I'm considering sending a horn for a complete overhaul and having it made really nice. I'm on the West coast, so my choices seem to be Oberloh in Seattle or Klassen in Springfield, OR. Strangely enough, I have not found a reputable shop in Portland. Are there fellow TMers who can give me some info or relate personal experiences on these shops? They both seem pretty serious. I was also considering Steve Epperson (Lowkeymusic) out in SC and ship the horn over there because of the attractive price. Any feedback on that outfhit?
All info will be greatly appreciated.

If you're shipping the horn anyway, I'll vote for Southeastern Musical services in Alabama. They recently restored this '62 Conn 5A for me, and did some custom work on it, too (copper plated the bell).

Before and after


In sunlight

Robb Stewart's on the West Coast, as is Dick Akright. Depending on what horn you're considering having redone, Kanstul might also be an option. There are also a couple of outfits in SoCal I've heard good things about, but with which I have no personal experience - so I'll let their fans chime in.
Or you could broaden your horizons to include Mark Metzler, Charlie Melk, and even the guys on the Wrong Coast. Shipping's only a minor part of what a restoration will cost you. Pick someone who knows your brand well and has a good track record - all these guys are capable of doing excellent work on just about anything, but there are still some brand/restorer combinations that just seem to stand out.

Thanks for the input guys. I'll check these out. Dale, stop that picture thing, I'm drooling all over the keyboard...
Reason I was considering these 2 was because it is within a reasonable light airplane hop and could be combined with a little cross-country flight instead of shipping. I will, however, use the best quality vs price shop I can find, so I'll ship it if I have to. I'm trying to stay away from Charlie Melk, who might be one of the very best but is mighty expensive, with long turn around times. The horn was a decent deal, I did not pay that much for it.

It is a Selmer radial, in decent playable condition but I would like it to look perfect and have the valves back to their legendary quality. The 3rd valve has an imprint of a port on the surface, suggesting it might have been stuck for a while, it needs to be well oiled to function adequately. The horn sounds really nice though, and I am willing to believe I will never need another Bb trumpet if I restore that one to mint.

I had one of my Bb Radials (THE one I bought new in 1971) redone by Bill Meyer at St Louis Woodwind and Brass. Great work, beyond reproach, even if he's not talked about as much as the other guys.

Here's a before:



And some afters:





and with its matching C Radial:



The valves were redone as well (plated by Anderson and fitted by Bill). They're phenomenal. Good luck finding someone.

Forrest, I just about made a mess of my pants looking at these horns. I like the fixed 3rd valve ring, I think I'll have that done too. I'll try to find out about Bill Meyer. Thanks. Gorgeous horns, really.

Originally Posted by Phil986

I'm trying to stay away from Charlie Melk, who might be one of the very best but is mighty expensive, with long turn around times.

How much do the other shops mentioned charge? I see rough estimates on Charlie's web site as well as Dr. Valve, but one a few others I visited there is no indication of how expensive it would be.

If you gotta ask...

Charlie's Brass Works - Specializing in Professional Brass Instrument Customization, Repair and Refinishing

Hi,
I have had several instruments serviced through the Melk shop. I found the quality of work, turnaround time and costs to be excellent.
Cheers,
Brian