| Re: Old horns
Welcome Chuck!
From what I understand, red rot usually destroys the leadpipe and tuning slide first. You can get a new lead pipe installed for 125 bucks, Bach leadpipes are pretty common and copies are everywhere. Tuning slides are on ebay all the time. Worse case on the valves is if they need rebuilt by Andersons through your local 'competent' shop, will cost 250 bucks. These three costs are a third of what Strads go for on ebay, old and used and who really knows what they need? I don't think your valves need rebuilt or you would have been complaining of stuffy sounding and hard to blow. I have had luck having them polished and doing a daily wiping and apply a couple drops of oil and rubbing in with the fingers. After a month of this daily, they will get much more responsive. You might also do well to get new springs and such installed. Just my thoughts, you alreadu have a horn many seek, it may cost a few hundred to bring it completely back, but the value is there. Also from what I gather, not much on a trumpet is 'beyond repair', I even heard of someone rebuilding a Benge that had been flattened for a wall hanging..........
Ken |