A trumpet without a category
The Freakhorn is a custom trumpet with a unique design and clear tonal character. It is a small-batch instrument, an open concept for musicians who consciously shape sound, response, and projection. It is not a modular system in the traditional sense, but rather a finely tuned overall system in which all components work together.
It is the result of a collaboration between Martin Böhme and Georg Selders – a direct exchange between instrument making, playing practice, and sound conception.
The Freakhorn has a unique, deliberately designed shape with an angled bell and leadpipe that influence balance, feel, and projection. For practical everyday use, the instrument offers additional space for a switch for using digital music systems and a separate hook for comfortable playing.
The slide stopper on the first and third slide are an integral part of the design and, like their materiality and mass, affect the response and sound characteristics.
The Freakhorn comes with two interchangeable main tuning slides with distinctly different characters: a D-shaped yellow brass slide and a rounded copper slide, which noticeably alter the resistance, timbre, and projection.
The concept is complemented by an interchangeable receiver system. The horn comes with two double sets made of different materials and masses, which can be used to individually influence the sound, response, and projection. The stop screws are also deliberately designed as sound-affecting elements and are part of the overall tuning.
This range of configurations allows the Freakhorn to be adapted to very different musical contexts – from transparent, powerful work in classical ensembles to flexible setups for small jazz formations to direct projection and stability in lead playing.
All components interact closely and are not intended as isolated options, but as parts of a finely tuned instrument.
