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Antique Musical Instruments/Questions

SubjectDate AskedExpert
Beaufort American Tuba2/7/2012Glenn Blake
  Q: My father in law purchased a Beaufort American Tuba from a garage sale, its pretty dirty but I was ...
  A: I think it looks like tarnished silver. Take some brasso and polish a little spot and if it shines ...
violine2/6/2012Glenn Blake
  Q: Good morning mister Glenn I am from Innsbruck. An older lady asked me to sell her violine. The ...
  A: Here's the good: From what I can tell this is one of the earliest models, made when the ...
Wurlitzer piano2/6/2012Glenn Blake
  Q: I would like to know how much my piano is worth. It was given to me by a family member, so I don't ...
  A: Wow this was some work. I know Wurlitzer's can be worth a lot, and some aren't. I don't want to ...
Beaufort American Tuba2/5/2012Glenn Blake
  Q: My father in law purchased a Beaufort American Tuba from a garage sale, its pretty dirty but I was ...
  A: Let me first say wow!!! I was so elated that you asked me! I am a Tuba player and this absolutely ...
martin trumpet2/5/2012Kenton Scott
  Q: ANSWER: For some instrument makers, yes. Others, no. For Martin, it is yes. Here is a WEB page. ...
  A: In 1961, Martin, Blessing, and Reynolds were merged into a company called Richards Music ...
1970(?) NORMA Guitar2/4/2012Glenn Blake
  Q: Glenn, I asked a question of Bill Rux back in August 2006 trying to figure out what and where a ...
  A: First let me say wow! What a challenge! I talked with every guitar person I could all morning and ...
robert f. flemming jr1/31/2012Glenn Blake
  Q: i am looking for information on a robert fleming jr. if you know of a way for me to find this please ...
  A: From what I have found, Robert Flemming Jr. was born in Mississippi the year 1857. He invented the ...
Old Trumpet1/25/2012Kenton Scott
  Q: I have an old J.W. York & Sons trumpet with a serial number of 43684. I believe it was made in 1915 ...
  A: I would also estimate it at 1915. I suspect that it may be a cornet. I think you will probably do ...
Frank Horton Bugle1/25/2012Kenton Scott
  Q: greetings, I have recently come into possession of a bugle and am trying get at least an ...
  A: Try with Holton rather than Horton. I believe you will find quite a bit of information on ...
vintage mandolin1/25/2012Glenn Blake
  Q: We have a vintage montgomery ward mandolin from the late 1800's to early 1900's, we aren't sure. It ...
  A: Someone more familiar with old Mandolins will know more, but my knowledge of them is basic, I played ...
mandolin1/23/2012Glenn Blake
  Q: I have my great grandfathers mandolin. Inside its marked "monarch" Its at least 75 years old, It ...
  A: I think a ball parked price for a store would be $500, a person $300, a collector $700+. These are ...
value1/22/2012Glenn Blake
  Q: I have an old clarinet made my Windsor of Elkhart Ind. It is in need of much repair. The serial ...
  A: If I am correct this is a Clarinet made by Buescher, under the name windsor. I can't find anything ...
French Horn - Single in F1/11/2012Kenton Scott
  Q: I have a single French Horn with no manufacturer marking that I am able to find. Close to the ...
  A: It is only speculation that FA Buescher formed a new company after he left the Buescher Company with ...
Baronet brand1/1/2012Kenton Scott
  Q: I own both a Baronet (Elkhart, IN) baritione horn SN 30249 and a trumpet (silver and heavier then my ...
  A: Blessing, Buescher, Conn (Pan American, Cavalier), Gronert, Pedler, and Osgood are the makers ...
J W Pepper & Son Slide Trombone12/30/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I have a silver slide trombone. The engraving is: J W Pepper & Son Standard Philadelphia 56500 ...
  A: This horn dates to after Pepper discontinued their own manufacturing. Consequently, it is an ...
Royal trumpet12/29/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I do not know if you got my previous Question So please excuse me if I am repeating myself. I have ...
  A: I did think I answered this question, but maybe it got lost somewhere. Metropolitan Music Company ...
USS Leviathan trombone12/26/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I have a Conn trombone that has been engraved with “Carl Fischers New York American Model” serial ...
  A: I think you are talking about a counter-weight. For a while, they were sold as an after market ...
Have an old coronet I played in school12/20/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I have an old coronet I played as a 6yr old in West Chester, Pennsylvania around 1973 (30 min ...
  A: Ben Henton and Al Kneck were former saxophone players for Sousa who opened a store in Philadelphia ...
Buescher valve trombone question12/18/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: My son is a senior in high school and has been playing trombone since 5th grade. He is now in about ...
  A: That horn was made around 1920. I have a Buescher valve trombone that is a bit older than the one ...
King Liberty Trumpet12/17/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: It's serial # is 59xxx so I know it was made between 1915-1925. I just want to know if it's ...
  A: That is like asking if a 74 Lincoln is better than a 89 Chevy. The Liberty was a better ...
Brass instruments from the former GDR12/14/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I have spent many hours browsing the English language internet without much success. The pre-WW2 ...
  A: First a comment on serial number lists: Most serial number lists that are available are ...
Our Own Make Salvation Army cornet12/13/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: We have a silver cornet with "Our Own Make" with the old Salvation Army crest (2 swords, cross, ...
  A: Salvation Army brought out the Our Own Make models in 1893. They were first at Clerkenwell Rd, ...
Holton Euphonium circ 194512/5/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: My father bought a rebuilt double bell Frank Holton (Elkhorn, Wis) Bb Euphonium the summer of 1945. ...
  A: It is a bore size. Unlike some companies, like Conn, Holton does not seem to have used a numbering ...
18H Director Trombone11/30/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I just bought a Conn Director Trombone Serial number 18H 314376. I just want to know what year it ...
  A: Good point, that hadn't occurred to me. So, the next possibility that occurs to me is that your ...
18H Director Trombone11/29/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I just bought a Conn Director Trombone Serial number 18H 314376. I just want to know what year it ...
  A: Just to confirm, I'm assuming you are talking about the 18H with the Coprion bell. You can look ...
Sherman Clay & Co Holton Cornet11/20/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I have purchased (for a steal) a Holton Cornet from ebay. The serial number is 22672. The bell is ...
  A: That is interesting. Most serial number lists are created after the fact and usually by fans and ...
Carl Fischer Reliable New York cornet11/13/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I have my great grandfather's cornet (?- shorter than the student trumpet my husband has)- silver ...
  A: The part between the horn and mouthpiece is sometimes called a bit, and they were common on cornets ...
Hawkes & Son Trombone11/9/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I have a silver coloured Trombone with quite alot of engraving on it (flowers etc) It also says on ...
  A: Bev, I concur with your speculation that it probably dates to the 1930-ish period. I've not seen ...
Old C.G. Conn Trombone11/3/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I recently inherited an old trombone from my late grandfather and was hoping you could help identify ...
  A: Conn re-used some of his model numbers. So, you can have very different instruments sporting the ...
Higham cornet10/16/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I have been given old cornet made by this istrument maker, but it appears to be incomplete. There ...
  A: It seems like the bits for these old cornets disappear faster than the horns themselves. Since that ...
Question about a trumpet and a cello9/30/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I have a couple questions about the quailty of instruments. The two in mind are a trumpet and a ...
  A: The Couesnon trumpet circa 1927 should at least originally have been a good player. The Kay ...
A Lorenzo Sansone horn9/28/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I've bid on this horn on e-bay for $395 but they say it needs a valve job... (has only 10% ...
  A: Well, of course many things are possible. But going from the most probably, I would suspect that ...
A Lorenzo Sansone horn9/28/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I've bid on this horn on e-bay for $395 but they say it needs a valve job... (has only 10% ...
  A: It is hard to make much sense out of this description. If the valves don't work properly, they would ...
Carl Fischer Trombone9/23/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I traded an old banjo for this trombone. There is an ornate engraving on it, says "Carl Fischer ...
  A: Artist was one of the many model names that Fischer used on the instruments sold by the company. ...
Trouble finding right mouthpiece for antique mellophone9/21/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I am having trouble finding a mouthpiece for an antique mellophone. The local music store does not ...
  A: Glenn, That is going to be a tough one. Distin, effectively, used a vintage short shank trumpet ...
Baritone Bugle9/17/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I was in a Marine Drum & Bugle Corps in Danang, South Vietnam/ 1966-'68. Played baritone bugle. I ...
  A: Gretsch, Olds, Slingerland, Getzen, Ludwig, Conn would be the most likely choices. I remember D&B ...
Lyons Emperor Sousaphone9/15/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: Greetings, Recently acquired a cosmetically challenged but playable EEb Sousaphone with "Lyons ...
  A: It appears that it is likely that Lyons purchased from a variety of makers. But you might be able ...
Frank Holton Sousaphone9/12/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I have a Frank holton sousaphone serial number indicates that it was made it 1950 ive been trying to ...
  A: OK, the key is important. Most sousaphones made were either in BBb or Eb. But the use of Eb ...
bore size -Holton Revelation9/4/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: one of my older horns a Holton Revelation/#48 from the mid 1920's has a bore marking/the numeral "1" ...
  A: I'll post some inquiries and see if anything comes up. Here is one response: Holton does not seemed ...
W. Frank Co. Bugle8/31/2011Kenton Scott
  Q: I just aquired a single valve bugle to add to a turn of the 19th/20th century Indian War/Spanish ...
  A: Is this the Frank bugle with the #1 on the bell or the one with the #34 on the valve casing? We ...

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Antique Musical Instruments

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Kenton Scott

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Expertise

Please note: My area is BRASS instruments, not other wind, string or percussion instruments. I will provide information on antique, obscure and out of production BRASS instruments. 1) Please don't ask for evaluations, I'll not provide them on this site. 2) I am often asked very similar questions, so I'd invite you to first check on Horn-u-Copia.net. Much of the information I have garnered about this topic, I have posted on this WEB site.

Experience

I perform in several historical bands, have informally researched the area, repair brass instruments, and operate a Forum dedicated to the topic at http://horn-u-copia.net

Education/Credentials
B.S. Ed, M.S.

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