A Cynical Joke?

[Randy Beschorner]

Found this eBay listing for a "School Approved" Schill euphonium. Yep, the brand name is Schill.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 55852&rd=1

(Auction # 3741055852)

[TubaTinker]

Found this eBay listing for a "School Approved" Schill euphonium. Yep, the brand name is Schill.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 55852&rd=1

(Auction # 3741055852)

"School Approved" indeed!! I emailed an Ebay seller to let him know that the sousa he posted as a BBb horn was actually an Eb horn. He countered by letting me know in no uncertain terms that he had the horn played by a school band director and he said it was a BBb. This was a Conn Pan-American with the dummy pipe over the shoulder.... clearly an Eb horn but I guess the 'band director' had to be right!

[musician]

Dan, the longer you have anything to do with band directors the more you will find they know everything about every horn ever made. They know everything and the accounts payable people never make a mistake. That's the school band business. Don't fight it, you can't win. You may be right, but then the band director or accounts payable folks get their feelings hurt and they quit doing business with you. Just accept their "stupidity" as one more example of entertainment.

[Doc]

I've thought about purchasing one of these ebay euphs for my 7 year old son so he can have something to play that is his size, and it's not very expensive - good for my wallet, and good if it gets torn up (not that it would). I've looked at these, and even some of the 4v rotary euph/bari/things. Better sense keeps me from getting one, but my wallet keeps me from getting something used that is of better quality. He loves to play my conn 20J, but he can't handle it by himself. Hey Dan and David, any help/ideas for me in this area?

Doc

[Chuck(G)]

Does MENC have standards for baritone construction as the ad claims? I know there's an old OOP one for strings, but I'm not familiar with the one for winds...

[bloke]

Does MENC have standards for baritone construction as the ad claims? I know there's an old OOP one for strings, but I'm not familiar with the one for winds...

I pay any attention to it, if such exists. It can't possibly stay up-to-date, and (just like the strings standards descriptions) would be nebulous.

[TubaTinker]

Hey Dan and David, any help/ideas for me in this area?
Doc

I bought a Maestro 4V rotary euph a couple of months ago just for the fun of it. I figured I would honk around on it a bit and if it turned out to be junk I could at least salvage the valve set off it for a project. It just so happened that it was a very good playing horn. I had several others play it just to confirm that it was OK. However... the lacquer finish was not a very high quality... lots of buffing marks. Two fellows just about got into a fight wanting to buy it and I eventually sold it for just a small profit as I was not interested in providing a warranty. I don't know if I just happed to 'get a good one' or not but I plan to buy another one soon. I think some of the Chinese stuff might be OK but I would steer way around the Indian horns... at least until I hear some good things about them. Just one word of caution... I don't think the quality is there yet and if you buy an import, be prepared to deal with a dog. I've heard of people paying as much as the horn cost just to make it play in tune. Most of these horns are simply 'throw-aways' and parts are non-existant.

[MaryAnn]

I know of someone who bought a Chinese double French horn and who took it apart, deburred it and put it together right. He said it played very well after that, had good intonation etc. and that the problems were in finishing and not design.
YMMV.
MA

[cc_tuba_guy]

I emailed an Ebay seller to let him know that the sousa he posted as a BBb horn was actually an Eb horn. He countered by letting me know in no uncertain terms that he had the horn played by a school band director and he said it was a BBb. This was a Conn Pan-American with the dummy pipe over the shoulder.... clearly an Eb horn but I guess the 'band director' had to be right!

Dan,

It looks like a Bb alto horn to me. I thought that the Eb altos had the 2nd bend before the bell under the hand, not over it.

[harold]

Jay and Dan:

You guys are talking about two different horns.

Jay,

He didn't mean this horn, he was talking about some other time that he dealt with a band director.

[cc_tuba_guy]

OHH! Thanks, Harold!