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Sclurbs New Member
Joined: 16 Sep 2020 Posts: 10
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HaveTrumpetWillTravel Heavyweight Member
Joined: 30 Jan 2018 Posts: 1021 Location: East Asia
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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Go for it! Techs can do a lot. I would check valves/slides carefully since any problems there can a death knell for your instrument. I'd imagine bell work might possibly be more challenging, since they probably can't use traditional mandrals. That said, if it plays it's worth $45. |
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OldSchoolEuph Heavyweight Member
Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 2440
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 3:05 am Post subject: |
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It's an Allora, a brand that sources from a wide range of stencil makers from pretty decent to awful. Its hard to predict where in that spectrum this horn falls. The heavy black epoxy will be damaged by straightening out that bell, so you have to decide if you want to also pay the tech to buff down the bell portion and match it to the slide and caps with clear afterward. (finding a matching black guitar lacquer is harder than you might think) If you do, you will wind up with about $175 in the horn by the time you are done, which would seem a fair value for a fun little horn - assuming its one of the good Alloras. . . .
Play it and decide if it's worth more than $45 before spending a few times that on cosmetics. _________________ Ron Berndt
www.trumpet-history.com
2017 Austin Winds Stage 466
1962 Mt. Vernon Bach 43
1954 Holton 49 Stratodyne
1927 Conn 22B
1957 Holton 27 cornet
1985 Yamaha YEP-621
1975 Yamaha YEP-321 Custom
1965 Besson Baritone
1975 Olds Recording R-20 |
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Divitt Trumpets Heavyweight Member
Joined: 11 Aug 2015 Posts: 520 Location: Toronto
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Sclurbs New Member
Joined: 16 Sep 2020 Posts: 10
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 6:34 am Post subject: |
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OldSchoolEuph wrote: | It's an Allora, a brand that sources from a wide range of stencil makers from pretty decent to awful. Its hard to predict where in that spectrum this horn falls. The heavy black epoxy will be damaged by straightening out that bell, so you have to decide if you want to also pay the tech to buff down the bell portion and match it to the slide and caps with clear afterward. (finding a matching black guitar lacquer is harder than you might think) If you do, you will wind up with about $175 in the horn by the time you are done, which would seem a fair value for a fun little horn - assuming its one of the good Alloras. . . .
Play it and decide if it's worth more than $45 before spending a few times that on cosmetics. |
What if I"m not worried about cosmetics and just want the bell to resonate correctly?
The specific model of the pocket trumpet is: Allora MXPT-5801-BK Black Nickel Series. Are you saying Allora's vary in quality from the same models? or they have good and bad models? |
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OldSchoolEuph Heavyweight Member
Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 2440
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 6:53 am Post subject: |
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Sclurbs wrote: | What if I"m not worried about cosmetics and just want the bell to resonate correctly?
The specific model of the pocket trumpet is: Allora MXPT-5801-BK Black Nickel Series. Are you saying Allora's vary in quality from the same models? or they have good and bad models? |
I had not realized that was nickel (a process similar to gun bluing makes the nickel plating black). Thats a nice finish. I have no experience with how well it will hold up to the amount of burnishing required - I would suggest asking the tech to try drumsticks first before resorting to the normal steel burnisher and maybe accept a less than perfect appearance, just rectifying the shape to, as you point out, resonate correctly to a proper uniform reflection point.
Some Allora models have earned reputations for being decent student horns. Some have been train wrecks.
Allora sources globally. As I understand it, the bulk of Allora's suppliers are Chinese, but, at least at one time, they were thought to also significantly rely on VMI. Allora does not share this information, so its all supposition by folks recognizing components. On some long running model names, they have been seen to switch suppliers. Looking at decade-old images of this model, I think they have been consistent - and it has a good reputation.
One thing to bear in mind is that, while this may be a "good" Allora, its still a standard pocket trumpet with a bell flare similar to the geometry of a European bugle of the 18th century. The tone produced by such a bell form is not what one expects as a normal trumpet tone. If you are OK with that, and with a less than perfect aesthetic after structural repair, it seems like a decent opportunity to me. _________________ Ron Berndt
www.trumpet-history.com
2017 Austin Winds Stage 466
1962 Mt. Vernon Bach 43
1954 Holton 49 Stratodyne
1927 Conn 22B
1957 Holton 27 cornet
1985 Yamaha YEP-621
1975 Yamaha YEP-321 Custom
1965 Besson Baritone
1975 Olds Recording R-20 |
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cheiden Heavyweight Member
Joined: 28 Sep 2004 Posts: 8914 Location: Orange County, CA
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 12:16 pm Post subject: |
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No way I'd spend money buying and trying to repair a horn that's likely to be mediocre or worse when you're done. _________________ "I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart |
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ECLtmpt2 Veteran Member
Joined: 21 Feb 2021 Posts: 147
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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That's a nice looking, except for the bell!, pocket trumpet. I like the finish. As has been said Allora can be a crap shoot but I guess this will not be your senior recital horn. I get attached to 'rescue' horns like some people do to rescue dogs. My family will have to deal with them later, not me. I have a Czechoslovakian Amati Pocket POS only because it was one of the last from that now free and separated country. It plays.
So,... $45.-; that will get two people a couple of full meals from McDonalds now-a-days. You can blow $45.- bucks on a lot less, I'd go for it and then see where it goes as far as real tonality and playability go, as long as the valves and slides work now. That would be my only concern. It looks like a fun piece, probably never really worth much but...my $0.02c. |
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