorado
www.psych-k.com

As you know I have ordered two V-Raptor's. The first one was silver and the second, which is the only one that I play now on a regular basis as lead trumpet in a 17 piece jazz band, is gold plated and the bell is engraved.  

I frequently go to Dillon Music in Woodbridge, NJ where I try other horns and mouthpieces to compare with my gold plated V-Raptor. The room  always has a few trumpet players who are there to try new and used horns. When they see my horn the comment is always, man, that's a beautiful horn. What kind is it? When they hear it played they comment on what a big full sound it has. I occasionally let someone try it and they are amazed at how easily it plays and how well it slots. If you are getting requests from people in NJ and nearby NY they could have learned about the V-Raptor by playing my great gold plated trumpet. Over the years I have owned many Bachs, Schilkes, Yamaha, Kanstul, Selmer  and Conn trumpets. None compare to my V-Raptor. Thanks to all of you that contributed to its' development.  

New Jersey

The Flex mouthpieces I am now using were custom made by K.O. and they are the best sounding pieces I have ever owned!

His knowledge of how the trumpet works is an amazing study that lead to him and several colleagues in to building what I believe to be the best playing trumpet ever made - my VR2 - KO knows how the trumpet blows!

St.Louis
www.jimmanley.net

I'm really very satisfied with my V-Raptor and the people who heard me (guys to whom I'm sitting every day in big band, other trumpet players, even classical) said that the sound is great. I'm playing on Sunday with some brass sextet the programme with Beethoven, Chopin, Purcell, Mozart and I can tell you that even in this field instrument sounds just great and that's not only my opinion. Also in combos or in blues band it just works very well.

My trumpet sound just improved with this instrument in combination with Bach 3C mouthpiece.

Croatia

I am an artist in residence right now at an Elementary School and the Gr. 1 students think the horn looks really old because it is brushed brass but when I play some jazz on it they LOVE it.  They call it my old new horn and have nick named it the holy grail horn because it looks like the carpenters cup from the Raiders of the Lost Ark Movie.  

I was giving a demo to a group who had come to hear the Red Deer Symphony where I am the second trumpet player.  I was doing the demo with a flute player from the orchestra and when I switched from my c trumpet to the VR II she was blown away by the sound.  If a flute player can hear the difference then you are in business!  

Thanks for making such a great horn and I would love to hear what you have to say about mouthpieces!  

Artistic Director, Storyfair Productions
www.storyfair.com

I have had my horn almost 3 years and would like to say that it has lived up to everything there is good to say about it! I do not play professional gigs but have played weddings and at my best friends funeral.The horn played itself for me at a most difficult and emotional time.

I would like to thank K.O. for his advice on breaking in the valves (they are perfect)!!! I also would like to once again thank Jim Manley on his advice and showing me how to play high without the violence I used to play with.(He is amazing and a wonderful person)

I once took a lesson with the late Leon Merian and he also loved the horn.He asked how much the horn was going for and then said  "you didn't pay them enough".

Thanks again for your interest and the best to the staff.

Georgia

I had tried  a friend's V Raptor a couple of years ago.  I had finally saved and decided to order mine in January.  The weekend before I was going to order, I was doing my usual volunteer work at the local animal shelter and got bit by one of the cats on my right index finger.  The tendon got very infected, I had emergency surgery on my hand, and was in the hospital for four days on IV antibiotics, with the possibility of more surgeries looming.  I could have lost my finger, or even my whole arm, and was terrified that I would never play again, but luckily left the hospital with only a finger full of stitches and no more infections or surgery.  

I still had a long way to go before I knew how I was going to play  again, but decided to order my new horn anyway.  When I called, my hand was still bandaged and immobilized and would be for several more weeks, but I knew that having my V Raptor to look forward to would be a great incentive during my rehabilitation.  I probably drove you all crazy with how often I called to ask when my horn would be ready, but it really helped to keep me going during the most frustrating moments of trying to make my hand work again!  When I got my horn, it was just so easy to play that I had even more incentive to practice, and now even though my hand isn't completely normal, I've gotten to the point that I am actually a click or two faster than I was before the bad kitty got me!  

I still have a lot of work to do, but I'm very happy I've got a horn that makes it a little easier.  Crazy story, huh?  You all helped me out just a little more than you knew :)  

Thanks again,

Virginia