yOld King on eBay

[LibraryMark]

Folks -

I am a tuba player who's wife has decided to play euphonium. We bought her a King 2280 and she is very happy with it. I would like to buy a cheaper horn to play along with her, and found this one on ebay:



Does anyone know anything about this model? Would it be a decent choice for a practice horn?

Thanks!

Mark

[Richard III]

At the risk of losing that one, I will say I've been following it. It just got relisted for the same price. I think it is too much by a little. I have many H. N. White cornets and trumpets. The King models of that era are top notch in my book. The seller says the valves are very good. That would be the only question. I see some marks on them that give me a slight pause.

[LibraryMark]

I think it is too much by a little.

And they are not accepting offers (I asked), but they do answer questions pretty quickly. I do wonder if the valves have been re-plated.

[davewerden]

I looked on eBay at the photos:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/KING-HN-WHI...T/164118645277

I think it looks like a very good buy. The valves look fine - the only marks I see are water drops/streaks as far as I can tell. And they include a new case, which is a big bonus.

[LibraryMark]

I looked on eBay at the photos:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/KING-HN-WHI...T/164118645277

I think it looks like a very good buy. The valves look fine - the only marks I see are water drops/streaks as far as I can tell. And they include a new case, which is a big bonus.

I went ahead and bought the thing. I was looking at a 321 but it ended tonight for more money that this one. I will report back with how it plays.

[LibraryMark]

I went ahead and bought the thing. I was looking at a 321 but it ended tonight for more money that this one. I will report back with how it plays.

I got the King today. After playing it for a while, I decided to return the horn. My assessment is they didn't do too bad of a job removing the dents, but the mouthpiece does not fit the receiver (it falls out), the valves are sluggish even after cleaning and oiling, and it plays out of tune. I expected better for a $600 horn. I am going to have to look for a newer horn, I guess. Plus - it's not a euphonium, it's a baritone.

So - you will probably see it back on eBay soon.

[davewerden]

Sorry it didn't work out. The mouthpiece issue could be addressed, but intonation can be a problem. Interesting you say the valves were sluggish. Do you mean just slow to move up & down, even though they move dependably? That is usually a matter of better cleaning or different oil. But if they just plain stick, then there could be something going on.

There are 2280's for under $1,000 sometimes, but they are usually in rough shape. For somewhere in the low teens you might find a pretty good sample, and that model would seem a good match for a tuba player. Do you agree (I assume you've tried your wife's horn)? These take a bass trombone receiver, so you have plenty of choices for mouthpieces.

[LibraryMark]

Sorry it didn't work out. The mouthpiece issue could be addressed, but intonation can be a problem. Interesting you say the valves were sluggish. Do you mean just slow to move up & down, even though they move dependably? That is usually a matter of better cleaning or different oil. But if they just plain stick, then there could be something going on.

There are 2280's for under $1,000 sometimes, but they are usually in rough shape. For somewhere in the low teens you might find a pretty good sample, and that model would seem a good match for a tuba player. Do you agree (I assume you've tried your wife's horn)? These take a bass trombone receiver, so you have plenty of choices for mouthpieces.

The valves are sluggish and the first valve does stick. I could have all of the horn's issues addressed, but it was sold as pretty much needing nothing. That is clearly not the case and as a consumer that offends me a great deal. For the money it would take to fix it's issues I could have a much newer, better horn. Live and learn, I guess.

I will be looking for another 2280 if I can. It's a really nice horn and as a tuba player it does not feel that "foreign". The horn I am sending back sort of feels like a pea shooter. My wife's 2280 was around $675 and played great but we opted to have some dents removed and had it cleaned. That added another $265. That and a nice new Altieri gig bag and we're up around $1,200. I won't need as nice a horn, but the valves have to work and it has to not hurt my ears.

[davewerden]

I'm with you on those two necessities...I need valves that work, and I need the notes to sound at least close to what my brain expects!

Out of curiosity, how was the horn packaged? If the box took a blow, I have learned it is possible for it to affect valve function even if you don't see any physical damage. I experienced that on everything from my 1971 Besson to my current Adams.

[LibraryMark]

It was actually packaged pretty well - brand new case that fit well (but really heavy) with paper stuffed in the bell, with a plastic bag around the case all inside a large box stuffed with packing peanuts. The box had no dents in it so I think that there was no shipping damage.

[davewerden]

Thanks for the info. It's odd that an experienced seller with such good feedback would have missed a valve problem, but stuff happens. Too bad, because it is a cool instrument.

BTW, I think this still is a euphonium, but in the category I would label "small euphonium" and which the marketplace often called a baritone. It looks to be mostly conical and the bell is larger than a baritone would have. The American-style horns that I grew up with, made in the 50's and 60's, would MAYBE feel a bit larger to you. Response improved a bit over the years, but as a category these are not as large-feeling/sounding as a horn like the 2280. The Yamaha 321 is in the middle of those classes.

There are a great many old American horns around in varying condition, and they will all feel GENERALLY like this one.

To get a larger feel, the 2280 is hard to match. Have you tried a compensating euphonium? Some tuba players find them stuffy, so I was not sure if such a horn was within the realm of your consideration.