"Bloke my Horn!"
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 2:23 am
Many of you may wonder who Bloke really is. There was a lengthy thread on this some time ago, and a number of people did not even believe he was a real person. There are others that may think he is a hermit who lives in a cave with 100 cans of SPAM and a shotgun, hammering out TubeNet wisdom and controversies on a Commodore Amiga while dozens of stray dogs lay at his feet.
I hate to burst your bubble, but neither is true. A few weeks ago, I sent him my new-to-me Reynolds bass trombone. This thing was a decades old beat-to-heck probably-former-school-horn that was in VERY rough condition overall, but still had "that sound." I shipped the horn out Fed-Ex ground on a Monday, with clear instructions about my limited expectations and budget. Checking online showed that the horn arrived Tuesday at its destination in Blokeville.
Late Tuesday night I received an email from J & D Sellmansberger of
Mid-South Music. The subject simply stated "The bass trombone is on its way back." My first thought was "CRAP!" (it really was - nothing truly profane). I figured he got the horn, looked it over, and decided it was just not fixable in my price range. Then I opened the email and read it. I found a very polite message stating that the horn was repaired and shipped back, and a complete description of what was done. Several pictures were even attached to this message. This was the same day the horn was received! So, I decided that either this Bloke guy is really good (and quick) or he is one heck of a con man and PhotoShop artist; a day or two would show the truth.
Thursday the horn arrived. I opened up the aged case to find an instrument that looked almost new. The slide, that once took A-Rod level steroids to move, now functioned nearly flawlessly (within the confines of the slightly worn tubes, as had been described to me), and a lot better than many new "stock" horns. As fate (or God) would have it, I received a call about an Easter gig on bass trombone around the time the horn was being shipped back. I was proud to bring this horn, both the appearance (a bright shiny 10" copper bell can be very dramatic) and the sound were well received. And, it just about covered the costs of repairs and shipping.
Kudos to Joe Sellmansberger of Mid-South Music - he is a very skilled repairman with a rapid turnaround and very reasonable rates. He is also a heck of a guy (just don't tell anyone.)
Would have posted this sooner, but my TubeNet "fast" and lack of time had prohibited adequate storytelling.
This is your bass trombone:
This is your bass trombone after Bloke:
Any questions?
I hate to burst your bubble, but neither is true. A few weeks ago, I sent him my new-to-me Reynolds bass trombone. This thing was a decades old beat-to-heck probably-former-school-horn that was in VERY rough condition overall, but still had "that sound." I shipped the horn out Fed-Ex ground on a Monday, with clear instructions about my limited expectations and budget. Checking online showed that the horn arrived Tuesday at its destination in Blokeville.
Late Tuesday night I received an email from J & D Sellmansberger of
Mid-South Music. The subject simply stated "The bass trombone is on its way back." My first thought was "CRAP!" (it really was - nothing truly profane). I figured he got the horn, looked it over, and decided it was just not fixable in my price range. Then I opened the email and read it. I found a very polite message stating that the horn was repaired and shipped back, and a complete description of what was done. Several pictures were even attached to this message. This was the same day the horn was received! So, I decided that either this Bloke guy is really good (and quick) or he is one heck of a con man and PhotoShop artist; a day or two would show the truth.
Thursday the horn arrived. I opened up the aged case to find an instrument that looked almost new. The slide, that once took A-Rod level steroids to move, now functioned nearly flawlessly (within the confines of the slightly worn tubes, as had been described to me), and a lot better than many new "stock" horns. As fate (or God) would have it, I received a call about an Easter gig on bass trombone around the time the horn was being shipped back. I was proud to bring this horn, both the appearance (a bright shiny 10" copper bell can be very dramatic) and the sound were well received. And, it just about covered the costs of repairs and shipping.
Kudos to Joe Sellmansberger of Mid-South Music - he is a very skilled repairman with a rapid turnaround and very reasonable rates. He is also a heck of a guy (just don't tell anyone.)
Would have posted this sooner, but my TubeNet "fast" and lack of time had prohibited adequate storytelling.
This is your bass trombone:
This is your bass trombone after Bloke:
Any questions?
