Holton's are very well respected horns. Many consider them middle of the road bass bones - there are guys I see using them in orchestras, and in big bands and broadway work (although I see more on the commercial side, in all honesty).tmz1m wrote:I'm selling what I think is a pretty good quality bass bone. Let me know if you're interested: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=74241" target="_blank" target="_blank
To bring this conversation back to the OP's original question, the problem is the plating flakes off after the warranty expires, but way in advance of when any other manufacturer's slide plating would wear. So, no protection, unless Tom will stand behind an instrument that is 5-10 years old. I know of horns that are 100 years old with no plating loss on the slide (or minimal - Conn's being the exception here with their known "Conn wear"), so 10 years is nothing against what can be expected with what a normal pro horn would experience - even a secondary horn. If Neptune is right and they have improved practices to the same level as a Bach, Holton, or even a Conn, then it's a great price. But, until it's well tested, it's a gamble - is the price low enough to be worth it? Only the OP can judge that for themselves.
My recommendation would be to go with the Holton for sale on the forums here. Great price, looks to be in good shape. My preference is for indy valves, vs the dependent setup, but you pay a premium for that, and there are plenty of players on dependent valves, so it's not necessary - it just opens up options.
