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Hi everyone,

Been a while since I posted here --- I have become slightly interested in buying a serpent, and I could have sworn that I could buy a serpent from one of the major discount companies (ie like Wessex, Mack, Packer, Eastman) but I guess I was just mistaken, I couldn't find a serpent in these companies

Does anyone have any input as to where I could find a serpent to purchase? Are there any companies that make new serpents (such as how you can get new ophicleides from wessex)?

Thanks

Michael

Send an e-mail to Mark @ Mr. Tuba. He may know, if any one does in Europe. https://www.mrtuba.com/

The Brass Ark, which is near the Horn Guys in the L.A. area, is selling the beautiful Pierre Ribo models.

http://www.brassark.com/new.html

Don't know if you have explored using a 3d printer to make one. Files are available to do this. It involves significant printer time but can be very cost effective. $189 for a good inexpensive printer, a couple spools of PLA plastic and you can make a pretty decent serpent for less than $300. Serpents made in the traditional manner are really expensive.

You can 3D print one pretty cheeply.

Yep, you can do it real cheap. When I say less than $300, that includes the cost of a printer. A couple spools of PLA plastic is around $40, it will require some sandpaper and glue, (I recommend super glue ultragel), and maybe paint or something else to put on a finish if desired. Not counting the printer you might come in less than $100 actual materials for making the serpent-- plus buying a printer would mean you'd have one to use for all kinds of projects. Playing around with a 3D printer is fun and useful.

So why doesn't someone buy the printer, start cranking these out and selling them for $175-200? I just might have to buy one of those, not having the room, the tech know-how nor the time to do it myself.

Watch the video linked on serpentwebsite. There is plenty of fiddly hand work after the 3d printer does its wizardry; I doubt anyone would sell so cheap given the time and labor involved.

OK. How about $100 for materials, $100 for labor and $100 profit = $300 sale price, then? Whatever makes sense. I just think that there'd be a market for decent serpents for <$500.

There’s already somebody doing this for smaller, presumably easier to make cornetti, here’s what he charges: https://cornetti.3dmusicinstruments.com ... elist.html

I can tell you I wouldn't be interested in doing this for someone else for the aforementioned reason, it is indeed too time consuming. It's about 230 hrs of print time plus assembly for a standard serpent.
Buying, setting up and learning to use a printer is really not that difficult if a person is diligent and follows process. I'm not tech-savvy, my computer is ancient, I don't even own a smart phone, and yet I figured it out. I use an Ender 3 printer, they include good functional software. I've done a bunch of printing for myself including 5 serpents in various sizes, a baroque oboe, a rackett, even some bits for my car roof rack.