1921 Keefer Eb Helicon - $1500 firm (NYC)
Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2023 4:27 pm
This Keefer Eb helicon from 1921 is truly one of a kind. When I initially found it at Baltimore Brass, I didn’t think I was a great judge of horns due to my limited playing experience, but this one just jumped out at me -- it was just so clear and easy to play! At that time it was filthy and a solid grey-brown. Since then, I’ve put a lot of work (and rags and toothbrushes and toothpaste and proper polish) into what you see here.
This horn certainly has accumulated its share of dents, but hardly any of them in the inner tubing where it counts. And somehow the complete lack of plating on the valves hasn’t kept it from playing as nimbly as it does. Everything was just lubricated. The spring tension is a little uneven, but you can always trim one if the springs a little if that’s annoying (or I can -- I got tools). The spit valve could use some re-alignment, but it does still seal.
Overall, this is a fun little horn, and at only 15 pounds, it packs a punch!
The Keefer Company made high-quality instruments until the early 1940’s. Many if not most of them were customized instruments. They were well known for having some of the best cornets on the market, which is why they’re even stamped on the finger buttons. Did I mention these finger buttons???
Price is $1500 firm — local pickup only in Brooklyn, NY. Come try it out for yourself!
All the photos and my mediocre play test videos are at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing
I’ll also include the rest of my bottle of Hagerty’s silver polish. If you need a mouthpiece as well, I can throw in a generic 24AW. Let me know!
(for faster response, please email me at baridrummer(at)gmail.com)
This horn certainly has accumulated its share of dents, but hardly any of them in the inner tubing where it counts. And somehow the complete lack of plating on the valves hasn’t kept it from playing as nimbly as it does. Everything was just lubricated. The spring tension is a little uneven, but you can always trim one if the springs a little if that’s annoying (or I can -- I got tools). The spit valve could use some re-alignment, but it does still seal.
Overall, this is a fun little horn, and at only 15 pounds, it packs a punch!
The Keefer Company made high-quality instruments until the early 1940’s. Many if not most of them were customized instruments. They were well known for having some of the best cornets on the market, which is why they’re even stamped on the finger buttons. Did I mention these finger buttons???
Price is $1500 firm — local pickup only in Brooklyn, NY. Come try it out for yourself!
All the photos and my mediocre play test videos are at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing
I’ll also include the rest of my bottle of Hagerty’s silver polish. If you need a mouthpiece as well, I can throw in a generic 24AW. Let me know!
(for faster response, please email me at baridrummer(at)gmail.com)