JRFIII

All,

thanks for the help.

I will not use that particular "N" word on the forum again.

"Pard" is another slang term sometimes heard in the reeenactment community when someone has acheived a level of authenticity in their period impression that makes them a "partenr" or "pardner."

I guess part of my frustration came through in that I would like to be fully authentic, but that takes quite an investment and some time. In the meantime, when when someone is trying to acquire and become part of such a community one runs into all sorts of people that can make it very frustrating by taking a very snobbish view towards new members. Perhaps these individuals were independently wealthy and could acquire everything they needed right from the get go and think everyone else should be in the same situation, or they have forgotten their own path towards being more fully authentic. In the few months I've been doing this I've already seen many people drop out after a short time because of people that seem to be too strident. Please accept my apology to those I offended.

I will check out horn-u-copia again. I'm new to that site as well and am finding it sometimes difficult to navigate. But I trust that if you say those examples are there, that they are. I'll just have to put in more time.

Jim

screamingmorris

I share your frustration.

I am on a limited income so I really cannot afford any instrument that costs more than $200-$300.
And I can only afford *1* instrument, so I have to sell one to get another.
On my come-back 6 years ago after a 30-year hiatus I started with a beat-up Getzen 300 that was falling apart.
Moved up to a good-condition Conn Director 14B.
Tried some student-level Bachs and Yamahas.
Then I traded up from a Conn Director 14B to a 1970 Conn Victor 22A that some middle school students had greatly abused.
Now I have a 1962 Conn 5A cornet that I got at a very good Buy It Now price of only $165 plus $16 shipping.

Each step of the way I have up-graded to a better instrument, and each step of the way I have heard my tone *dramatically* improve because I was using a better-quality instrument.

But I have now reached the limits of what my budget can afford.

The tone I want is out there if I had $500 to spend on a better-quality instrument, like an Olds Super or a Conn Connstellation,
but I simply cannot afford to spend that kind of money on my limited income.
So I see people posting their lists of instruments, with some individuals boasting that they have *several* Martin Committees, when I cannot even afford *one* Olds Super or Conn Connstellation.

It *is* frustrating.
But I just have to keep reminding myself to be grateful to God for the Conn 5A that God *has* provided for me.
Because it sure beats the Conn Director 14B that I had a couple of years ago.

So I share your frustration.

Oy... I hope I don't sound like Bill "I feel your pain" Clinton

- Morris, owner of a beat-up 1996 Toyota Tercel, but I drive by some pedestrians who don't have a car at all, so I am grateful

Dale Proctor

Hi Jim, hope we didn't get started off on the wrong foot. Here's a quick history of our little Civil War band. We were originally a brass quintet with percussion. About 17 years ago, a string band hired to play at a local reenactment cancelled at the last minute. One of our quintet members was a reenactor, too, and the organizers asked if he knew of a band they could get on the spur of the moment. He volunteered us.....we showed up at the site, changed into some loaner uniforms, and played the 9 or 10 Civil War charts we had on our modern instruments. It was a hit, and we decided to persue it further. We aquired some old state trooper pants and white colonial-style shirts that had been used as costumes in a loal musical production. We played a number of jobs with those outfits and modern horns (and added another drum). Now, that was farby for sure. We played cheap, but not for free, and pooled the money we made from those gigs and eventually bought real coats, pants, hats, shoes, shirts, etc. We played on modern instruments for years, though. One of the members (the reenactor) decided to collect old horns, and became friends with Mark Elrod, who is a great source of information. He (our guy, not Mark) owns all the cornets in the picture I posted, except for mine. In fact, he owns all the brass instruments the band plays but mine. We eventually earned enough to buy other uniform parts, so we can portray blue, gray, or civilian bands. Two of the guys have researched the music quite extensively and sell arrangements of hundreds of period songs. We also pooled earnings to record and produce 3 CD's so far, with a 4th in the can right now.

Anyway, we were lucky to start when those instruments were still reasonably priced. I posted that "history" to possibly give you some ideas to get your group off the ground. It took us years to get where we are with this, and none of us would have envisioned the minor success we've had with it. Good luck with your group. PM me if you want to ask any questions - I'll be happy to answer them if I can.

JRFIII

Dale and Morris,

Again thanks for your posts.

I too should apologize for getting my ire up a bit.

I like the picture of yoru group, Dale. When I can I will scan in a recent pic of my group based in NJ, "Beck's Band." We played at the Union Leage in Philly the wekend of Lincoln't birtchday, a parade in Philly on his birthday, and recently at a fundraiser for the Pennsylvania monuments in Gettysburg at the state rotunda in harrisburg.

Beck's Band ranges from 12 to 18 players, all brass with the exception of the two flute/piccolo or fife players that occaisionally sit in. (And percussion.) About two thirds of this group have actual period instruments. Most of the cornet section have cornets from the 1880s through 1917. It is a lot of fun.

If I hadn't joined this group I wouldn't have bought my mystery cornet, and fallen in love with the tone.

I started off in 4th grade on a Besson cornet, that I later sold to a younger friend so I could buy my Getzen Severinson back in the early 70's in high school. Wish I had it back now, but am very happy with my bargain horn.

So I play my Getzen in my community band (sixty piece group) most of the time, but now whenever a part is for cornet instead of trumpet I bring out my cornet. All the guys and gals in that trumpet section have commented on how rich my mystery horn sounds.

Between work and practices I promise I will get pics of the cornet and from Beck's band posted sometime this week.

I appreciate the dialogue and getting to know you guys.

By the way, my old 93 toyota camry just died last year after 180k miles... I know where you are coming from. I'm grateful for what I have, as are you.

Jim

Dale Proctor

Hey Morris, that's a healthy way to look at it. And, a 5A is a pretty good cornet - you could do a lot worse. I guess it's all relative, isn't it? I have a few pretty good horns, but they're still just Bach Strads, which are dirt to some people. And I've had to sell horns to buy others, too. I needed a good cornet for brass band - the Olds Ambassador I had just wasn't getting the job done. The solution was to sell my Bach Mt. Vernon trumpet (which I found cheap at a junk auction) to buy one, the Bach 184 I torment everyone with pics of. I got a really good price for the MV on eBay, and then ran across the used 184 shortly afterward. I thanked God for my good fortune in that turn of events, and even had a little money left to put in my daughter's college fund. Now, if I could get her to finish college......

screamingmorris

I cleaned my Conn 5A for the first time this morning.
When it came time to put it back together I suddenly realized that I wasn't sure where all the strange slides went. (If I remember right, there were *5* slides, and I was surprised at that number.)
Turns out that only the back 2 are interchangeable, and I think the one with the slightly longer leg on the bottom side technically belongs under the right hand, because the part it fits into is slightly longer, too. So the one with both legs the same length apparently goes on the back left side.

I have complained that the Conn 5A sounds too "Teutonic", but I am discovering that it can sound prettier if I ease up on it.
But I still have trouble slurring passages in "I can't get started" because the extra-large bore gives me less control, so I have to legato tongue those passages now.

When I give it lots of air but without blasting I can feel very strong vibrations throughout the instrument, like it is giving me a strong "cat's purr" sensation through my hands.
Never had that on other instruments; it's kinda nice.

It is definitely more work than a smaller bore cornet, but my wife claims that she much prefers the rich tone she hears from the extra-large-bore Conn 5A.

"I feel your pain"

My daughter will be taking 6 years full-time study to get her BA because she keeps taking things that are "fun" that don't count towards graduation requirements (such as an entire school year in Mexico).
She is using student loans and scholarships to pay for it.
How will she pay off the student loans after she graduates?
Instead of using her first job income to get an apartment, she'll have to live at home (*my* *little* 1,100 square foot retirement home) and use her first job income to make student loan payments.
My only hope is that she will marry rich.
But considering the weirdos she has dated the last 6 years, there's really not much chance of that...

- Morris

screamingmorris

You didn't tell us which one is Dale Proctor.

PS - the person in the back row, second from the left, looks like my wife since menopause hit a couple of years ago

-Morris, 52 year old spring chicken

Dale Proctor

I'm the guy seated on the far right. I've got you beat - I'm 55 and feeling about 75. My hair and beard are more gray than when that pic was taken (about 5 years ago). Here's a recent one of me in "action".....



Sorry for the thread hijack, Jim - we're just getting silly.

screamingmorris

I notice the music in your lyre.

I hate it when you professionals show off by playing stuff faster than quarter notes.

I can't even sing anything faster than quarter notes.

- Morris

Dale Proctor

Don't sell yourself short - those are only 16th and 32nd notes on that page.....fun stuff on a 140 year-old rotary valve cornet .