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Praise for Jim Becker’s Blueprinting



 
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Miketpt
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 559
Location: Seattle, Washington USA

PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 10:04 am    Post subject: Praise for Jim Becker’s Blueprinting Reply with quote

I recently acquired a late 70’s Bach 180ML 37 that I sent to Jim Becker for blueprinting at Osmun Music. While the horn was in great condition considering its age there were a few things that needed to be addressed including several dings in awkward places like the bell tail and the knuckle off of the 3rd valve casing. Jim did a chem clean, PVA, replaced the metal guides which were worn and causing sever rotational alignment, replaced the receiver (which was worn and gapping too small) and removed all the dings.

The horn came back playing much better than before. I highly recommend Jim’s work. The dent work is truly “magician level.”

Mike Myers

Seattle Symphony
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chuck in ny
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 23 Sep 2006
Posts: 3597
Location: New York

PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 4:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

surprising how difficult it is to sell this great service. the cost is small in relative terms. you have a tough crowd that is frequently short on cash.
no surprise when outfits close their doors.
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James Becker
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Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 2827
Location: Littleton, MA

PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 6:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you Mike for sharing your positive experience. It is very satisfying to do work for world class players like yourself. I am very grateful for your testimony, hoping others that are having issues with their instruments will seek my help.

Some may have noticed my absence from these forums, as of late it has become exhausting. There are a number of members that simply do not understand how things work. For the past 44 years I have continued to refine my methods in order to provide quality repairs and value for our customers.

Currently we're enjoying a backlog of repair work, ranging from play conditions to mechanical restorations, while demand for PVA's and blueprinting continues to grow. As customers like Mike spread the word, we receive more inquiries.

And if anyone in this line of work is at risk of closing their doors, it's the shops depending on school repairs during this global pandemic. Niche shops like our have been kept busy offering specialized services these other shops don't provide.
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James Becker
Brass Repair Specialist Since 1977
Osmun Music Inc.
77 Powdermill Road Rt.62
Acton, MA 01720
www.osmun.com

Our workshop is as close as your nearest UPS store https://www.ups.com/dropoff?loc=en_US
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ayryq
Veteran Member


Joined: 16 Feb 2019
Posts: 354
Location: Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 10:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote



The three silver horns have been through Mr. Becker's process in the last few months (and the picc is getting packaged up this weekend). Expensive, yes, but the blueprinting should need done only once. And it seems that it commands a premium on the used market. Each horn got different work done, one didn't need a blueprint so was priced a la cart, one needed a patch, one had dents removed. The most noticeable change for me was on the Bach C trumpet (which I thought played pretty well before). Somehow pitches seem more centered, or even, or something. It's hard to put my finger on it based on my memory, but it's definitely something.
_________________
Yamaha YTR6345HGS Bb
Bach "Philly" C
Bach 239 Eb/D
DEG Signature 2000 Bb/A picc
Yamaha YTR-9835 Bb/A picc
Yamaha Bobby Shew flugel
Yamaha Neo cornet


Last edited by ayryq on Thu Apr 29, 2021 11:44 am; edited 2 times in total
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benlewis
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 21 Jan 2004
Posts: 1007
Location: Memphis, TN

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 10:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The quality of work I have enjoyed from Mr. Becker and Osmun has been consistently of the highest caliber and the turn-around time has been great!

Ben
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Dayton
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Joined: 24 Mar 2013
Posts: 1991
Location: USA

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

When it comes to making a good horn great, Jim is unmatched. Also, if you get the chance to talk to him or Tim, you'll get a great explanation of what they did and why, such as why it might make sense to set the gap differently on a Bach 18037 than on a 18043.
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