What to do with junk horn

Elow · by **Elow** » 2021-12-25 3:13 p.m.

I saw a free trombone on facebook in an olds case and got real excited, picked it up and it’s a maestro :/ What should k do with it, i’d hate to throw it away but it’s pretty bad. Slide is unusable and dents all over the bell. It’s chrome plated and smells like death

walldaja · by **walldaja** » 2021-12-25 3:44 p.m.

lamp?

BGuttman · by **BGuttman** » 2021-12-25 4:54 p.m.

Here's a chance to hone your repair skills. If you trash it, nobody will care.

The "death smell" can be alleviated by a good soak in Simple Green followed by a good rinse.

After you managed to make it playable, donate it to a needy beginner. Maestro was not the worst brand out there, even though it's not on a par with the better student grades.

Elow · by **Elow** » 2021-12-25 5:04 p.m.

I think i’ll try and cut it down to be a large alto of some sort or just something for my little sister to play.

CalgaryTbone · by **CalgaryTbone** » 2021-12-25 5:12 p.m.

One other potential use - a previous 1st horn player here had a "throwing horn". He kept it in his practice area, and when he was getting really frustrated while practicing, he would carefully set down his good instrument and pick up the "beater" and toss it on the ground. Then he'd get back to practicing. Very therapeutic, without the repairs that would be needed if you ever treated a good instrument that way.

I like Bruce's suggestion to use it as a repair "dummy" and try to fix it up, and then you could follow Dave's idea and turnout into a lamp or maybe a water feature for the yard. It will never be a player.

Jim Scott

officermayo · by **officermayo** » 2021-12-25 6:07 p.m.

[quote="Elow"]I saw a free trombone on facebook in an olds case and got real excited, picked it up and it’s a maestro :/ What should k do with it, i’d hate to throw it away but it’s pretty bad. Slide is unusable and dents all over the bell. It’s chrome plated and smells like death[/quote]

pompatus · by **pompatus** » 2021-12-25 6:12 p.m.

<YOUTUBE id="iCQFMr4Wwb0">~~[media]~~https://youtu.be/iCQFMr4Wwb0</YOUTUBE>

Kingfan · by **Kingfan** » 2021-12-25 6:19 p.m.

This is what I did with a cheap Chinese POS.

Finetales · by **Finetales** » 2021-12-25 7:37 p.m.

I like the "throw horn" idea. I don't really get angry when I practice so I would just throw it for no reason.

I would be tempted to try to cut it down to an alto or something if I had the skills, but only if that cheap brass could handle it.

MTbassbone · by **MTbassbone** » 2021-12-25 9:02 p.m.

I have also heard of trombone players having a gathering and after adult beverages where consumed a competition to throw a trombone the farthest ensues. LOL

SlideCrook · by **SlideCrook** » 2021-12-26 6:13 p.m.

On “The brass and woodwind shop” on YouTube, Art cuts down a student model trombone and a cornet bell and makes a slide cornet. Save the Maestro counterweight, if it’s the screw on kind. You might need it someday.

Kbiggs · by **Kbiggs** » 2021-12-26 7:48 p.m.

Donate it to a marching band. The Oregon State U. marching band did a shtick several years ago where one of the trombones in the first row "accidentally" dropped his trombone, at which point the rest of the band marched all over flattering it. The kid was a good actor, and looked horrified at what happened, with lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth. It was a spectacle.

But perhaps your beater is too good for such treatment...

whitbey · by **whitbey** » 2021-12-27 10:35 a.m.

I painted one Red, White and Blue and it goes in the garden with the flowers.

noordinaryjoe · by **noordinaryjoe** » 2021-12-27 10:47 a.m.

For a stage gag I got a $20 horn on Ebay, straightened the slide enough to play a simple solo on, taped the spit hole with electrical tape (missing water key) and then proceeded to destroy it. After spending my whole trombone-playing life over-protective and in fear of instrument damage it did feel pretty good to be able to let loose on one. As others said above, its definitely therapeutic!

<YOUTUBE id="g1POYjFemUo">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1POYjFemUo</YOUTUBE>

The carnage starts at about 3:20...

Elow · by **Elow** » 2021-12-27 11:26 a.m.

I’m scared if i destroy it, i’ll like breaking trombones too much and start getting ideas about my edwards. I probably won’t do anything with it for a couple months, probably a summer project. Thanks for the suggestions

Mamaposaune · by **Mamaposaune** » 2021-12-27 12:43 p.m.

Elow, since you do repairs, can you use it for parts?

Kbiggs · by **Kbiggs** » 2021-12-27 1:10 p.m.

[quote="noordinaryjoe"]For a stage gag I got a $20 horn on Ebay, straightened the slide enough to play a simple solo on, taped the spit hole with electrical tape (missing water key) and then proceeded to destroy it. After spending my whole trombone-playing life over-protective and in fear of instrument damage it did feel pretty good to be able to let loose on one. As others said above, its definitely therapeutic!

<YOUTUBE id="g1POYjFemUo">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1POYjFemUo</YOUTUBE>

The carnage starts at about 3:20...[/quote]

Brilliant!

bcschipper · by **bcschipper** » 2021-12-27 1:41 p.m.

Respect it.

quiethorn · by **quiethorn** » 2021-12-27 9:35 p.m.

My trombone teacher back in the day had a horn mounted bell-up hung on the wall as a pot for a plant.

JohnL · by **JohnL** » 2021-12-27 9:43 p.m.

Cut it up and use the brass to make a euphonium mute.

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What to do with junk horn