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Thread: How are your instruments holding up?

  1. Aha, well I have a 2009 Sterling Virtuoso, one of the last of the Bauerfeind horns. It is in near perfect shape, though I have had some service and mods on it. While in the UK at the Sterling shop over several years, I have had the receiver replaced (incorrect taper), and the belly pan mounts unsoldered and moved to a different location (mine was the first Sterling to use a Besson belly pan). I have had both Sterling and Osmun music here in Boston area repair and resolder the trigger pivot mounts. I have also broken both ends of the false hand grip and had them resoldered. I might add that my horn has been "across the pond" 7 or 8 times and done quite a bit of domestic US travel over the last 12 years. At this point in time, the horn is in fantastic condition. The valve action is amazing and the horn plays well.

    My Adams E3 prototype is a newbie (5 years?). It also has had one end of the false piece hand grip resoldered. I guess I am hard on the hand grips!

    Doug
    Adams E3 0.60 Sterling bell - Prototype top sprung valves
    Concord Band
    Winchendon Winds
    Townsend Military Band

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Summerfield, Florida Sturgis, SD (summers)
    Posts
    1,870
    Quote Originally Posted by daruby View Post
    ...It also has had one end of the false piece hand grip resoldered. I guess I am hard on the hand grips!Doug
    Well, Doug, you are probably not the only one!. On my Adams E3 which I have owned new since May 2016, I, too, have had to have one end of the false piece hand grip resoldered. I sent my horn to Lee Stofer in Iowa to do this. I also had a pin prick, really, just a tiny pin prick on the lower branch fixed. Lee made the pin prick disappear entirely. I used him because of the brushed finish on my horn and the fact that Lee had just done some miracle work on Dave's horn (bell) which had fallen to the ground from his car when he opened the back. I also had Lee do some work on the valves (so that they would work even better). This was more akin to cosmetic surgery as it wasn't essential, just something I wanted him to do (some lapping and shining). My horn to this day looks brand new. I think there is a slight wear mark where my right thumb rests on the first valve casing (the same place Dave mentions about the Sinfonico not having the room to easily put your thumb there). I have a brushed finish so this appears as a smoothing of the brushed finish where my thumb touches. Very unnoticeable and probably nothing at all I can do about that. I also use a cloth to help hold the horn with my left hand/arm so that my bare skin rarely touches the horn with any part of my left arm/hand.

    I have many other horns, but suffice it to say, I take excellent care of my horns and they show it. They all look new, as horns should look if you take care of them. I think I may have a tiny little dent on the end of one of my trombone slides where I inadvertently hit the slide against a Manhasset stand when playing. I will probably have that fixed even though my section mates think I am crazy and overly persnickety about my horn(s), which I am.
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
    Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
    1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 Baritone
    Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
    Year Round Except Summer:
    Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)
    KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
    Summer Only:
    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
    Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Summerfield, Florida Sturgis, SD (summers)
    Posts
    1,870
    Quote Originally Posted by davewerden View Post
    I have 3 instruments older than I am, a Gunkel tenor horn (1895) a Holton Double-Bell euphonium (1935), and a King Liberty (2B) trombone from around 1940. The two newer ones have held up very well. The King had so much playing before I bought it used that not only is the silver plate worn off around the hand grip, but the brass beneath is pitted. That, I think, does not in any way indicate fragility. Just the opposite! The Holton is nearly like new mechanically, and has very little lacquer wear. The Gunkel has also held up well considering its age. The brass is bare around the hand grip area where the nickel plating wore off. The valves leak horribly, but I doubt that was due to lack of quality - at some point before I bought it from a Salvation Army thrift store ($5) it should have had a valve job.

    My other two senior horns are actually kids, relatively speaking. My Sovereign Eb tuba and my Sovereign baritone horn are both from the early 1980's and are just about perfect. The tuba could use new pads on top of the pistons - the original silicone dealies are yellowed and flatter than they started out. Neither has had full-time use, so there is no surprise.

    I have a Yamaha symphony tenor with F attachment from the early 1990's, and it is in perfect shape excerpt for a small pink spot inside the bell.
    There is a wide spread rumor floating about that you actually also own an Adams E3 euphonium (older than a year)!
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
    Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
    1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 Baritone
    Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
    Year Round Except Summer:
    Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)
    KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
    Summer Only:
    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
    Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    2,369
    I don't have any comments on how my newer (1960s-2000s) instruments -- like y'all seem to have -- are holding up. But my 1924 Buescher Eb tuba is doing just fine. I've finally decided to sleeve a standard American-size receiver onto it so I can use my Kelly 25 mouthpiece (and potentially some others) without the benefit of the Matt Walters adapter I've been using.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  5. #15
    Jharris, I think this thread is a great idea, thanks for getting it started!

    I wanted to share pictures of what my euphonium looks like as an example of how a decidedly not premium horn has held up. I bought my Schiller Elite euph 7 years ago (August 2014), so it has 7 years of use on it. The first four years it got played daily. I was meticulous for a few months about wiping and oiling the valves during and after each playing sessions, which I think helped a lot because I really have no valve issues to this day. I replaced the original springs with standard Mead Springs and love them. I use Blue Juice, tried Hetman valve oil for a while but experienced gunky build up so switched back to Blue Juice and have no plans to switch oils.

    During the first 4 years I took it apart and gave it a decent cleaning twice per year. The last three years I only average playing a few times per month. Some weeks I get several sessions in and some weeks I don't touch it. It hasn't gotten a full cleaning in probably a little over a year, although recently I was having some uncharacteristically sticky valves so cleaned the valves and casings pretty good with just a cloth and a brush and that helped a lot.

    You can see in the pictures that the tuning slides are fairly discolored, although they move easy and smooth. I currently use Hetman tuning slide grease and it works great for me.

    Dent-wise there was really nothing worthy of a photo, some small dings on the bell and one on the bottom bow, I'm sure I picked those up in rehearsals on chairs or stands, but really nothing huge.

    I would say the most disappointing issue of my cheap horn is the pretty significant lacquer wear. The wear on the hand brace isn't too bad and has developed slowly over time. The spots along the bottom bow and fourth valve happened pretty rapidly somewhere around year 2 as I recall. I was worried at the time that it was going to happen all over the horn, but it never got more extensive than that.

    Hopefully this post is helpful for anyone considering buying a cheap stencil instrument for themselves or their kids. Schiller is not known for superb customer service. It is a decent sounding horn, and considering the 7 years I have owned it I have been very happy to have it. At the time it was sure better than not having a horn at all!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails PXL_20210814_150759972 red.jpg   PXL_20210814_150819388 red.jpg   PXL_20210814_150847283 red.jpg   PXL_20210814_150854085 red.jpg   PXL_20210814_151152247 red.jpg  

    PXL_20210814_151324249 red.jpg  

  6. I am loving all the responses so far, very illuminating!

  7. #17
    I have 5 major instruments. Two euphoniums, two baritones and one trombone.

    My first euphonium was $125.00 in 1986. I was 14 years old, switching from cornet two years earlier. It's a Henry Distin, made in 1906. I came with everything. Case, horn, mouthpiece, lyre and a weird piece which lengthened the horn. The intonation was horrible. I think this is from the LP/HP switchover days. I played this for a few years, winning my first soloist competition at age 15. I was told at that age, my sounded reminded someone of Major Thomas V. Mack from the New York Staff Band (I complement I still hold very dear to this day). I still have this horn an all the parts.

    As my ability progressed, I was told I should invest in a better horn. I had borrowed a SA Trumphonic Euphonium for a year until I wore it out. (the fourth valve basically gave him through the casing). I was 16 and my parents offered me a choice. A horn or a car. I played the longest odds possible. If I asked for a car, I'd never get the horn I'd want. If I asked for a horn, they'd eventually tire or driving me around and would have to break down and get me a cheap car. The odds were in my favor. My parents bought me a brand new Besson Sovereign 967. Almost 35 years later, I still have this horn and it is love of my life. According to Matt at Dillon's, it's the best looking antique he's ever seen. One of the reasons why it's in such good shape is I walked away from playing starting in 1995 and didn't seriously pick up the horn until 2022.

    I'm not sure how I ended up with this horn in my possession, but I own a 1952 Boosey and Hawkes trombone. It has L.P. stamped on the bell. the Top has their Globe and Music note and it's gorgeous. I dont play it often, but I would never think of parting with it.

    Back in May of this year, I was asked to join the Lancaster British Brass Band. I happened to be in the right place at the right time when their 2nd baritone player decided to retire. I needed a baritone and since I hadn't purchased a new horn in over 30 years I had no idea how much junk is out there. OMG. I ended up paying $500 for a 4v non-compensating baritone from Dillons. Did not like it. I don't like lacquer and the brass was thin. This horn is now in the possession of my 10yr old daughter who is learning how to play in school. (She's learning Treble Clef because I won't let the school teach her bass clef...she already plays cello so she knows how to read BC.. I want her to learn brass on TC).

    In July of this year, I bought a 2015 Sterling Virtuoso baritone from the one and only Mr Doug on this forum. I drove over 15 hours round trip to pick up this horn in person. It's a British made horn and I am over the moon with it. Interesting fact, I paid $1300 more for this baritone USED than I did for my 967 NEW! The horn reminds me of the Besson Sovereign baritone I played when I was in the New York Staff Band. I'd give a boob for that horn back.

    That's all I have for now. I'll try to remember to post pictures of the family.
    Last edited by anadmai; 01-20-2023 at 07:57 AM.
    DANA


    Meet the Family
    Junior - Euphonium - 1906 - Henry Distin Mfg.
    Hastings - Trombone - 1952 - Boosey and Hawkes
    Bramwell - Euphonium - 1988 - Besson/Boosey and Hawkes (BE967)
    Margaret - Baritone - 2015 - Sterling1050HS
    Albert - Eb Bass - 2023 - Dillon 981S


    New York Staff Band - 2nd Baritone - 1991-1994
    Philadelphia Freedom Band - Euphonium
    Lancaster British Brass Band (all hail the 2nd baritone) - 2022-

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    338
    For my two personally owned instruments:
    '79 B&H Sovereign: Bought this instrument for only 1500€ when I was... 18, I think, so 8 to 9 years ago. Original case and mouthpiece included. In those years, not a lot has happened to it. It has some dents, mainly in the bell flare that, looking at the shape, were probably caused by the mouthpiece falling out of the in-case compartiment. One valve guide has been replaced with a nylon one. Other than that, just some silver plate wear. first valve casing at the place where the thumb rests, fourth valve slide, second valve tuning slide and the ends of the first valve slide bend. Also the worn valves you've seen me talk about ad nauseam in the past months, but when applying vintage valve oil in combination with a warmed-up instrument, it still plays like an absolute dream. The water gutter is also really worn out and leaks to hell and back, but since those are not available anymore afaik, I'll just have to put up with it. So overall no worrying big defects that can't be fixed.

    My Willson 2960TA: Got this one second-hand when I was 17 I think? So almost 10 years in my posession. Don't know the manufacturing date but I estimate it's from the mid-2000s Little bit of silver plate wear on the first valve casing and the underside of the handguard (aka the usual positions). Everything else is still in great condition, except the rubber spring dampers on the bottom valve caps and the bottom of the valves, which get loose occasionally but are easy to force-fit back into their slots.
    Euphoniums
    2008 Willson 2960TA Celebration
    1979 Boosey & Hawkes Sovereign (Round Stamp)
    Mouthpiece: Denis Wick SM4
    Baritone
    1975 Besson New Standard
    Mouthpiece: Courtois 10

  9. #19
    Not the best to be honest. There is a patch of plating coming off the the third slide. There cannot be contact with anything in relation to where it is so I’m guessing some moisture when the plating was done. There a couple of pin pricks in the lacquer which have occurred since I bought the hooter in May, but nothing else to report. I’ve been in touch with Adams and they suggest it would be away for about two weeks. I did think about getting a slide without a waterkey made, but I get so much moisture in the third slide I think I’d miss the waterkey if it wasn’t there!

    I’ve never played an instrument so fussy for oil, either. I personally like Pure but even given a degrease and thorough clean the E2 really didn’t like it. So it was back to JM no 2 oil. I did stop using the JM tuning slide oil and replace it with Slide O Mix rapid comfort which has transformed the trigger action. Because I’m using the trigger quite a bit - only on middle A (treble clef) though - it is working brilliantly.

    The valves have bedded in nicely and I’m starting to get a bit of sound out of it - wheezy chest and post Xmas Covid weakness aside.

  10. #20
    Willson 2900 purchased new in 1985. Only issues are a few spots where the silver plating has worn and a rattly slide brace that happened about 2 years ago and was easily fixed.

    Mike

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