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Hi folks:

Please be on the look out for a hot-horn, which was stolen from my car in Akron, Ohio.

The horn is a Hirsbrunner Euphonium (about seven years old, tho quite a bit of miles on it). I don't have the serial number with me (as I am in Ohio for the holidays), but do have the info in Texas which I can confirm early next week.

If anyone has any information, leads, or (especially) suggestions on recovering stolen instruments - please let me know.

Please e-mail me at the address below, as I don't regularly check this site:

TWScott283@hotmail.com.

Wish me luck!

Travis

I answered "yes", but it wasn't a tuba that was stolen. I'd played a gig with a grad student trumpet player in Austin, and we had gone to dinner after the gig in my car. Thieves smashed one of my windows and stole his Bb trumpet plus the C trumpet that he had borrowed from UT-Austin. My tubas were also in the car, and were not taken.

The chances of recovery are slim, of course, but better with a tuba than with a trumpet. (I secretly wanted to be a fly on the wall when the new beginner showed up to the mariachi rehearsal in Austin, only to discover that none of the notes sounded the same on the trumpet he bought from the friend of the friend who had "connections.")

I have my instruments insured against such loss, and that's about the best I can do to protect myself other than routine common sense prevention. But nothing can recover the sense of violation that comes with being robbed.

Rick "sympathizing" Denney

I'll keep a look out up here.....and yes, that sucks.

More descriptive info on my horn:

Lots of small dings, the bell had some new creases courtesy of American Airlines. The lead pipe had been fixed after being bent, and there are small hammer marks over it. The brace where the RH thumb goes, had been worn down to the brass (and actually I had a metal piece welded over a small hole that had developed). On the tube that wraps around close to the bell (probably three feet into the horn, starting at the bell), there was a small part where the finish had been taken off (after a chemical cleaning).

It is silver, four valves, compensating. I believe it was their "Exclusive" model. The attachable mouthpiece receiver was the bass-trombone shank. Unusually large bell, I believe 12.5".

I had two mouthpieces in the case: SM4 and BB1.

There sure is a big part of my heart missing tonight. That was my first horn - lots of fantastic experiences on it. And it really burns, because it was my own damn fault!

Yes, it was insured with a rider for 7 grand - of course it's a waltz with the insurance company to get them to cover a new horn (in the process now - please say a prayer if you have any connections upstairs). However, regardless of the insurance - as we all know - a familiar and enjoyed instrument is priceless.

Please please please use me as an example: Don't leave your horns visibly in your car folks!!! Especially in the current state of this country!

TWS

the elephant wrote:If I have a two-horn gig I just do not go out afterwards; no matter how you slice it, lugging two tubas sucks.

I do the same as you, but don't feel bad, the flip side is even uglier. How many times have we seen the panic on the face of a person who walked out and forgot to take their axe with them?

Have you called places like CIC, Taylor B&O and the Bargain Basement to have them contact you if someone tries to sell them your horn?
I'm in Westlake, but we're keeping an eye out for your horn.

As promised here is the serial number:

Serial Number: 99269; Hirsbrunner Exclusive Model.