musicalmason

thanks man, Im done worrying. its time to go practice

__________________
Bach strad 180s ML 25 37
Bach Strad 65 vindabona raw
Callet Grand prix .470
Chicago benge L bore
warburton 3 rims
getzen capri flugel marc. 3fld

brian moon

Here is the seller's response to me:

which former member of the DSO? This horn was made in 1948 or 49, not 75 years ago. Is that the original finish? Thank you"

I spoke with the owner of the instrument and he says he was born in 1941 and received the trumpet in 1949 when he was eight years old. Prior to that another gentleman owned the horn and he was a member of the Detroit symphony. My personal opinion is that it could have been made in 1949 and this gentleman could have received it after the original owner had it for only a short while. I don't know however. The original finish is intact and it has not been replated. The valves are all original as well. Again, thanks for your interest in the Benge trumpet.


So what ELSE is not true in his ad? We will see. I think that there is no way that it has the original finish.

ZeuSter

I had a Benge 6x , an L A Benge, which was a great horn , I had it in college back in the early seventies, unfortunately it was stolen.
That horn really sizzled with a shallow lead mouthpiece, it also had a big fat sound.
As for rhdroc , I'm sorry but gloating over a good deal is the AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE , so get used to it, because it is every American's right to
the pursuit of happiness, and there is certainly something to be happy about in getting a great deal on a classic Chicago Benge , and, I don't think anybody was taken advantage of , because they got the price they were asking. So to the new owner of the vintage Chicago Benge I say --
CONGRATULATIONS !!

rhdroc

That's your opinion, ZeuSter, and you're entitled to it. I still maintain that there are many Americans who still choose to maintain a certain degree of honesty in their business dealings so I won't be any time soon.

---<Rick

__________________
Trumpets
Tulsa Calicchio 1sZ/3rL
LA Benge 2X (88XX)

Flugelhorn
Hollywood Calicchio brass flugelhorn

ZeuSter

No, it is not just my opinion , rhdroc, it is the opinion of everyone else
that has posted on this thread,and furthermore , your used car slesman analogy is way off, as far as we know musicalmason didn't haggle with the folks over the price , he paid them what they were asking. And yet your ego is so big that you come on this board and make judgements about musicalmason's morals and integrity. How condescending of you ,
maybe your attitude and remarks are reflective of the politically correct,
and tochy feely times in which we live, BUT I still say that it is a FACT that everyone enjoys getting a great deal on something they have purchased.

rhdroc

Hey ZeuSter, I've tried to be as polite as possible by giving you benefit of the doubt when I said you're entitled to your opinion. Everyone on this board is entitled to their opinion. I don't agree with it but that's OK.

I realize people enjoy getting a good deal -- that's human nature. I also realize that the seller was at fault as much as the buyer by not doing his/her homework regarding the valve of vintage Benge horns. After musicalmason said that he didn't intentionally set out to "take advantage" of the seller, I believed him. Furthermore, he sounds like a pretty nice guy and offered (what I thought to be) a compelling, honest explanation. I own an older Benge too and can appreciate how he feels about his horn.

On the other hand, I don't care if you or anyone else agrees with me!! Maybe we should just agree to disagree and let it go. However, if you want to continue calling me names and suggesting I'm better than everyone else because I have a thread of decency in my business dealings, we can go that route until they kick me off this board.

I trust you will allow me to apologize for offending the "majority" of the posters in this thread (if that's truly the case).

---<Rick

__________________
Trumpets
Tulsa Calicchio 1sZ/3rL
LA Benge 2X (88XX)

Flugelhorn
Hollywood Calicchio brass flugelhorn

ZeuSter

Rhdroc , excuse me , I believe you are the one who actually is doing the name calling, " Maybe you should call yourself slipperymason?? "

If that is not name calling I don't know what is , however on behalf of anyone who felt offended I humbly accept your apology, and will certainly
let it go .
Have a good day !

rhdroc

It's nice of you to accept my apology on behalf of all those souls I've supposedly offended. I respect that as a civil way to end this disagreement.

Enough said, enough arguing, and enough wasted time. We both have better things to do.

You have a good day too --<Rick

__________________
Trumpets
Tulsa Calicchio 1sZ/3rL
LA Benge 2X (88XX)

Flugelhorn
Hollywood Calicchio brass flugelhorn

dixiedaveb

As long as the transaction was between adults, I see no problem. Taking advantage of a kid is a different matter. With all the info on the Internet for free, it sounds like the seller didn't do their homework.
Another view might be: The horn sold new for under $200. The seller sold the horn for almost twice that amount many years later. Healthy profit.
I had a similar experience in 1980. I was looking through the Flea Market throw away newspaper for a back up horn. I see an ad for a Silver Bach--$200. I call the guy and set up an appointment.
He ordered the horn new in 1955 to play in the college marching band, went pre med, became a medical doctor and never played the horn. Still had the shop card, keys and a 7C. I told the guy that it was really worth much more. His reply was, "That's what I paid, that's what I want." Pretty cool. Yep I still got it.

My $00.02

tom turner

Hi,

I bought an absolutely incredible new, four-digit LA Benge while I was an Army Bandsman in the early '70s. Later, in the mid-70s I got out and went back to college . . . paying my way through music school by gigging six nights a week.

MY $200 MT. VERNON PURCHASE . . .
One day I was in the local music store hangin' out when someone came in wanting to sell a really nice silver Mt. Vernon Strad with a first valve trigger. He wanted $200 bucks for it but the store told him they didn't need another Bach in stock (new ones brought about $500 back then in silver).

Since the store didn't want it, I whipped out some of my "workin' musician" funny money and bought it on the spot! Original, perfect Mt. Vernon case, absolutely pristine silver 1955 Model 43 Strad . . . absolutely GORGEOUS.

I bought it for TWO reasons . . .

1. A back up to my Benge . . . for I WAS a music major and needed to make sure I'd have a back up if something happened to my Benge.

2. Let's face it . . . I'd dreamed of having a nice Mt. Vernon for YEARS!


DEFINITION: "A GOOD DEAL is when BOTH the BUYER and SELLER are happy with the price!"

I bought it for $200 . . . then sold it a couple of years later for $400. After all, as nicely constructed as it was, that particular Model 43 Mt. Vernon couldn't hold a candle to that particular Benge specimen I owned.

DID I RIP THE GUY I SOLD IT TO OFF? Naaaaah, he was overjoyed to get that Mt. Vernon for ONLY $400 and I was happy too!!!


FAST-FORWARD TO 2005 . . .
Geezzzzz . . . I wonder what kind of return the guy I sold it to would get on his $400 investment if he sold that pristine '55 on eBay today!


MY REGRETS . . . Selling that awesome Benge around 1982 . . . for enough to buy a brand new Strad to "blend" better in the brass quintet I played in. I paid about $425 for that Benge new . . . and my eager buyer in '82 wanted a brand new Benge but none of the new ones played like my nice silver '72 model. So . . . the eager buyer gave me enough cash for my '72 to pay for a brand new Strad.

Man . . . did I SCREW UP. The guy I sold my '72 Benge to . . . never would sell it back to me at any price!!!

Horns as nice as that particular Benge are few and far between. I didn't find a horn I liked better until 2000!!!

MY OTHER REGRET . . . Not buying this fabulous Burbank-era Benge C trumpet I got to play around 1982. I'd never played a C as wonderful as that one . . . and didn't find a better one until 2004!!!


Sincerely,

Tom Turner