Re: Horn Colors


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Posted by Joe S. on December 17, 1999 at 21:48:02:

In Reply to: Horn Colors posted by Tony Clements on December 17, 1999 at 19:56:20:

Maybe listing many of your desirable instruments could be misconstrued as a "brag" to the timid poster. To me, it looks like an inventory list for a second-story man. You might want to play your cards a little closer to your chest when talking on the www...just a (truly) friendly suggestion.

SILVER: In my memory, silver instruments sort of were "old fashioned" when I was a kid. Most old silver instruments were satin (sandblast) silver, made back in the thirties, and "uncool".

Tough epoxy lacquers had been developed, and were even used as coatings OVER nickel plating, such as on the Conn "Connstellation" and King "Tempo" trumpets and trombones.

In the meantime, the most-watched television show had become THE TONIGHT SHOW "starring" Johnny Carson. After several years, Johnny's quiet pot-bellied band leader, Skitch Henderson, retired, and was replaced by a flashy young high-note trumpet "wiz", Carl "Doc" Severinson, who wore very flashy clothes that, over the years, became flashier and flashier - to the point of distraction. To "compliment" his very flashy, if not outrageous, clothing, he sported a very shiny BRIGHT SILVER-PLATED (very unusual, at the time) trumpet made by the Getzen Company. This instrument was called the "GETZEN ETERNA - SEVERINSON MODEL". Concerned that they were losing a lot of sales to this "off-brand" model, the King Musical Instrument Company (The Vincent Bach Corporation was a very small company back then, and Schilke and Benge actually sold more trumpets than Bach did.) answered this competition with the "KING - SILVER FLAIR", and the world has never been the same, since. BRIGHT silver-plated instruments have become a completely available option on virtually every model of every brass instrument made by every company at every price point. Some companies do not even offer a "lacquered" version of their product, anymore, and some musicians have even come to believe that a 4/10 of 1/1000th of an inch coating of silver over their solid brass instrument would actually make a significant difference in the response of the instrument, and will pay significant money for this "difference".


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