Joined: 19 Oct 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Cleburne, Texas
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2022 5:20 am Post subject: HN White Mini Liberty replica?
I am an avid collector of vintage and historic trumpets. #1 on my "bucket list" is an HN White Mini Liberty trumpet. Knowing how extremely rare these beauties are, I was wondering if anyone made replicas of these horns for collectors like me. I'll never give up hope of running into an actual one, and I'm willing to pay a pretty hefty price if I do, but in the meantime, I'd love to add a replica to my collection. _________________ Schilke X3L - Schilke S22C - Besson Meha 4-valve piccolo - Couesnon flugelhorn - Yamaha Xeno cornet
I too am a collector of vintage and significant trumpets, cornets, and flugelhorns (currently numbering over 50), and I am fortunate to be able to count an H.N. White King Mini Liberty among them (I posted a picture of it on page 14 of the "Trumpet Eye Candy" thread).
I found it on eBay several years ago and won it for a little over $4,000. A year or two later I saw another one on eBay with a starting price of over $6,000 (I'm not sure it sold at that price).
I also have a few custom made horns by Robb Stewart (among them a "Caduceus" pocket cornet and a pocket (Robb calls it "fun size") flugelhorn. These projects each cost in the $4K-$5K range. They used valve blocks and other components sourced from larger manufacturers like Kanstul.
My point in sharing all this is that it would probably cost you vastly more to have a Mini Liberty replica built than it would be to simply buy one when one becomes available, primarily because, unlike the custom horns I commissioned, your Mini Liberty replica would have to be built 100% from scratch. As far as I know, there is no secondary source that is manufacturing and stocking half-scale valve blocks or bells for sale.
If you have 'pull' with a current manufacturer, maybe you could convince them to produce a limited run of half-scale trumpets to be used as gifts for artists and high-performing sales people just as H.N. White did. _________________ "He that plays the King shall be welcome . . . " (Hamlet Act II, Scene 2, Line 1416)
"He had no concept of the instrument. He was blowing into it." -- Virgil Starkwell's cello teacher in "Take the Money and Run"
Last edited by Halflip on Sun Oct 02, 2022 4:27 pm; edited 2 times in total
Joined: 19 Oct 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Cleburne, Texas
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2022 6:43 am Post subject:
Beautiful! I'll keep looking.
I recently acquired my #2 trumpet: Blessing B-175 1984 Olympics Herald Trumpet. Never thought I'd ever see one of these let alone add it to my collection.
#3 is a York Airflow cornet. Still looking for that one, too.
Thanks!
TimW _________________ Schilke X3L - Schilke S22C - Besson Meha 4-valve piccolo - Couesnon flugelhorn - Yamaha Xeno cornet
#3 is a York Airflow cornet. Still looking for that one, too
There's one on eBay right now (another one sold a couple of days ago). That's where I found my York Airflow cornet and trumpet. My collection is pretty much the product of watching eBay for decades. _________________ "He that plays the King shall be welcome . . . " (Hamlet Act II, Scene 2, Line 1416)
"He had no concept of the instrument. He was blowing into it." -- Virgil Starkwell's cello teacher in "Take the Money and Run"
Joined: 19 Oct 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Cleburne, Texas
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2022 3:29 pm Post subject:
I just looked at the York Airflow for sale on eBay. While it's a rare and collectable horn, they want way too much for it in that condition. I might pay close to that much for one in like new condition. _________________ Schilke X3L - Schilke S22C - Besson Meha 4-valve piccolo - Couesnon flugelhorn - Yamaha Xeno cornet
Joined: 16 Aug 2011 Posts: 858 Location: Johnson City Tn
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2022 3:41 pm Post subject:
TimW wrote:
I just looked at the York Airflow for sale on eBay. While it's a rare and collectable horn, they want way too much for it in that condition. I might pay close to that much for one in like new condition.
Jlandress has one in better condition. _________________ Current horns
2023 Bach 19072G/43 pipe with 1st trigger
1966 H.N. White King Silver Flair
1965 H.N. White King Super 20 Sllversonic Symphony 1st trigger
I just looked at the York Airflow for sale on eBay. While it's a rare and collectable horn, they want way too much for it in that condition. I might pay close to that much for one in like new condition.
It's too bad you missed the other one I mentioned. The seller didn't know what they had (the auction listing referred to it as a "Vintage York Paris Mother Of Pearl Buttons Trumpet") and started the bidding at 99 cents. People noticed what it was, though (there was even a thread here on the forum about it -- https://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=160538), and the bidding ended at $1,128.09.
It had a crumpled bell, but it would have been a relatively easy repair for an expert brass tech.
The one at Josh Landress Brass mentioned by chef8489 looks pretty nice, but the finish is "original" (as opposed to "like new"); some prefer that when collecting vintage horns. _________________ "He that plays the King shall be welcome . . . " (Hamlet Act II, Scene 2, Line 1416)
"He had no concept of the instrument. He was blowing into it." -- Virgil Starkwell's cello teacher in "Take the Money and Run"
That is a Kalison mini trumpet made by an Italian brass manufacturer. It is also half-sized like the King Mini Liberty, but it appears to be much more roughly constructed -- none of the slides pull, the valve guides are screws that insert from the outside of the valve block, the multiple segments forming the bell are joined very crudely, there is no engraving besides "Made in Italy", etc. (On the Mini Liberty, all the slides except for the second valve slide can be pulled out, the valve guide setup and bell assembly are just like that of the full-size Liberty, and there is even half-scale engraving on the bell and valve block again matching what you would find on a full-size Liberty.)
There is a Kalison mini currently for sale on eBay. The (optimistic) seller is asking $4,500; it has been sitting out there for a very long time (over a year, I think). _________________ "He that plays the King shall be welcome . . . " (Hamlet Act II, Scene 2, Line 1416)
"He had no concept of the instrument. He was blowing into it." -- Virgil Starkwell's cello teacher in "Take the Money and Run"
Joined: 29 May 2006 Posts: 425 Location: New York City
Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 10:03 am Post subject:
As a collector myself and having owned several mini Liberties the real holy grail in my eyes is the Thibouville-Lamy mini trumpet and cornet. I have only seen pictures of these but were the size of a trumpet mouthpiece with working slides and valves. _________________ Josh Landress
J. Landress Brass, LLC.
38 West 32nd Street, STE 908, NY, NY 10001
646-922-7126
www.jlandressbrass.com
As a collector myself and having owned several mini Liberties the real holy grail in my eyes is the Thibouville-Lamy mini trumpet and cornet. I have only seen pictures of these but were the size of a trumpet mouthpiece with working slides and valves.
Thank you for mentioning this! I was completely unaware of the Thibouville-Lamy mini trumpet and cornet. Is there an internet site where one could see pictures of these? _________________ "He that plays the King shall be welcome . . . " (Hamlet Act II, Scene 2, Line 1416)
"He had no concept of the instrument. He was blowing into it." -- Virgil Starkwell's cello teacher in "Take the Money and Run"
Joined: 29 May 2006 Posts: 425 Location: New York City
Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 10:31 am Post subject:
Halflip wrote:
Thank you for mentioning this! I was completely unaware of the Thibouville-Lamy mini trumpet and cornet. Is there an internet site where one could see pictures of these?
I am not aware of any pictures on the internet but I have some old printouts in French from some old papers written in the 50's. When I get a chance I'll try and scan them. _________________ Josh Landress
J. Landress Brass, LLC.
38 West 32nd Street, STE 908, NY, NY 10001
646-922-7126
www.jlandressbrass.com
I am not aware of any pictures on the internet but I have some old printouts in French from some old papers written in the 50's. When I get a chance I'll try and scan them.
I would really appreciate that. _________________ "He that plays the King shall be welcome . . . " (Hamlet Act II, Scene 2, Line 1416)
"He had no concept of the instrument. He was blowing into it." -- Virgil Starkwell's cello teacher in "Take the Money and Run"
Here’s info from Robb Stewart on a M.J. Kalashen miniature cornet
Neat! I visit Robb Stewart's site a lot, but forgot about that particular horn. _________________ "He that plays the King shall be welcome . . . " (Hamlet Act II, Scene 2, Line 1416)
"He had no concept of the instrument. He was blowing into it." -- Virgil Starkwell's cello teacher in "Take the Money and Run"
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