New to the site looking for some help 1949 Martin

WStern · New Member Joined: 30 Mar 2020 Posts: 1

Hey everyone! Hope all is well and everyone is doing ok during these crazy times. So I found d myself here looking for some info on my late father's 1949 Martin Commitee...my dad alway kept in a case but def has signs of wear ..should I attempt to polish? Get rid of any tarnish-oxidiation...
Is this worth what I am seeing in the net??
Any help would be great..I dont know the slightest things. He also has a King Opus 7 and a few others.look forward to hearing from some of you
Thanks ,Will

JayKosta · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2020 12:42 pm Post subject:

Yes the Martin is potentially quite valuable. The main thing at this point is to not attempt any DIY attempts at cleaning or disassembly (since it seems you are not familiar with trumpet maintenance).
Because is has been in storage for a long time, it's likely that the oil and grease is all dried, and parts are stuck together - trying to force them or using any tools can cause serious damage.

If there is a music store with a repair technician (phone around) take it there and have them look and give you an estimate for basic cleaning and getting into 'playing condition'. There's a danger with attempting to do a thorough polishing - if done too aggressively it can caused the engraved markings to become faint, and even thin the metal.

If you are in NJ, Dillon's might be an option.

Jay
_________________
Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'.