When we made our first CNC mouthpieces about five years ago, we decided to hook up a lipstick camera to the turret of the lathe, turn off the coolant that would otherwise obscure the shot, and videotape a mouthpiece being made from just a few inches away. We showed the video to friends and shop visitors, and everyone who saw it was knocked out. Most had never seen a mouthpiece being cut before - let alone from such close perspective.

This was enough fun that we decided to film more parts being made. We added home movies of bells and leadpipes being fabricated, drawn and/or spun on our mandrels Dave Monette made over 25 years ago. And how we computer-design mouthpieces. How we diamond hone valve casings to fit the tightest, smoothest pistons we have ever felt.

We documented how we spent three full days making the custom sheet bracing for our AJNA instruments - one brace at a time, in sequence - so the flanges have a perfect, “no gaps in sight” fit. Even our friends who are not equipment geeks stood and stared with wide eyes at operations they had never imagined before. They never realized how much time it takes to make parts fit together with such precision - which in turn helps make Monette horns play as well as they do.

All these things went into a series of videos we presented at private shop concerts and clinics - the first of which was several years ago at the NAPBIRT (National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians) convention. Then this year, Dave was asked by old friend and Monette client Eric Berlin to give a presentation at the ITG convention in Amherst MA. The addition of our all-new CNC milled valves and valve casings and high tech new tooling provided even more new video material for the attendees in Amherst.

Most recently we documented how our decorated presentation instruments are made, including Tami Dean’s highly detailed and exacting saw piercing of custom icons in sheet bracing. Dave Monette started making custom inlaid finger buttons with semi-precious stones in his home lapidary shop, and decided to show how the inlays are made for the ITG conference. More unique visuals for the technically curious.

With six full time trumpet makers making six instruments a month at our shop, we have approximately 150 man/hours on average into each Monette instrument, not counting our decorated presentation instruments. And while it is impossible to fit 150 man/hours of work spread over three months into ten minutes of video, we have taken the highlights of most of these operations and put them together to provide an overview of our work. In Dave Monette’s own voice, you can hear him explain most of what we do, and how we do it. We hope you enjoy the show!

Questions or comments on the video? Please E-mail to: VideoShopTour@monette.net