Anyone know anything about this horn?

[Calibass]

I have a Richard Gareis Bleistadt Boheman trombone. I’m trying to find out some info on it. Does anyone know anything about this?

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[JohnL]

From what I can piece together, Richard Gareis was a violin maker in Olovi (German name Bleistadt) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. That part of what is now the Czech Republic was a major center of instrument manufacture for centuries.

Given that Gareis was a luthier, it's likely that this trombone was a stencil - sold by Gareis (or his successors) under that name, but built by someone else. Looks like a typical Czech stencil to me, although it's interesting to see one stenciled for a Czech seller (most of the ones you find in the US are stenciled for an American seller).

I found this page:
http://bassic-sax.info/pix/index.php?/category/14210
showing a Gareis-marked saxophone that was apparently built by Keilwerth. You'll notice that it's also marked "Bleistadt", but in place of "Bohemia" it says "C. S. R" (Czecho-Slovak Republic?). That makes me think that an instrument marked "Bohemia" probably predates the formation of Czechoslovakia (1918).

Of course, you probably want to know what it's worth. Unfortunately, not a whole lot. Build quality on Czech stencils is usually pretty good, but they're generally smaller bore than is commonly used today.

[Calibass]

Wow, thank you very much. Greatly appreciated

[LeTromboniste]

From the features, the water key in particular and the styles of ferrules, I would say it's likelier to be 20th century rather than 19th.

[BGuttman]

Now for the real question: how does it play?

And does the dog approve?

[Calibass]

Sounds great but badly in need of slide work. The dog is very happy it’s not a Marshall amp

[Bloo]

Sounds great but badly in need of slide work.

bad slides are the trademark of old stencil horns on ebay