I recognize that this is not a standard British Euphonium, but I am looking for any information or opinion regarding this instrument, please. I recently purchased an old German Tenorhorn and intend to have it cleaned and restored to at least playing condition.
The seal on the bell reads "W.A. Pfretzschner Musik Instr. Markneukirchen i.S" and features a coat of arms with a lyre. I know that Markneukirchen is a town in Germany where many instrument makers are located.
There is no apparent serial number on the instrument, but you can see below that there are sets of the number 3 stamped into various places on and around the valves. I am curious about what this means, as the same numeral appears to rule-out the order of valves...
There are dents throughout, but the most severe damage was apparently caused by trying to force loose the valve casing on the end. You can see that the top rotary valve cap (which ends up being on the backside of the instrument as its played) isn't screwed closed all the way either...
Does anyone else have an oval Tenorhorn from this manufacturer?
Does yours have a serial number?
Can anyone estimate a year of production?
Are there any opinions of this brand?
I probably over-paid for this instrument, especially in its condition. I paid $200. ...But the valves work! Except that the hidden spring mechanism isn't fully functional on every valve... By hidden, I mean that there are no visible springs, which makes me think that the springs themselves are inside the wheels/discs to which the finger plates are attached.
Thanks for any information you can offer!