Heavens2kadonka

Because of a confrontation with a band director, I have decided to undertake a little project. I will make a small booklet, showing what you can do with a grand in the trumpet world. Everyone's opinion/links/emails/pms/etc. will do much to help me out.

I am going to do a section on Frankenhorning, an art that is overlooked, in my opinion. I am wondering if anyone would know how much the trumpet makers (Most of them) would charge for just a valve block?

Van

trickg

If I had $1000 to put toward a Frankenhorn, I could come up with something pretty danged decent, I'm sure.

Your best bet in my opinion would be to find what appears to be a beater Bach - it can have some minor problems, but shouldn't have anything major wrong with it. A good example would be an old lacquered Bach ML 37 with frozen slides, maybe a stuck valve, a nice crease in the bell....that sort of thing. It doesn't play and it looks like hell, so the price should be pretty good. Pick it up for as dirt cheap as possible.

Then find a good leadpipe - Pilczuk, Blackburn, whatever.
Then, find a good repair tech, have him get the horn in good working order - lap the valves, free up the slides, remove all dents, mount the new leadpipe, maybe have him adjust the braces, etc.

Then send it off to be stripped and plated. You'd be cutting it pretty close to the $1000 mark, but I'll bet it could be done and it would be a decent player too.

Heavens2kadonka

(Including shipping)

Find a horn on ebay "For Parts," - 20 dollars to maybe 150.

A Blackburn leadpipe, 210

A Bell, a good Strad bell goes for around 150.


Im now thinking a valve block new would be quite expensive, seeing as you'd have to deal directly with the dealer....

Van

MUSICandCHARACTER

Contact Allied or Kanstul. Ask them what a valve block costs. Better yet, get a certified repair person to call. They might be a little pricey -- but you would have new valves. Get the bell and leadpipe you want.

Hey it could be fun. I know several people who play "Frankenhorns." Parts and horns for parts are sold on eBay all the time. Any good repair shop has stuff sitting around usually.

Be creative.

Jim

Manny Laureano

Van,

We're curious... what was the confrontation about, if you can say?

ML

Heavens2kadonka

Mr. Laureano,

I had been telling my students that if they wanted a trumpet, not to order it from WWBW, or buy from the local store (which has nothing). I told them that I knew some very personable dealers online that would get you a great horn at a very reasonable price.

The band director at the school I teach came up to me about two weeks ago, saying something to the effect of "I shouldn't fill my students' heads with this hogwash." He said that for $1050, a B&S Intermediate is the best that can be got, essentially stating that I was a moron for thinking otherwise. It didn't help that he started this little confrontation by telling me that my Olds Ambassador that I am loaning to a student was "A piece of junk." It also doesn't help that he's a euphonium player.

I'm still bristling thinking about it.

I may be only 18 years old, just really taking off the training wheels out in the big scary world. He may be a 43 year old band director with a Masters degree, and years of experience on the road, with directing and performing experience out of his ears. However, I just don't think the man is correct in assuming what comes out of the WWBW catalogue is the absolute best deal available.

Thats why I have to create this booklet. I cannot stand for people like that to push young players into the horns that are immediately available, when they could have done better.

Why just do something when it can be done better? Isn't that the whole ideal behind music?

Van

Heavens2kadonka

So anyway, Here is how I am thinking of presenting it.

Title Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
Section 1: Popular Myths
Section 2: New Horns
Section 3: Used Horns
Section 4: Frankenhorns
Section 5: Ebay
Conclusion

I plan on also including pictures of the horns I am talking about, so this is not going to be just a bunch of text.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Am I missing anything?

Van

student trumpet

Have a list of prices the same type of trumpets
New at local music store
WWBW
Used
Franken

A degree doesn't mean a thing, what matters is if you can teach or not.

Heavens2kadonka

Y'know, I'm actually thinking about putting the horns according to price range, though I'm thinking that may be a bit harder to follow along when reading.

Van

blutch

THIS DOES NOT COMPUTE (said in robot voice)

A euphonium player with years of road experience? Give me a break.

Q. You know how you get a professional Euphoniumist off your front porch?

A. Pay for the pizza.

I got a million of them.

MA