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Thread: Thrift shop find - Holton double-bell euphonium

  1. #1

    Thrift shop find - Holton double-bell euphonium

    Hi, all,

    This is my first post here. After some hemming and hawing, I picked up a rather sad-looking double bell euphonium at a thrift shop. Lots of dents, lead tube to the smaller bell almost crushed, the big bell was rolled back, the valve stems were bent and stuck. *I took it to Harv Hartman who worked his magic on it. Just got it back this weekend, and I'm tickled.

    I'm a little rusty - thirty years ago I played trombone in high school, so my embrochure is a little, shall we say, unpracticed, and before this weekend I didn't know anything about playing a valved instrument. Nonetheless, I'm getting some decent sounds out of it working gently through the mid-range on some fingering charts while I get my lips working again, and amusing my kids with bugle calls (my 8-year-old ASKS me to wake her with reveille . . .) and simple songs.

    The serial number puts the horn at 1916 and the valves are stamped "Chicago), but the bell is etched Frank Holton, Elkhorn, Wisconsin. The Holton company moved there in 1918, so that gives me a pretty good window for the date of the horn.

    The mouthpiece is a Reynolds 8-A. I'm agnostic as to whether it's the right one for me. Harv didn't particularly like it, but I figure I'll work with it for a while and then see whether another would work better.

    So far, just lurking and browsing has been delightful. I'll be back with newbie questions down the road.

    Here are before and after shots.

    Stuart Kern

    Silver Spring, MD

    *

    *

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails horn_after.JPG   horn_before.JPG  

  2. #2

    Thrift shop find - Holton double-bell euphonium

    Wow, Mr. Hartman worked a lot of hours on that horn. Amazing!

    Great to hear you're picking it up again and I hope you have a heckuva good time with that horn.

    U.S. Army, Retired (built mid-1950s)
    Adams E2 Euph (built 2017)
    Boosey & Co. Imperial Euph (built 1941)
    Edwards B454 Bass Trombone (built 2012)
    Boosey & Hawkes Imperial Eb tuba (built 1958)
    Kanstul 33-T lBBb tuba (built 2010)

  3. #3

    Thrift shop find - Holton double-bell euphonium

    Welcome to the board and welcome back to the fold!

    Fine looking DB you have there. If it plays as well as it looks, you'll have lots of fun with it.

    If you have the time, you might want to consider getting out to a Tuba Christmas in your area: it's a great way to meet other euph and tuba enthusiasts, and it always creates a stir when someone shows up with a DB.

    The two closes to you are in DC and Baltimore:

    WASHINGTON DC - MONDAY, DECEMBER 14 - TIME: 6:00 pm

    LOCATION: Kennedy Center - Grand Foyer - Millenium Stage
    REGISTRATION: 3:00 pm Hall of States
    REHEARSAL: 4:00 pm Grand Foyer
    PARKING: There is a fee to park at the Kennedy Center, mention that you are a playing participant for TubaChristmas
    NOTE: Dress in bright festive colors. Bring a folding music stand/lyre. Please use a gig bag and leave cases in car/bus. Chairs provided for participants
    CONDUCTOR: Colonel Bryan Shelburne, Commander U.S. Army Band, (retired)
    COORDINATORS: Dave Bragunier 703-525-3626, Brian Sands 703-913-7720, Robert Pallansch 703-532-0137, Chris Quade 703-323-1676, Scott Cameron 301-260-9361

    BALTIMORE - SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5 - TIME: 3:30 pm
    LOCATION: Harborplace Amphitheatre
    REGISTRATION: 1:15 pm Science Center
    REHEARSAL: 1:45 pm same as registration
    PARKING: Garages near Harborplace
    CONDUCTOR: Jim Wharton
    COORDINATORS: Lisa M. Schultze 410-887-0104, Ed Goldstein 410-484-5200, Rob White 410-521-5598, Jim Wharton 410-887-080


  4. #4

    Thrift shop find - Holton double-bell euphonium

    That sounds like fun! Thanks for the info.Although I'm not sure I should go around causing a stir just yet . . .Stuart

  5. Thrift shop find - Holton double-bell euphonium

    Don't take this the wrong way, but I hate you out of sheer jealousy!

    Nice Find!

  6. Thrift shop find - Holton double-bell euphonium

    If that had been me in that thrift shop, there would have been absolutely NO "hemming and hawing"!! What a great treasure you unearthed.

    I'll take this opportunity to add my 2 cents in regards to Mr. Harvey Hartman; I've dealt with him before for a couple of tuba restorations, and I vouch for him whole-heartedly. He is one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet. Extremely fair in his business dealings, and a first-class craftsman to boot.


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