TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

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Fidbone
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TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by Fidbone »

Not sure this is the correct place to post but they are instruments and I don't think anyone will buy them on this forum :eek:

Possibly the MOST expensive Williams trombones I've ever seen....... Crazy :idk:

https://elbblech.com/product/earl-willi ... angeles-6/

https://elbblech.com/product/earl-williams-donelson-6/

Check out some of the other trombones for sale too..... Eye watering prices for some of the vintage stuff. And you guys were complaining about the Japanese pricing on eBay :o
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ithinknot
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by ithinknot »

The pricing there is bizarre - the cheaper stuff (modern Kings, 36s etc) is 'music shop' expensive but not totally inexplicable, and then as things get older and less common the markup goes absolutely crazy.

But the photos are excellent, and who knows how flexible the prices are when it comes to making offers... An odd strategy, though.
Elow
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by Elow »

They’ve got a real nice collection of horns though, i might never spend that much for what it is but it’s nice to look at b
MStarke
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by MStarke »

I have watched the shop quite a while.

As already said some instruments are still in the range of typical used instrument prices, but some seem extreme.
However
1) as also already said - there may be substantial room for negotiation
2) it might be consignment sales, so maybe the actual owner just does not want to give away the instrument for a "reasonable" price
3) some of these instruments are even more rare in Germany than in the US. If you buy a comparable instrument from the US, you have to pay shipping and taxes, risk transportation damage and have little room for giving it back if it does not meet expectations

Still I would never buy a small tenor for that price, and probably never any other trombone...
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JohnL
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by JohnL »

Hmmm

7½" bell? Los Angeles? That's a very early 6 - if it's technically a 6 at all.
mrdeacon
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by mrdeacon »

MStarke wrote: Thu Nov 26, 2020 5:18 am I have watched the shop quite a while.

As already said some instruments are still in the range of typical used instrument prices, but some seem extreme.
However
1) as also already said - there may be substantial room for negotiation
2) it might be consignment sales, so maybe the actual owner just does not want to give away the instrument for a "reasonable" price
3) some of these instruments are even more rare in Germany than in the US. If you buy a comparable instrument from the US, you have to pay shipping and taxes, risk transportation damage and have little room for giving it back if it does not meet expectations

Still I would never buy a small tenor for that price, and probably never any other trombone...
I think it's all of the above. They have an Instagram account where they post horn porn and they frequently don't know anything about the horns they are posting lol. I'm fairly certain most of the horns are on consignment.
Rath R1 2000s, Elliott XT
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Posaunus
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by Posaunus »

I could not get any photos to load / display.

If you want a Williams 6, come to Southern California - lots of them floating around here. At MUCH lower prices!

Suggestion: After COVID dissipates, fly here from Germany, pick up a trombone, and carry it home with you. All for far less than €10,000, including air fare and some nice meals!
Fidbone
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by Fidbone »

Posaunus wrote: Thu Nov 26, 2020 1:31 pm
Suggestion: After COVID dissipates, fly here from Germany, pick up a trombone, and carry it home with you. All for far less than €10,000, including air fare and some nice meals!
Better still, find me a fantastic Williams 6 and send it to me in the UK and I'll send you a customised Rath R1 from the mid- 90's in perfect condition :biggrin: :good:
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Geordie
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by Geordie »

Been fascinated by Williams 6 but never understood the pricing. What would be a fair price for a 6 in reasonable ie not mint but not heavily worn?
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Posaunus
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by Posaunus »

Geordie wrote: Thu Nov 26, 2020 5:25 pm Been fascinated by Williams 6 but never understood the pricing. What would be a fair price for a 6 in reasonable ie not mint but not heavily worn?
Williams prices are all over the place. But I nearly bought a Williams 6 a couple of years ago for ~$1,500 (US$). :idk:
aboumaia
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by aboumaia »

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Last edited by aboumaia on Wed Nov 22, 2023 1:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.
TromboneMonkey
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by TromboneMonkey »

Geordie wrote: Thu Nov 26, 2020 5:25 pm Been fascinated by Williams 6 but never understood the pricing. What would be a fair price for a 6 in reasonable ie not mint but not heavily worn?
Depends largely on the vintage. I got a TN 4 for $2,000 and thought it was an absolute steal. I'd pay almost double that for a Burbank, personally, and considering the cost of similar new horns these days. 6s usually don't fetch quite as much, but I would expect to pay $3,000 for a Burbank, or more.

Noah Gladstone sold Billy Byers' Burbank 4 for $5,000, if I remember correctly.
Cairo
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by Cairo »

Hi everybody,
Who sells a 6 for 4K$? Otherwise I am happy for any help on the SN´s of these horns or any information that will help varify the authenticity. I found on J.Noxon´s website that: "Los Angeles horns had an arrowhead engraved on the bell." - and I can´t seem to find that arrowhead on any of those pics....
Thanks in advance for your help
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DaveAshley
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by DaveAshley »

The Model 6 was first built in Los Angeles and didn't have the arrowhead. There was just a small oval-shaped engraving on the bell flare. The horns that John was referring to were the earlier models.

$4k for a Burbank Williams 6 is a perfectly reasonable price. Adjusted for inflation, that's roughly what I paid for mine about 15 years ago.
chromebone
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by chromebone »

These are expensive, but within a plausible range for those horns and the European market. I’ve seen crazier prices from those Japanese sellers on Ebay. Now that’s a business model I can’t figure out.

Right now I see things like $500 for a used Greg Black trumpet mouthpiece and $1900 for a Holton 680 intermediate model trombone. That’s completely insane. Who in their right mind would pay that?
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BGuttman
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by BGuttman »

... $1900 for a Holton 680 intermediate model trombone. That’s completely insane. Who in their right mind would pay that?
[/quote]

Certainly not me. I got a really nice 680 for less than 1/4 that. (Note: it's probably worth more.)
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Cairo
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Re: TWO - Williams 6's!!!!

Post by Cairo »

Thanks Dave - That´s a concern less on the map..... I called the dude and gave him my offer - see what he comes back with. He obviously couldn´t negotiate right away on the phone, nor could he give me the first digit of the SN.... hard to believe that it is his own horn as he has stated.
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