Ever had that Horn you could never get until now?

[dukesboneman]

When I was working on my Under-Grad in Music ED, there was a Music store near the college that had 2 horns that I would try semi-frequently. I loved the way these played (and looked) but ..... being a poor and married college student they were nothing but a dream. They had these horns for years and no sell . To high a price I think. they were the Yamaha 641(.551) and 651(.500). Both Red Brass Bell and everything else Nickel silver. Eventually I bought the 651 and played it for years, finally trading it for a Conn 72H.
Well, the other day I found a 641 in great shape and a Fantastic price on Reverb. SOLD !! And now I wait for it to be delivered.
Now I`m a Bach Player, but there was something about these horns that has stuck with me since the late 1970`s.
It`s arriving tomorrow,

[Mr412]

Sometimes you have to be an adult to have all the toys you ever wanted as a kid. Congrats!

[KWatson51]

I FINALLY got my much-dreamed-about King 3b last month—after 50 years of wanting one. It’s not the Silversonic of my dreams, but it will have to do. Maybe a blessing in disguise? (No, not a Blessing brand trombone).

[jonphilpott]

Have always wanted a Bach LT16M, finally got one this week. My first teacher played one and I loved the sound, I was fortunate enough to have one lesson with Bill Watrous about 20 years ago. I played one once at Horn Guys that had had the King-3B-Crook-Replacement done and it was amazing but I didnt have the money for it at the time.

[Pezza]

I always wanted a Bach 50. Got 1 with my divorce settlement!
Unfortunately I've had to let it go due to some permenant injuries, so now mainly play a Bach 12.

[deanmccarty]

I saw Phil Teele playing a contrabass trombone when I was in high school back in the early 80s… I knew then that I had to have one of those beasts. Over the years I play tested every instrument on the market. Last year I finally took the plunge. It’s not an instrument I’ll ever get my money back in gigs… but it’s a horn just for me. And a new challenge.

[Matt K]

My bass was like that. I had played dependent horns throughout most of college and a few years into graduation because it was either available to me to borrow (like the school's 6xx series Yamaha, the original Yeo bass) or it was much more affordable (like my Duo Gravis). But I always wanted a more contemporary instrument, particularly with the screw bell that had a G attachment. Loved the sound I was able to get on larger equipment. Which isn't to say I also enjoyed my DG and if I hadn't traded it for my current tenor setup, which I have similar feelings for: a 2RVET7 bell primarily, I'd probably still own in addition to the larger bass.

Through quite a series of trades starting with a Bach 50B (single!) and a set of left-handed thayer valves... I predominatly traded my way into my current bass, which is a Shires bell w/ a German Kranz, B6278, and a set of Long Island Brass assembled valves and Yamaha Xeno linkages. Absolutely perfect! The ironyis that I didn't get tit completed until into the pandemic because of some issues getting the linkages from Japan, and have only played it with people a single time, sitting 3rd in a big band with a 525/547 slide mated to it

I'm also potentially anticipating getting another one I've always wanted today: A larger bore alto w/ Bb attachment. I had a Conn 36 (oddly enough, owned by Conrad Herwig) that I still kick myself for selling. But it definitely had a very alto sound to it. Been on the quest to get something that is more like a compact tenor in Eb. Just pulled the trigger on a very odd franken-horn someone assembled that is mostly Bach 42 & 50 parts with a spattering of Olds parts making it a 509/562 alto w/ a 7.5" Olds Ambassador bel. FedEx says today is the day... we shall see.

[Finetales]

No specific models or anything like that, but I was able to cross "cool soprano trombone with a valve", bass saxhorn, and ballad horn off my "always wanted one" list in the past couple of years.

[haoscv]

Yup.

Tried a Yamaha YBL-822G at a music educators convention years ago, found a deal on a used one a few months ago when I was in a position to buy my own horn and start playing again.

and bought 4 more trombones on top of that (all used and not the best shape) to fill out the herd.

After a 6 year break from playing low brass, I'm in a place where I can play almost every night!

[sirisobhakya]

Well, not “until now” but “until that time”.

I always like the Yamaha YBL-830 just from looking in the catalog. In 2012 I went to Hiroshima, Japan for my master degree. Yamaha shop there has a beautiful 830 in stock. As a foreign student from a middle-class family (in Thailand, which probably is equivalent to lower middle class in developed country in term of purchasing power), I could only dream about having my own horn. Even after I got a job (a part of scholarship’s deal) I did not consider buying it since I thought I would save the money for a car and other necessities. But at last, in 2016, after 4 years of only looking, I was persuaded by my family and circumstances to buy that very horn.

6 years now and counting. Still the best horn I have ever played or tried.

[EriKon]

Had exactly this with the Lätzsch Jazz Trombone. Tested it once it was new (with quite a small bore and small bell). I fell in love with it, but it was a bit too 'small' soundwise, breaking out too much when playing loud. Also way too expensive of course. A few years later I saw a colleague selling one of the very first 'larger' horns with a 508 bore and 8 inch bell. Played a King 3B at this point. Immediately bought the horn without testing it. What can I say... I've never looked back since then. The horn was a dream and still remains one after playing it for many years.

[hooterguy2]

Finally picked up a 15xxx serial straight Bach 42 that I really, really like, complete with the gold-ish orang-ish lacquer patina. I have been kicking myself for years for not picking up that Greenhoe that I played at the Midwest Clinic 20 years ago, so I sent the horn down to Matt Walker at M&W and had him install one of his valve sections. Turns out that this is likely the horn of my hallucinogenic-vivid dreams. Now to sell off my Edwards bass and find a Corpy 50B and repeat the process.
Matt does absolutely stellar work, and his valve design in my opinion is second to none. Balanced, even-blowing, and at ease in every register.

[imsevimse]

I have more horns than I have ever had and because of that my friends want me to seek some help My financial situation is now good since I'm now a programmer and no longer primarily a musician. For a long time I had no money but now I can have any horn I want, maybe a Williams 6 could be interesting if one turns up here. The latest horns I bought are my two Lars Gerdt horns that Lars build on my reqest. I had never been part of such a project if I hadn't changed carreer in the 90-ies to computing to have the finances ready or else I hadn't been able to do something like this, only now is it possible. He even included some of my suggestions as a part of the standard design of his model Gerdt 216.

/Tom