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Thread: Got a King 2268 for my daughter

  1. Got a King 2268 for my daughter

    My daughter is in the 9th grade and has been playing euphonium since 5th grade. She briefly started on French horn but soon switched to "my" instrument. Through middle school (6-8th grade here) she played a school owned early Jupiter 3v. and practiced at home on one of my older bell front "baritones" which she also used for parades. When shopping for a horn for starting high school, she informed me that she did not want to use anything we already have. She said she does not like top action valves and wanted a front action 4 valve. I do not have the funds to find a Wilson 2975 Canadian Brass Euph so after a bit of searching I learned that the King 2268 was one of the very few front action bell up 4 valves made but that it had not been made for a while. A few months ago, I found 2 to choose from at Baltimore Brass and bought a decent relaquered one from circa 1975. It is quite a bit lighter than some of my other horns which was a feature she also wanted. The horn plays surprisingly well and sounds better than I expected.
    Last edited by Will; 01-12-2017 at 12:09 PM.
    Weril H980 euph
    Besson 4v comp euph 314xxx
    Besson 3v comp euph 455xxx
    King 3v bari. 20xxx
    King 4v double-bell euph 50xxx
    Conn 5v double-bell euph 355xxx
    Buescher 3+1 double-bell euph 285xxx
    Olds bell-front 3v bari
    Holton alto horn
    Holton 3v tuba
    Belleville Helicon
    Some of the performances of the Mid-Shore Community Band:
    http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...ty%20band&sm=3

  2. #2
    Good story - thanks! She now has a good horn of the American style. I played one for everything during my junior/senior years in high school and my first year in college. Once the college gave me a Besson I still used the King for all marching performances. Then in the Coast Guard Band I used the King for 6-12 months for everything until the Band bought a Besson. I kept using the King for marching for about 15 years. Then the Band got a couple King Cleveland 3-valve models for marching, because they were lighter to carry on long parades.

    The King was a very robust example of the American genre. It had a solid sound with lots of projection. The Conns were a little sweeter-sounding, but did not pack as much of a punch when really pushed. And of course they were designed for school use, which means they hold up very well.

    High School:
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Dave High School King Euphonium.jpg 
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    Coast Guard:
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Dave Early CGB King Euphonium.jpg 
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    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  3. Thank you for the feedback. I really enjoy playing the horn myself sometimes. It is bell up and with the front action valves, I am "leaning" the same direction as the tuba to my right. Whether or not one likes the sound of the American baritone/euphoniums of that era, I have found those 60s and 70s student horns to have amazingly good as well as robust build quality as compared to say the early (late 1980s) Jupiters which largely replaced many of them at that point. I have seen plenty of the later student horns that have such sparse and shoddy factory soldering that they are literally falling apart.
    Weril H980 euph
    Besson 4v comp euph 314xxx
    Besson 3v comp euph 455xxx
    King 3v bari. 20xxx
    King 4v double-bell euph 50xxx
    Conn 5v double-bell euph 355xxx
    Buescher 3+1 double-bell euph 285xxx
    Olds bell-front 3v bari
    Holton alto horn
    Holton 3v tuba
    Belleville Helicon
    Some of the performances of the Mid-Shore Community Band:
    http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...ty%20band&sm=3

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Smoketown, Pa
    Posts
    233
    I grew up on a Conn Lady euphonium which was school owned. Can't remember if it was 3 valve or 4. Senior year after deciding to pursue a music education major, my parents bought me a 24I Conn which in those days was big money. I also had tried a 3 valve Conn bell front which really had a bigger sound than the 24I. Still have the Conn today and still use it. The bell needs some restoration as being removable seemed to take the most damage. The rest of the horn is in excellent shape. It went for many many years without being touched by a repairman. Finally had to replace all the corks and felts and had some minor dents removed. What a great horn.
    B&S 3046 Baritone/Euphonium
    Wessex Festivo
    B&S PT37-S
    Schilke ST20 Tenor Trombone
    Jupiter XO Double valve bass trombone

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