SCHILKE: The Mark Of Excellence

Schilke Music Products is proud to feature this tribute video to Renold O. Schilke and the tradition of excellence he created when he started Schilke Music Products Inc. in 1956! Our detail-oriented staff build each instrument by hand to ensure yours is of unmatched quality and superior craftsmanship. We continue to produce very high quality trumpets and trombones in Chicago, IL and preserve the timeless designs of Renold O. Schilke who instilled a tradition of excellence!
PLEASE VISIT US AT:
www.schilkemusic.com
www.greenhoe.com
naumanntrumpets.com
/ schilkemusic
/ schilkemusic
Directed By: Andy Adames
Sonic Palette Productions
sonicpaletteproductions.com

[@Bassposaunenspieler1]

I was an employee there from 1980 to 1984. Played a Schilke 60. It became an old friend. I enjoyed this video as it brought back a lot of warm memories. Best wishes!

[@chasefreak]

I guess you remember Steve Daniels, Ron Pinc, Kerry, Scott, Dave, etc. any stories to tell??? Were you there for the infamous elevator shaft incident or were you at the Winfield location at all?? I was not but have played Schilke's for a lifetime and know a lot of the old crew guys

[@Bassposaunenspeiler1]

Yes I remember them all. I don't know about any elevator incident except when we moved from WInfield back to the city, bringing the mouthpiece lathe up the elevator shaft was a bit harrowing. Watching those machine riggers work was interesting. @@chasefreak

[@chasefreak]

@@Bassposaunenspeiler1 that era at 529 S. Wabash was unique...you never knew who might be in the shop on any given day.

[@jbarrer2196]

I'm too old now, but I played a P5-4 for 25 years. It is an incredible horn in its intonation and full sound, and much fun to play. I remember that after 12 years it was in need of some minor tweaks on one of the valves so I contacted the company and sent it back to have it "overhauled." They cleaned it all up, sent it back to me after just a few days. It felt like a new horn, and they didn't charge me anything. What a great company and what a great instrument.

[@wythetrumpet6419]

Thank you for building my Schilke Handcraft HC2 Trumpet! It is an incredible horn! 🎺👍

[@Michel-yg9fc]

I am a trumpet player living in Japan. I have Schilke s33HD and HC2 and it is an EXCELLENT trumpet. I can say it is my life partner. It was a wonderful encounter. Thank you.

[@americanpatriot8402]

Never owned a Schilke, always have wanted one though.

[@stanrosenblum4669]

Schilke not Schiller Different countries and very different quality

[@hillock10]

When I was a teenager, I took trumpet lessons from Reynold Shilke. I remember his bushy eyebrows. Shilke taught me the importance of the details of every note in a musical piece, something that many singers and musicians do not understand. Each note has it own life: attack, release, loudness, vibrato, etc. As well, each phrase in a musical piece is played with a detailed appropriate approach and emphasis that enhances the entire musical piece. This is what differentiates a piano plunker at Menards from a true pro musician.

[@chasefreak]

you were lucky!! The bushy eyebrows lol-did he ever send you out to run across the street to The Cart restaurant to get saltines for his ulcers? All that Vodka & Tang LOL

[@JeffLikes2Learn]

What Shilke taught you about the importance of details is really profound. I've copied what you've said about it into my list of quotes. It's that important. Thank you for recalling and posting this and you are indeed lucky!

[@markschilke]

My two daughters and my son all play French horn -- with Schilke mouthpieces!

[@holton345]

I have been playing for a living since 1985. I bought my first Schilke tuba mouthpiece in 1984 and used it for many years. I have been in my current orchestra for over thirty years now, and I use the SHII-CLE on my Adams F tuba; it is a fantastic mouthpiece. I will always use Schilke products. What a great company!

[@Trompetensolist]

I have been blowing your Eb/D for 40 years with joy and success to this day! Thank you!

[@BillSmith-rx9rm]

I have played Schilke mouthpieces since 1976. I recently got my very first Schilke trumpet in March 2023. It's a B6. Previously had played a Getzen Eterna Severinson Model since 1975. That was a great horn. A very underrated brand. I always said, if it's good enough for Doc, it's good enough for me. The Schilke is also very nice. It is tighter not as broad, very focused, and very bright. The Getzen is bright, but the Schilke is even brighter. Of course these characteristics is what the B6 is known for. It's a medium size bore, so there is more resistance. I have to get used to that since I am accustomed to a less resistant medium large bore and a large bore C trumpet.

[@allwinds3786]

I really like my '56 Schilke and E3L4. In high-school I would ditch school and hang out at 529 s. Wabash. I met Bud Herseth there several times.

[@chasefreak]

lucky man

[@bobk4438]

I got my Schilke in 1974. Still going strong.

[@TopRacer-tx5cd]

I hope one day to own a Schilke soprano cornet, i hear they play so fluent for the often difficult character of my so beloved Eb cornets haha

[@gerardnazzaro2478]

My trumpet teacher recommended a B5 as a junior in HS. That was in 1973. It's the sound.

[@VirtuosityMusicalInstruments]

We LOVE our Schilkes! ❤🎉

[@randygerber1565]

I purchased my Schilke B6 in the summer of 1975 at Long and McQuade in Vancouver. I was 16 years old, and had worked all summer saving for a new trumpet. It was love at first sight, and it is still my go to horn. It remains in pristine condition.

[@DanielWOstler]

Beat you to it! I purchased my B4L from Horace Hines at The Royal Conservatory in Toronto in 1972!!

[@borisdavidov5]

I play B1 schilke, picked one in 2007. Since than had many horns and end up coming back to my B1. It's like my base line for excellence and great response. Not a professional but playing like one!

[@nestingdelosreyes9734]

The best ...Schilkes

[@akitoshimikami1032]

Bravo! That's great history of Schilke!

[@Nynodon]

Never owned a schilke instrument, but I do have an old size 20 trumpet mouthpiece. Might give it a whirl sooner or later

[@mikek1681]

Great video. I was lucky enough to have a lesson with Schilke at the Wabash Ave studio and had him personally choose one of his mouthpieces for me. I was playing a Severenson at the time, but never could get the mouthpiece right, until Schilke. Working 5-6 nights a week, at the time, moving from one ax to another during a set, I could pick up the trumpet cold and rip into anything we had. A very special experience.

[@bigbassinbrand1552]

What a video. Truly the mark of excellence.

[@richtomasek9308]

Well, Dana, someone you know has a horn you made. Me. After 16 years with it, it still just sings.

[@chasefreak]

Interesting side note-the reason Mr. Schilke moved the shop to 529 S. Wabash initially was to be across the street from his fav' restaurant-The Cart. He used to send students there to p/u packages of saltine crackers to calm his ulcers. This way he could also be within walking distance of Roosevelt Un. as well as the CSO Music Complex. I do not know who made the original brass bells prior to 1967 but, between 1967 and 1982, all the yellow-brass bells were made by Yamaha. Mr. Schilke's original yellow-brass bell formula was a 60/40 combination (60% copper, 40% brass) The beryllium-copper bells were made by Kiefer Plating in Elkhart-those bells are super rare, ridiculously light, and sought after. These bells were 99.9 1/2% copper and 1/2% beryllium-this was used as a hardening alloy to get the bells super thin! Kiefer Plating closed in '77 and Schilke switched to having Anderson Plating make ALL the copper bells to this day. After '82, the yellow-brass bells were made by The Jenigna Bros. and continue to this day.

[@jdmccorful]

Nice work!

[@bobjacobson858]

Very interesting!

[@joseantoniobarrios5017]

I love Schilke=7⭐

[@NoelRojas]

Great documentary, love it!

[@michaelfoxbrass]

Nice video!

[@johnbottomley617]

1977 X-3 incredible horn!

[@hobie1dog]

the greatest trumpet I ever owned

[@bd1845]

Something about Schilke. I was lucky I bought an S22 Gold plated instrument when I was at music college with a couple of customs on it. I had played many instruments but nothing for me beat the quality of Schilke. One of the biggest mistakes was I was offered one of Arturo Sandoval’s X3’s in the mid 90’s but didn’t have the spare cash at the time 😢. I am pretty sure the tuning slide on his was different. Someone told me it was made by spada in Switzerland but don’t know if that’s true was certainly more rounded than the standard B/X series trumpets.

[@topazezolote5577]

I am french but play XA1 cornet, B6 , C5, and P7-4 in classical music : 👍❤

[@phooesnax]

Sax guy but still impressed.

[@GordonHudson]

I play an S22!

[@BookGuy1]

What is the first song called?

[@jennifermorikawa4909]

Festive Overture - Shostakovich It's one of my favorite pieces of all time

[@BookGuy1]

@@jennifermorikawa4909 thank you

[@user-rn1lb8sx2c]

Only valid horns are the p54 p74 and the shepherds crook cornets

[@karlrovey]

I use Schilke mouthpieces, but haven't had a Schilke trumpet yet. Unfortunately it seems that most stores just want to carry Bach and Yamaha. Occasionally you'll find Getzen. Jupiter for students. The closest store to me doesn't even have Schilke mouthpieces.