Got a text from Austy a couple of days ago asking if I had a small piece of blackwood laying around that he could have as he wanted to make a lipstop for his personal trumpet for this year which he made out of blackwood. I had a piece about 1 1/2x12 that was just waiting to be sent to one of the many great trumpet makers out there to be turned into a sweet singin' turkey instrument, so I thought why not just give the whole piece to Austy and have him make me a yelper out of it. Austy stopped by the house, picked the piece up, we ironed out what I wanted for the ferrule, mouthpiece, and lipstop, and away he went. Yesterday about noon I get a text from him that he was working on my yelper and a few hours later a picture of it completed, with the caption, "she's a beauty." He wasn't kidding, the piece of Blackwood I gave him had great grain, almost burl like in some areas. He topped her off with a buffalo horn ferrule, mouthpiece, and lipstop; she's a black beauty no doubt and talks some sweet turkey language. I tried my best to capture some of the grain but my camera skills aren't too good.
-Derick
