Tommy....Can ya come out an play?

[BADBOY-DON]

Tom!!!
I just found the shabbest looking but actually pretty good sounding "road-rage Besson.
This one has really been hammered and just to think that I actually thought that my old stolen one was a beater.

Any ideas on this one:
It is an old Besson student model straight cornet with the serial #332681 made in England.
The bell has only an angled note with the word Besson running across the middle and in the lower note is the word "Stratford" on the old bent and beat up bell.
The middle valve brace is broken and banded to the bell with two plastic electrical tie straps.
The valves are actually pretty nice looking with very little wear and best of all.... It actually has a pretty good mellow voice.
HOWEVER,
I haven't had the nerve to show it to any repair facility to have them solder the brace-----at least this should give them a good laugh. Carol was very upset when I washed the years of old musties out of the horn in her new sink. She can not believe that I was sooooooooooo darned HARD UP to find an old Cornet so bad that I would actually pay $25.00 to the old second hand store peddler in South Tacoma Way. He wanted $75.00 for it at first. He said that it wouldn't play because he thought there was something stuck down in the tubing somewhere....(I didn't have the heart to tell him that it was just one of the valves that was inserted incorrectly...so I guess with that in mind???????
BOTTOM LINE:
I don't know whether he or I got the best deal n' allthathatjazz.....and best of all........ "What happened to my "Do unto others before the do-do unto you?>>>> Hummm? Ah my sin nature!!!!
I assure you that NO ONE WOULD EVER BE LED INTO SIN BY THE TEMPTATION TO STEAL THIS PIECE OF !@#$%from my "wheel-borrown'pick-up truck.

Speaking of doin'unto others, Tom.....WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH PRAISE AND WORSHIP, LATELY.....MY GOOD BROTHA-THOMAS???????

[trombapaul2]

Don,

Glad to hear you found a prospective replacement for the now AWOL
beater cornet. How's about's posting a photo or three of this one?

Paul

[tom turner]

Hi Don,

Well . . . there ya go screwin' some poor businessman out of 2/3rds of his anticipated loot. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!!!! . . .

Oh well . . . ya didn't earn the name BAD BOY by playin' N - I - C - E

That ol' beater, orphan, Besson sounds like it finally found a home where it will receive some TLC.

Actually, in retail the definition of a "Good Deal" is what BOTH the sell AND the buyer are happy with the price. In this case, I really suspect this was the case!

To ease yore poor old conscience consider this, . . . that poor schmuck of a pawn shop owner probably ALSO felt bad about selling that old horn for more'n a BUCK anyway! He probably needed money for lunch.

I hope retirement is going great for you . . . and I've been really sick about your cornet-less condition for quite a while now. Heck . . . I almost simply mailed you one of my Boston 3-Stars as a gift!* I'm glad you can once again toot again on a sweet cornet . . . and relieved about having to give away that 1911 3-Star!

Warmest regards,

Tom

* Note: Just kiddin' 'bout givin' away the Boston . . . then again, you knew I wasn't QUITE that crazy!

PS: Here's a photo of my 3-Star I've written so much about in the past:

[Shaker]

oooo... aaaaahhhh...

[NewYork 43]

This is my "beater cornet"

[BADBOY-DON]

* Note: Just kiddin' 'bout givin' away the Boston . . . then again, you knew I wasn't QUITE that crazy!

PS: Here's a photo of my 3-Star I've written so much about in the past:

ARRRRRRRGH! Tom!!!!! TALK ABOUT BAD-BOYS!!!!
Naturally.....U jest about sending that beloved and anointed 3 star of yours---------------------but talk about temptation for the ol' tired eyes.....shame on you Tom!!!!! Coveting thy neighbors wife is one thing but for this old demented BADBOY!!!! Equally is great the sin....after I saw that beautiful photo of that beautiful cornet that you attached to the E mail. (NOT ALL IS WASTED...by beloved brotha-Thomas!!!!! That gift is now at least---------A MOST BEAUTIFUL SCREEN SAVER!!!!
THANKS FOR THE "ALMS N' BALMS" THAT CALMS THAT SIC' SICK JAZZOID SOUL OF MINE!!!!!

I worked with that old cornet today.....but still need a nice deep V-cup mouthpiece to replace that old Besson mouthpiece that was stolen. I miss that old cookie-cutter sound almost as much as I do that old departed CrookSov.
Bottom line: This new $25.00 Besson just doesn't belong to my soul and body like that old horn. (I truly think in some ways that these old horns that we used as tools to adore and praise....some how seem to become more than just a plain old piece of brass plumbing shaped into the likes of a musical instrument? This horn just seems surleeeeee' or nasty....or just plain soul-less. This horn needs lots of love and adoration time, run through those old musty pipes for a while. Maybe???? Just perhaps.....this old masher of a horn will begin to take on a new light from above....?????????hummmm

Thanks for the concern.....but the search for a better quality cornet still goes on. Opportunity or a blessing will ocurr when we least expect it....so far, it matters not----- At my age....I count my blessings every day that our master has allowed me health and facilities enough to keep on playing such a demanding musicial instrument and truthfully....I can both hear the feel the test of time on this old temple. But hey....wait till we get to the other side and one can only imagine just how great we'll all look and play again....pain free and no limit to our range or talent n'allthatjazz.

[BADBOY-DON]

NW 43.......
SHAME, SHAME ON YOU........THAT IS ONE BEAUTIFUL GAGGLE OF BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS.....
THANKS....FOR LETTING MY SPIRIT SOAR!!!!!!

[tom turner]

Nice old 3-Star, NY43! Lot's of extra "chicken scratchin's" shore dew make it purdy!!!

Here are my two, you guys just made me whip out the old digital camera. Sorry for the glare . . . and I haven't polished 'em in a year or so. Still . . . two wonderful, wonderful 90+ year old fixed leadpipe 3-Stars.

These two, numbers 20091 and 20349 (in foreground) were made in either 1911 or 1913, according to different reference materials. My favorite Bostons are the fixed leadpipe ones in low pitch.

"Doc" gigs on a fixed leadpipe Boston, except his is gold plated and in the beautiful full engraving option that yours has.

Here are my "twins:"


Sincerely,

Tom

[tom turner]

It's amazing how these two totally awesome playing cornets are so similar in size, proportions and "wrap." The larger (5") bell on the Wild Thing tilts the WT down more in the photo but they two horns otherwise line up in a lot of ways . . . both the large bore Boston (.480) and the "small" bore Flip Oakes "Wild Thing" at a "measlely" .470!

They are separated by 90 years . . . yet they are sooooo close to one another in how well they play.
Tom

[_Don Herman]

I must ask that y'all stop posting these pictures. Not only are they taking up a lot of sapce, but they are making me simply insane with jealousy!!!

BBD -- Great to have you back posting and tootin'! Nobody can match your style of posting...

Tom, I think that poor old 3-Star is probably feeling quite put out since you picked up your WT. I suggest you give it a nice rest, in a place with clean air, lots of sunshine -- give her a good break. Tell you what, since I feel just soooo badly for her, just go ahead at ship her out to me and I'll take care of her for a while. I've only got an old Ambassador cornet, so your 3-Star can get that superior feeling back in her. Might take a while though... No worries, I won't you charge you a thing for playing her -- errr, storing her, very protectively -- while she's here. I'll drop you my address in a PM so you can ship her right out.

Ever helpful -- Don
_________________
Don Herman/Monument, CO
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley

[BADBOY-DON]