My current CC is a Mirafone 1290. It is a little beat up, missing lacquer on some places, has some "scars" from wrinkle removal...but it sounds SO nice. Every day I have played it, I love the sound more. It actually compares with a PT6 in size and sound and ease of play (at least in my opinion.) Would I like a new and shiny? Maybe someday. But this thing really does what I want. Is it a bit of work due to it's open wrap and large size? Yes. Do I wan't a 4/4 CC? HECK NO!
My other horn is the CFB 653 5-I. It was a new and shiny (and relatively still is) at the time I bought it over a year ago. Now there are some scratches, 2 dents....
(Both quite small but sad non-the less) and some lacquer wear from my right arm. But this was MY horn. It's my baby that I am the sole owner of. In fact, this has made the wear and tear easy to deal with. To me, especially the lacquer wear, make the horn more mine. It's my sweat and work that caused the wear and makes me love the horn more.So why did I write all this? Our horn will become old
, and things will happen to them. They may not always stay pretty but for me it makes me love it all the more. This is a vastly different thought than I have had in the past (since I was a shiny horn kinda guy for a long time). So just a thought for others here who maybe are in the shiny-new need category. (Don't worry, I know theres plenty who play on an 'only mother could love' beast 
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