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jgadvert
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 04 Jan 2002
Posts: 1105
Location: Long Island, NY
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 Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 5:03 pm Post subject: Bought a Vintage LA Benge |
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It's a silver 3x (good amount of silver plate wear in spots) serial number 1009X for $275. Made around 1973. I am paying a top notch NYC tech for ultrusonic clean and overhall service. I assume he will replace all felts, corks and other stuff needed so it will be in perfect mechanical playing condition.
Total out of pocket $450
Did I do good in your opinion? It plays very well.
With that serial number, it should be considered an earlier LA Benge. From all my research, they were still making them well.
As I have said on other threads, if I end up not liking it for my purposes, I can always sell it and get most or all of my money back pretty easily. Right?
Thats the great thing about buying vintage name brand horns.
I was really looking for a 3X+ but from what I've read, its not much more open and free blowing vs. the 3X. |
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Crazy Finn
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 27 Dec 2001
Posts: 8333
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota
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| Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 10:45 pm Post subject: Re: Bought a Vintage LA Benge |
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| jgadvert wrote: | It's a silver 3x (good amount of silver plate wear in spots) serial number 1009X for $275. Made around 1973. I am paying a top notch NYC tech for ultrusonic clean and overhall service. I assume he will replace all felts, corks and other stuff needed so it will be in perfect mechanical playing condition.
Total out of pocket $450
Did I do good in your opinion? It plays very well. |
You did quite well. I thought I got a good deal on my 3X.
_________________
LA Benge 3X Bb Trumpet
Selmer Radial Bb Trumpet
Yamaha 6335S Bb Trumpet
Besson 709 Bb Trumpet
Bach 184L Bb Cornet
Yamaha 731 Bb Flugelhorn |
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Voltrane
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 20 Jan 2006
Posts: 629
Location: Paris (France)
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| Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 11:13 pm Post subject: Re: Bought a Vintage LA Benge |
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| jgadvert wrote: |
Did I do good in your opinion? It plays very well.
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Seems to me you answered your own question!  |
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Yamahaguy
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 3992
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| Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 7:45 am Post subject: |
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You can't go wrong with a good Benge! I should know...I have 8 of them 
Yeah, you can easily make your money back if you end up not liking it. I will say
that there IS quite a different between the ML and MLP in my opinion. And while
I prefer the 2x+ over my 3x+, I do have a 3x with a custom leadpipe that's killer!
That serial # is good too, I have a four digit LA which is superb. But also a 13xxxx
which sings too! Enjoy it.. |
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kehaulani
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Posts: 9008
Location: Hawai`i - Texas
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| Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 8:20 am Post subject: |
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Go away, we don't want to hear it. 
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn |
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MDHorn
Regular Member
Joined: 27 Sep 2017
Posts: 11
Location: Ft. Washington, MD
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| Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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Where did you find that Benge for that price? I must not be looking in the right place? Not that I am looking (wife just walked in!)
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Coming back soon!
'39 King Master Cornet
'74 Olds Ambassador
'?? Couesnon Flugelhorn |
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jgadvert
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 04 Jan 2002
Posts: 1105
Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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| MDHorn wrote: | | Where did you find that Benge for that price? I must not be looking in the right place? Not that I am looking (wife just walked in!) |
I have been looking for a good benge for years. I wanted a MLP model in lacquer (at a great price). Never found it.
After years of stopping in Thrift stores and pawn shops (and never finding anything other than junky off brand/no name student models)
I stopped in to a Pawn shop last week and to my SHOCK....they had this Benge. To me, a once in a lifetime occurence. Even though in wasnt the exact model/version I wanted, the price was great. It played really well (had that great Benge tone). After researching the serial number and seeing what it was, I had to grab it.
I hear stories/fables of folks finding gem pro horns at Pawn Shops in other states and figured it was impossible; that this would never happen in my area. |
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oldbenge
New Member
Joined: 30 Oct 2004
Posts: 6
Location: Chicago
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| Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2017 3:22 pm Post subject: |
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| LA Benge's are under rated. Thought I do prefer the horns under serial number 10,000 |
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yourbrass
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 12 Jun 2011
Posts: 3630
Location: Pacifica, CA, USA
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| Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2017 10:09 pm Post subject: Re: Bought a Vintage LA Benge |
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| jgadvert wrote: | It's a silver 3x (good amount of silver plate wear in spots) serial number 1009X for $275. Made around 1973. I am paying a top notch NYC tech for ultrusonic clean and overhall service. I assume he will replace all felts, corks and other stuff needed so it will be in perfect mechanical playing condition.
Total out of pocket $450
Did I do good in your opinion? It plays very well.
With that serial number, it should be considered an earlier LA Benge. From all my research, they were still making them well.
As I have said on other threads, if I end up not liking it for my purposes, I can always sell it and get most or all of my money back pretty easily. Right?
Thats the great thing about buying vintage name brand horns.
I was really looking for a 3X+ but from what I've read, its not much more open and free blowing vs. the 3X. |
Yeah, you did very well. If you don't like it, well, you won't like any other Benge either. The 3X+ is quite a bit more open, but there aren't as many as the 3X - that was the original Benge model.
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"Strive for tone." -John Coppola
Edwards X-13
ACB MV3C /ACB A1/26 backbore
https://yourbrass.com/ |
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trumpet.trader
Veteran Member
Joined: 02 Jul 2017
Posts: 200
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| Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2017 11:46 pm Post subject: |
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You’ve made a good buy. I love LA Benge trumpets and think they are sorely underrated.
I’ve never played a Benge (pre UMI) I didn’t like, except horns that have had modifications or bad repair work. I’ve had 3Xs, 5s, 2s, MLPs and CGs and they all were a lot of fun to play and made with as high a level of professionalism and consistency as one could want.
Clean LA Benge trumpets are just as good or better than many Burbank Benge trumpets I’ve played. |
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shofarguy
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 18 Sep 2007
Posts: 7010
Location: AZ
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| Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2017 4:41 am Post subject: |
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| trumpet.trader wrote: | You’ve made a good buy. I love LA Benge trumpets and think they are sorely underrated.
I’ve never played a Benge (pre UMI) I didn’t like, except horns that have had modifications or bad repair work. I’ve had 3Xs, 5s, 2s, MLPs and CGs and they all were a lot of fun to play and made with as high a level of professionalism and consistency as one could want.
Clean LA Benge trumpets are just as good or better than many Burbank Benge trumpets I’ve played. |
Why sure, me too! But a Benge that has compacted felt pads, a worn or torn receiver or is full of dents, crust and grime is HORRIBLE!! Clean definitely is the operating word in all its various meanings.
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Brian A. Douglas
Flip Oakes Wild Thing Bb Trumpet in copper
Flip Oakes Wild Thing Flugelhorn in copper
There is one reason that I practice: to be ready at the downbeat when the final trumpet sounds. |
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cbtj51
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Nov 2015
Posts: 725
Location: SE US
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| Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2017 7:43 am Post subject: |
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All of this Benge talk has created a need for me to play my 5x for a while today. I bought this horn new in 1971 just after the transition from Burbank to LA (84XX) as my first "Brand New" trumpet! I paid somewhere around $500 which in 1971 money for a College student meant going without a lot of other stuff for a long time. MLPs were the most popular among my peers, but there was a versatility and just the right amount of resistance in the blow of this horn that made it an easy choice from a selection of 5 or 6 other Benge candidates. I loved it from the moment I picked it up and it is still in pristine condition even though it is a very high mileage horn. My grandson has had his eye on it for a long time and he will get it soon. Of course, I will have it totally inspected and if necessary, overhauled (valves are somewhat worn, though the slides still pop when pulled) so that he gets many great years on it like I did!
Merry Christmas!
Mike
_________________
'71 LA Benge 5X Bb
'72 LA Benge D/Eb
'76 Bach CL 229/25A C
‘92 Bach 37 Bb
'98 Getzen 895S Flugelhorn
'00 Bach 184 Cornet
'02 Yamaha 8335RGS
'16 Bach NY 7
'16 XO 1700RS Piccolo
Reeves 41 Rimmed Mouthpieces |
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trumpet.trader
Veteran Member
Joined: 02 Jul 2017
Posts: 200
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| Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2017 8:44 am Post subject: |
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| cbtj51 wrote: | All of this Benge talk has created a need for me to play my 5x for a while today. I bought this horn new in 1971 just after the transition from Burbank to LA (84XX) as my first "Brand New" trumpet! I paid somewhere around $500 which in 1971 money for a College student meant going without a lot of other stuff for a long time. MLPs were the most popular among my peers, but there was a versatility and just the right amount of resistance in the blow of this horn that made it an easy choice from a selection of 5 or 6 other Benge candidates. I loved it from the moment I picked it up and it is still in pristine condition even though it is a very high mileage horn. My grandson has had his eye on it for a long time and he will get it soon. Of course, I will have it totally inspected and if necessary, overhauled (valves are somewhat worn, though the slides still pop when pulled) so that he gets many great years on it like I did!
Merry Christmas!
Mike |
Sounds like a great horn and once gifted I’m sure it will serve your grandson well. But for now it’s still yours
I’ve owned three 84XX serialed Benges over the years. Two were stamped Burbank with out an address and one was labeled LA.
I think they were made in the LA shop before the Anaheim move and they were three of the best Benges I ever played. And all three are on my list of horns I wish I never sold or traded.
Anyway enjoy the horn before your grandson gets his hands on it!
Merry Christmas!! |
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cbtj51
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Nov 2015
Posts: 725
Location: SE US
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| Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2017 9:26 am Post subject: |
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| trumpet.trader wrote: |
Sounds like a great horn and once gifted I’m sure it will serve your grandson well. But for now it’s still yours :D
I’ve owned three 84XX serialed Benges over the years. Two were stamped Burbank with out an address and one was labeled LA.
I think they were made in the LA shop before the Anaheim move and they were three of the best Benges I ever played. And all three are on my list of horns I wish I never sold or traded.
Anyway enjoy the horn before your grandson gets his hands on it!
Merry Christmas!! |
Great advice!
Just getting the horn in my hands has brought back so many memories of great people and gigs from many years ago. (edited for positive only). I have used this horn for more Big Band Lead than anything else, but it was my primary horn for Brass Ensembles, Latin Bands, R&B Shows with the Temptations and the O'Jays a long while ago (just looked at pics to see what we all looked like as much younger people, sigh!). Hope my Grandson gets to do the same many years from now!
Merry Christmas,
Mike
_________________
'71 LA Benge 5X Bb
'72 LA Benge D/Eb
'76 Bach CL 229/25A C
‘92 Bach 37 Bb
'98 Getzen 895S Flugelhorn
'00 Bach 184 Cornet
'02 Yamaha 8335RGS
'16 Bach NY 7
'16 XO 1700RS Piccolo
Reeves 41 Rimmed Mouthpieces |
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