| This past year, I had 5 of my horns restored/overhauled. The first two were my Boston 3-Star cornets. One is an 1887 vintage and the other is a chipper 1904. I sent them to Leigh McKinney, who did a spectacular job on them and returned them to me in about 6 weeks total time. The 1887 had a sever injury - torn bell lip and wire, but Leigh performed magic and fixed things right up. I had him replate the 1887 in silver and the 1904 in gold. I even built special box racks for them and they sit proudly on the family room wall looking spectacular and in easy reach when I have the urge to play.
Next, I sent a pair of Olds Recordings (a 1955 cornet and a 1968 trumpet) to Charlie Melk for dent removal, sanding out pitting and relaquering. Again, in about 4 weeks, the horns returned, looking as good as they probably did new, playing beautifully, and finding a new home in a frame I built for the parlor wall and always in handy reach when the urge strikes me.
Finally, I just picked up my 1954 Olds Ambassador cornet which had its bell replace with a new Yamaha shepherds crook bell. I delivered this horn to Larry Mizell in Hagerstown, Maryland, and he plated the whole horn in silver with gold on the tuning slides, finger buttons, and top/bottom caps. He also overhauled the horn. Now it looks just a sweet and sassy as it plays, and hangs next to my bed so I can play it while getting ready for work in the mornings.
The Olds restorations each cost about $400 and the Bostons cost about $600 and $900, for the extra metal and valve work and for plating to gold. Yup, this adds up to some serious change, but I have no regrets on giving these beauties a new lease on life.
Were these restoration jobs worth it? From a strictly financial point of view, I thing the Bostons now are worth more than I have invested in them, the Recordings are a break-even, and the Ambassador would probably loose me money. But I think these are all spectacular players and getting them to look as good as they play was worth it.
Sadly, I only have one more horn to restore right now - a 1947 Conn 48B Vocabell, but I can't decide how to refinish it. It was just lacquer, but now is mostly raw brass. I think silver would be more in line with its art deco lines, however, i am really liking gold these days. Any suggestions?
- Paul Artola
Ellicott City, Maryland |