longevity

[David Richoux]

I still have my Olds 99 3 banger I bought "like" new in 1975. It was a "freight damage" horn but was fixed up to new condition by Best Repair in Oakland. I was the first owner.

Does that count?

I still use it for practice every once in a while. Not my favorite, but I can't seem to part with it.

[TubaBobH]

I bought my King 1241 in the summer of 1972. It was the summer between my freshman and sophomore year in college. I was 19. You can do the math - I will have owned that tuba 40 years this summer (and I am now 59). I love that tuba as much now as I did 40 years ago, and maybe even more so. I still receive numerous compliments on its sound and its spot on intonation. It is a great all around medium bore 4/4 BBb tuba that can more than hold its own against any other 4/4 BBb tuba I have played with over the years. I have used it with great success supporting a 60 piece wind ensemble, as the principal tuba in a University Orchestra, in brass quintets and Dixieland Bands.

[iiipopes]

If inheritance counts, I have my uncle's King Silvertone cornet purchased new in the late '40's. It's been relacquered once, about 35 years ago. My uncle played a Blessing 13 mouthpiece, so a few years ago I surfed the net and picked up contemporary King M1 and MC mouthpieces for it. I would have my dad's King Super 20 trumpet (see my signature), which was also purchased new, in the early '50's, but for it being stolen from me in college. It was overhauled and silverplated in the late '70's.

[eupher61]

PT-10 5 valve F tuba bought early November 1984, received Thanksgiving Day. I've had a few other things over the years, but since 1989 that's been what I play most everything on, aside from the few times I took the other horns for fun, or used the souzie or helicon.

"the dent" happened October 1985.

[The Big Ben]

I have had a Selmer K-Modified Lightweight 24B Bb trumpet since 1970. I was in the 9th grade and my Dad worked a bunch of extra shifts and bought it for me as a surprise. (It's from 1964) I had it relacquered about 20 years ago. It was over buffed and ill-prepared but plays great. "One of these years" I'm gonna put it in the queue at Dan O's. In the meantime, I'll play it frequently.

[Mark E. Chachich]

Alexander 163 CC
1975
I have used it for just about every type of music from quintet to symphony orchestra.

Mark

[Jack Tilbury]

My parents bought me a brand new Meinl Weston Model 32 in the fall of 1968 when I was a sophomore in college. I auditioned for the Army Band on that horn and used it in the Army Brass Quintet for about 10 years. After that I used an army horn for the rest of my 33-year career, but kept the MW. I'm still playing it today.

[jeopardymaster]

I got my 184-5U new in December 1974, picked out for me by Jim Self. It's taken too much abuse, all undeserved. Dan Schultz de-dented it a few years ago and now, although it looks its age, it's in great playing and very good cosmetic condition. A stellar solo and quintet horn. It was my sole all-around instrument for quite a while, and it has served me nobly in all kinds of ensembles and venues. I briefly considered selling it, but decided that would be like undergoing elective amputation. It'll make some other player very happy as well someday, but so long as I remain compos mentis it stays with me.

[alfredr]

No tubas that I bought new, but I have several horns that have been in the family a while. My father's mellophone, York, I think, my mother's trumpet, a Martin, and a baritone that belonged to a cousin of my father, American Standard in satin silver. I think it is a beautiful horn. All three of them, Mother, Father and cousin were born in the '20s so they would have had these horns in high school in the late '30s to early '40s. I don't know that any were bought new considering that would have been in the depression.

alfredr who has stopped collecting horns. Really. The marching baritone last fall doesn't count. I told you not to count it.