I got lucky!

Mike Finn · Post by **Mike Finn** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 3:26 pm

So, I recently bought one of those $30 baritones off e-bay, you know, they guy had about thirty of them and they all had smushed bells... well, to make a long story short, it turns out that the photo of the item I bid on was actually the photo of one of his other horns, and instead of a smushed-bell King or Conn three valver, I got myself a real nice (smushed-bell) Olds Studio model 4 valver. It obviously needs some work, mainly the bell and a leaky lead pipe, but I think I made out pretty well with this one! The valves appear to be in good shape, and all the small tubing is fine.

Anyway, now I just need to decide what to do with it... fix it and keep it? Fix it and sell it? Just sell it and let someone else worry about it?
Whaddya think? WWTNFJD?
MF

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 3:56 pm

Looks to me like if you find someone with a bell that fits (any old bandroom 3-holer'd do... ) all ya gotta do is knock out a few dents and fix the leadpipe. What's the problem!? Then, even if you never find anything productive to do with it, what'd it cost you? Besides, I'm sure Joe could make a tbone or worse out of it!

(I love it: WWTNFJD? We need stickers to put on the back of our cars!)

ThomasDodd · Post by **ThomasDodd** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 4:18 pm

I've got a bell and lead pipe for it. Even a few valve buttons. I'll take it as is. It'd be nice to have a 4 banger instead of a 3. Unusual to find a 4v horn that's not top valved.

trseaman · Post by **trseaman** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 4:23 pm

Hidden gems can be found on Ebay! I found this horn a few months ago with a $250 BIN and took a chance... But I think it paid off! It cleaned up nicely and only needed a few minor repairs. The only issue I have is that it plays flat. I seem to be collecting a bunch of old "flat" instruments so rather than cut my horns, I'm going to search for a band that will tune to me!!!

Are there union dues for WWTNFJD???

Tim

TubaRay · Post by **TubaRay** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 4:39 pm

Mike Finn wrote:WWTNFJD?

I think this is destined for the TubeNet Hall of Fame.

Mike Finn · Post by **Mike Finn** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 6:53 pm

trseaman wrote:Hidden gems can be found on Ebay!

...and this one was really hidden, here's a pic of what I though I was getting:

Needless to say, I was pleasantly suprised when I opened that package! Instead of a beater for the kids at school, I've got a nice little horn that I believe I'll be keeping for myself.

MF
p.s. I want residuals from the sales of, ummm, items bearing the WWTNFJD logo!

trseaman · Post by **trseaman** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 7:01 pm

Mike Finn wrote:
trseaman wrote:Hidden gems can be found on Ebay!

...and this one was really hidden, here's a pic of what I though I was getting:

So that was a reverse bait & switch???!!! I like that idea too!

Keep em' coming Mike!

Tim

Mike Finn · Post by **Mike Finn** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 7:08 pm

Richard Brown wrote:Hi Mike,

I also recently won a bid(probably from the same seller-is he in Michigan?) on what was advertised as a Besson Baritone. On closer inspection, this actually turns out to be a Besson 3V compensating bell-front euphonium...

Hi Richard, I saw that one too, but didn't bother bidding because I figured it would go out of my range for my intended purpose. (Beater horn for school kids). Looks like you got a great deal too, and your bell isn't even smushed!

That's the same guy all right, the return label on the shipping box said it came from a Recycling center, what are the odds that some band director just sold a bunch of these horns for the value of the brass? I'm glad our friend "davee814" had the good sense to put 'em all up on auction.

I've already arranged to ship it off to our very own Village Tinker, and will post pics of it when all is said and done. Does anyone know if they made upright bells for these things? (Not that it really matters). Now I've got an Olds Tuba, an Olds Bass Trombone (P22 George Roberts!!!) and a nifty little Olds Studio "Professional" (it says so on the bell) Baritone.

Mike

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:39 pm

I bought several King tubas from this fellow and drove up to get them two weeks ago. Darned near got caught in one of those blasted Michigan blizzards! They've got semi-loads of all kinds of musical instruments. Probably the remains of a very large rental program. (maybe Brooks-Mays??) I can't imagine them knowing exactly what's there. The King tubas I bought were tagged from some music store in Texas.

LoyalTubist · Post by **LoyalTubist** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:24 am

When I moved to Indonesia, my contrabass trombone was precariously placed at the top of some crates in a cargo plane as it came here. The bell looked just like what you saw at the beginning. Since I didn't pay that much for the horn to begin with, I sent the bone to a local musical instrument shop in Jakarta (all musical instrument stores in Indonesia also sell sports equipment.) It wasn't perfect and they did use an awful lot of solder, but it played fine. Keep the horn. If you are ever in Jakarta, I know a place that will repair it in three days for about forty bucks!

Mike Finn · Post by **Mike Finn** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 11:59 pm

So far so good:

Dan's got the bell straightened out, and cleaned up some old sloppy repairs... this is going to be a sweet little horn when he's through with it!

After following his work here and on his site http://www.thevillagetinker.com/ (lot's of great pics, especially the Marzan) I know I shouldn't be suprised, but I really didn't think it would turn out half as good as it looks now, and he's only half done! (Take a look at the first pic in the thread, to see what this thing looked like when it first showed up on my doorstep.)

MF

MaryAnn · Post by **MaryAnn** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:18 pm

I just wonder if some fellow who bid on *this* horn got the *other* horn that you bid on, and is raising Cain about it.

At the very least, there should be T shirts available with WWTNFJD? on them. And it's short enough to go on a custom license plate....

MA

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:01 pm

Shipped it back to you today, Mike. Unless UPS destroys or loses it, you should have it back by Tuesday.

Mike Finn · Post by **Mike Finn** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:45 pm

MaryAnn wrote:I just wonder if some fellow who bid on *this* horn got the *other* horn that you bid on, and is raising Cain about it.

MA

Fortunately, this was just a case of him posting the same picture for two different auctions, rather than swapping photos. This horn was not pictured in any of his auctions that week.

I can enjoy my new baritone guilt-free.

MF

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:22 pm

Mike Finn wrote:I can enjoy my new baritone guilt-free

How can anyone "enjoy" a baritone guilt-free!?

TubeNet

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