mheffernen5

I found something beautiful on Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

My problem is that I have no clue what Holton MF Admiral Model this is. All I found out was that it is not recent because of armado spit keys. Any guesses?

Thanks, Molly :)

MUSICandCHARACTER

Does anyone know? The current MF Horns by Holton have tradition water keys and the Holton emblem on the cross brace, not on the bell.

Anyone know if this is an earlier version? If so, were the water keys replaced? Does the emblem on the bell do anything to the sound?

Questions, questions.

Jim

dcstep

I don't know my Holtons, but isn't that a large-bore horn? Molly, if it is indeed a large-bore horn, then I'm concerned about it being appropriate for you. I really think that you should stick with a ml horn.

Still, it's a good looker.

Dave

gzent

Molly,

That's a good question. Holton made several horns that looked very much alike and all had MF and the emblem on the bell. For example, I bought an MF Admiral for my daughter a couple years ago that looks much like the one on ebay. Its the lower end model, medium bore with normal spit valves. Its a great horn for her, but is not the same as the top of the line "MF", large bore pro horns.

I'd suggest more research for sure...

Greg

trickg

A friend of mine had one of those when I was in high school in the late 1980s and although it was a big horn, it was also a decent sounding horn. It was too much for my friend though. He just didn't have the chops to fuel it. This horn has a big sound and works really well in a big band situation. If you can get it for a good price, go ahead and dance with it for a while.

dcstep

I'm not sure, but I think this may be Molly's first pro horn. In that case, I'd NOT suggest buying a large bore trumpet on a lark. She needs to find a horn that is very likely to work and carry her until college, at least. I'm afraid this could be a BIG mistake. At this stage of her development, I'm guessing that a ml horn will fit the bill best.

Dave

MUSICandCHARACTER

Dave,

Too much horn may be a big mistake, but the bore only has some part in that. If the horn is very open, takes a lot of wind and chops, it could be a problem. But even large bore horns can be stuffy. The leadpipe, the bore step, the weight and many other things come into play.

This series was made by Holton to provide a artist level horn with professional qualities at a reasonable price.

I like what trickg said:
If the horn is too much horn you can turn around and sell again on eBay and usually get your money back. But my guess is that it isn't. Sure if it is an open large bore horn and Molly jumps to a 1C mouthpiece, it might take a couple months to build up to it. But if it is a good slotting, with a reasonable amount of resistance large bore (I think it might be an ML bore) and she plays 3C mouthpiece with a little resistance in the backbore, the sound may really open up for her.

Jim

dcstep

Jim, I don't think Molly is a wheeler-dealer, nor an experienced Ebayer, so I'd suggest her not buy anything on a lark. By the time you add up EBay fees and expose yourself to crafty buyers, her parents could be out $100 for nothing and she would still not have a suitable trumpet.

Now, it may be that this horn is an ml (there's discussion to that affect here and on TH). In that case, I'd say "go for it."

I know that you can know the "blow" of a horn just by its dimensions at the 2d valve; however, I'd say, why even mess with a large measuring horn when there are so many known horns available that we know will work for her?

Dave

mheffernen5

I am so confused that I am seriously praying for a Yamaha Allegro...I have seen many forums on people comparing them to a Bach Strad. I have seen a B & S Challenger, and two Holtons, and I even let an Allegro get right by me. I will pray and watch E-bay but I am not sure what God is saying.

Tootsall

Molly, PLEASE, for your own sake? Get out there and beg/borrow/ste... no, don't steal.. beg harder. And try a whole mess of different horns. Teachers, local players, older students.... get some "chop time" on them and find out what works best FOR YOU. See if there is any way to get yourself to a shop where there is some inventory, used OR new. THEN eliminate what doesn't work and start looking. Honestly... it's the only way. Stop beating yourself up trying to "divine" the magic horn. When you find the right horn/model/brand, trust me... you'll know.