Van Laar - Trumpets & Flugelhorn

Since 2006, I’ve been enthralled by Van Laar trumpets. I started out on the B8, then switched to the OIRAM II and now I play the V-Flow. Hub is getting better all the time, and so are his horns.  🙂 He builds trumpets with his heart, and you can feel this. 

I’ve always aimed at a trumpet sound that is somewhat darker than what people are used to in a trumpet. I strive for a warm and intimate sound, without losing the intention and the core. Hub understood my wishes and focused on the frequencies of the low-middle range in particular. It feels like these low-middle frequencies of the OIRAM and also the V-Flow, were ‘built in’, so to speak, which greatly improves the warmth of the sound.   

What makes it so special, is that it doesn’t do this at the expense of the projection and the shining of the natural tones. The V-Flow stands out for its elegance in playing and the slenderness of its sound. It’s fairly light to play and it switches from the middle to the low and high register without losing hardly any tonal color. The valves run smoothly, and they’re fitted so you get to the core of the tone when you push them accurately.

This helps me to play the V-Flow as soft as a whisper with a ‘thick’ sound that can still be felt – but it also features a thundering robustness. It’s easy to color with it. The sound doesn’t only project ahead (as a trumpet that was made for playing lead), but the sound is also around you, like a kind of layer. It provides a greater intimacy and as an added bonus it’s easier to mix and solo within a band or group sound. It’s a universality in sound, so to speak. 🙂

Whether I’m performing with a chamber music ensemble like Holland Baroque, with my Oliver’s Cinema or in a duo with harpist Remy van Kesteren, with my electric band Gatecrash or as a soloist with a symphony orchestra, the Rotterdam Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy, or with a fiery big band: the V-Flow allows me to adapt and color according to all circumstances. 

I’ve asked Hub to make the V-Flow look as natural as possible, so you see the variety of multi-hued metals; there’s only a clear coat covering it. It makes it smoother than gold or silver, but it feels great in your hand. 

For me, the V-Flow is the perfect translator from soul to note!