"I Could Genuinely Cry..." | The Story of My Luckiest Find.

[@lonniegunter54]

Beautiful story. I'm sure the horn's original owner will rest assured that it will remain in good hands and help a new generation make many memories. Thanks for sharing your faith.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thank you for your kind words, Lonnie. I hope to make him proud up above.

[@robbicu]

Beautiful horn! You'll have to try it with the mouthpiece I sent you.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Definitely!! When I do my Mouthpiece Spotlight on it, this is the horn your mouthpiece will be plugged in to. Fun little fact: the Bach NY 12 you sent me is almost identical to the King 28 which was supplied with later 3Bs. Both are a lot more fun to play on than the 11M supplied with this horn.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

I know, I know-I got sappy on camera three weeks ago in my ophicleide video and here I am, getting sappy on camera again, but bear with me. It’s a pretty amazing story.

[@j1m0thy]

What an insane steal!! Not to mention the wholesome interaction between you and the seller. I’m sure it means a lot to her, for you to receive this special instrument and carry on the legacy of her late husband. I always keep an eye out on facebook marketplace, some really sweet deals pop up every now and then. That’s how I got a Conn 6H trombone for $150 and a Conn 8D french horn for $200… The french horn’s from the Abilene era and has some damage on the bell but I honestly can’t complain given the price I paid. :)

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thanks for your comment! Man, I wish I’d paid that little for my 8D. I got what I’d consider a very good deal, but still not on the same order of magnitude. Mine is also an Abilene with some bell trauma but I love it!!

[@domepiece11]

I tried buying a refurbished vintage Conn 6D French horn off eBay. But when I took it to a top brass rebuilder in Seattle, he said, not worth it, this horn needs a full rotor rebuild. So I returned it. And it had still cost quite a bit. I wanted to get a really nice used Hans Hoyer off Reverb but I got sick and missed the end of the auction. There was nothing else available online or at local shops I wanted or reasonably priced at the time. People want to charge the cost of brand new horns for 20-40+ year old beat up horns with shot rotors. Sorry, no. So for not much more than many comparable used horns, I bought a brand new Yamaha 671D that would need zero expensive fixes. First new horn I ever bought. My very first horn was a $100 used student Holton cornet in essentially new condition off eBay. Everyone else’s parents had bought new King student cornets from the music dealer. In HS, everyone else’s parents bought them brand new Bach Strads from the music dealer. I got a used ~1990 Strad in near perfect condition off eBay for less than half that. And I always took the best care of my horns too. But anyway, I don’t regret buying my French horn new. They are complicated instruments often overpriced while having bad rotor wear and poor compression. I know plenty of people with nice horns that never oil them and have never had them cleaned…you wouldn’t know it from a few exterior photos though. I had needed a horn ASAP to start playing in a band. I’m sure if you can lie in wait long enough though, you can find a good used one. $200 though is just asinine…wow.

[@tyronium2]

i actually have a small bore F attachment and it is actually so fun to play on especially as a short arm guy

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Yeah, it’s incredibly useful! Not to mention all the blatty trigger notes I can now incorporate into my warmups! If I plug a 5G into this horn it gets almost bass-trombone-loud! What’s your axe? Haven’t seen many small-bore F attach. horns besides Kings.

[@EnglishTMTB]

Great smaller-bore horns can be really special... With trumpets and cornets, too! Plenty of love for large and mL bore horns... But try a Conn 38B sometime and there's some real magic in there

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Exactly-why do you think I play a Yamaha 8310? :)

[@EnglishTMTB]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass lovely blow and sound on the Z horns!

[@ShanaynayGosby]

Sam just seems like a cool dude

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

I do my best :)

[@TanBleach46290]

I remember getting my Stradivarius for $250 off of a man I knew personally who passed a couple of weeks after my purchase of the horn. He wanted it to go to someone who would use it for great things. I still use that horn to this day as a freshman in my undergrad.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

A charming story! Those old Bachs hold countless memories. I’m glad you’re still making good use of it.

[@stahlecker-1]

Congratulations on the phenomenal find! Been looking for that exact setup for a while now. Or a king 3b+ with f 2125.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thank you! It really is an unbeatable setup. And it loves just any mouthpiece I could possibly think to plug into it, so unlike the 606… Are you generally a fan of medium bores like the 3B+ over standard .500” or .508” bores? I will admit I have a soft spot for the Bach 36 but would find trouble getting the proper sound either in jazz or classical with it as opposed to having one small and one large bore horn.

[@stahlecker-1]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass I currently play on a King Tempo II 607 .508 bore and play in the local community band as 2nd/3rd horn. As much as I love the sound of my almost King 3BF I have found that for what I normally play it the yellow brass bell on the smaller bore it can get very bright in sound, if not careful. 2nd horn plays on a Bach 36B and 1st is on a Conn 74H if I am not mistaken. Both have gold/rose brass bells so they do have a much warmer tone naturally. I have often thought that medium bore trombones are overlooked and from someone that does a fair amount of swing/jazz and symphonic pieces that the medium bore excels in that mixed arena. Especially for someone who doesn't play professionally and just needs a good all around horn to play almost anything.

[@billclintonsgaybrother]

I was gifted a gold lacquer King 3BF from 1976 as my first non-student trombone and I play it in my college jazz band. I love that horn to death.

[@josephervine1119]

I got my hands on a rare King 1485 Silver Sonic symphony bass trombone before Christmas. I absolutely love it.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Silver Sonic bass?? Sounds awesome!

[@QMore-fp7wn]

Oh yes! I love my King 3BF. I got it in high school and has only been a concert band/jazz band horn. Congrats.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Wonderful! I think it does well no matter where you use it, but is truly unbeatable in jazz. Thank you!

[@RobertCardwell]

Grace over Grind brother.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

A beautiful sentiment.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

If you’re curious to learn more about this absolutely stunning horn (which I am still truly in love with six months later), I finally got around to reviewing it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5-Xip-elMmekMksi=Pzl7FNqfNSjEtgPU

[@psychedelicpucho]

Yeah don’t ever get rid of that horn. Vintage trombones should be played. I had an anniversary model King Silversonic 3b with an F attachment. It was beautiful. I just didn’t like the weight of the F attachment. I’m not the type of player that really could utilize it all that well, especially for the type of playing that I do. I only had the horn a few weeks before I flipped it for a straight King silversonic 3b of sixties vintage. I do have to say that the anniversary model was of high quality. I kept the straight 3b. I’ll never get rid of it. I also have a 2b silversonic. I’ll never get rid of it either. I do sometimes wonder about horns with the f attachment. Maybe one day I’ll get another.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

I certainly plan to hold onto it forever! I think it’s great that you have a 2BSS/3BSS duo. I’ve played a couple 2B’s w/ SS bell, and they have the perfect 30’s/40’s sound. The weight of an F attachment is by all means a valid concern. Admittedly, even with the SS bell, this 3B doesn’t “cut” quite as much as one might expect due to the added weight. I’m too scared to have any extensive work done to such a piece of history, but in an ideal world I’d have an interchangeable gooseneck to turn this horn into a straight. Still, with such short T-rex arms as mine, the F attachment becomes quite necessary sometimes.

[@Chazd1949]

Whoa !!! A 3B-F Silversonic for $150 ... ??? You are truly blessed! I also have a 3B-F SIlversonic and agree totally that it is the best T-bone for jazz. I thought I got a great deal paying $1,200 for it. I play mine regularly in the church orchestra. I also have a 6B (bass) which has a great sound for playing those pedal-range notes that sound thin on a smaller horn.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

It was a massive blessing! I got my Conn 88H a couple years ago for $1200 (another local purchase) and I, too, considered that a very good deal. But hey, $650 average for two of my all-time favorite trombones isn’t so bad! I also like the 6B and did a review on it a while back, but it isn’t as much a “bucket list” item for me. May I ask what sort of a mouthpiece you use on the 3BFSS for church playing?

[@Chazd1949]

I use all Dennis Wick mouthpieces on my low brass instruments:. a 12CS on the 3B T-bone and on the Getzen bass trumpet, a 1AL on the 6B, and a SM6U (Ultra) on the large bore 4-valve King euphonium. @@SamuelPlaysBrass

[@Sagefox455yt]

i got a perfect Bach Strad model 36 for 5$

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

WOW. I love the Bach 36, and $5 is downright comical. I hope you have treasured that horn to this day!

[@Juan_Bone09]

Awesome story and awesome horn! The King 3BF is My Dream Trombone...

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

I’m still shocked, because it’s my dream horn too, and I don’t have to dream any longer!

[@serranoferny_]

this is SUCH an amazing find! So glad for you man!

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thank you so much dude it’s a dream cone true for sure!!

[@ronzgarage]

OMG SAM!! What a Blessing! It's funny, I just had a moment like yours Today! (8-24-2024) and 4 other times earlier this year. God hears his kids requests. 2 years ago I bought a Besson Academy that belonged to a sellers Dad who brought it over from England, she even gave me the shipping tag from the USS America. I played the 1st few notes of Tommy Dorseys "I'm getting sentimental over you" and she broke into tears saying her Dad always played that song on that Trombone. What we do as collectors, assuring sellers their instrument treasures will be loved and cared for is meaningful to people and if I can get the back story of the owner, I type it up and place in the case so the story stays with the horn.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@ronzgarage Heya Ron! We love to see God work his miracles in unexpected ways. That is a really sweet story and I think documenting those stories for the next owner is a great idea. Always fun to see the steals and unusual trombones you come across. If I was looking more actively (my “collector” tendencies subsided once I got the 3BFSS) I’d definitely love to do what it is that you do.

[@GlockDoctor]

Hey Samuel- Your big Blessing was richly deserved and I'm so glad that God smiled upon both you and Colleen today!😊

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thank you so much Gino! Blessings!

[@harleyzeth]

Dude I shit you not, I also have this same trombone! It was my first trombone I got in 8th grade from a flea marlet for 100 bucks. I didn't realize the scale of just how good of a deal it was until years to come. I started band 2 years late, so I didn't even know it was a good trombone, I just thought it was "a trombone" at the time because I hadn't actually started playing yet. I later learned that having a trigger meant it was worth a lot of money, but years later when I went to all-region jazz clinic, our guest trombone soloist explained to me just how lucky I was to get my hands on this trombone at all, let alone for 100 bucks. I bought this horn 12 years ago and still have it for keepsake, even though bass trombone is my main instrument these days. I bought this horn in little rock Arkansas.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

No kidding! That is absolutely incredible, especially at 2/3 of what even I paid for mine. Glad you still have the horn all these years later!

[@nyancs7098]

Awesome sounding trombone played by an awesome dude!

[@jetskihognam]

And an awesome sounding dude 😉

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Aw, guys! :,) But yeah, this is one absolutely awesome trombone!

[@brendanlocke3439]

almost picked up an olds clark terry trumpet a few weeks ago for $150...

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Oh my… sorry to hear it got away.

[@danielnewman134]

The King 3B Silver Sonic with the F Attachment is the Ultimate trombone for me. It is the one trombone that I would load all of the credit cards to get. Congratulations.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Exactly! Thank you. It’ll be a treasure of mine for as long as I keep playing.

[@jaywilkoff9413]

Have you played any Victory brass instruments?

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

I don’t think so, sorry.

[@ShaeMaunAbreu-zd5nc]

Congratulations bro keep staying true to yourself

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thank you!

[@ismiregalichkochdasjetztso3232]

That almost made me cry. I'm so glad this instrument found you. And it sounds wonderful in your hands.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

It’s a very powerful story. I am so blessed to play a horn that I could only have dreamed of, and to have gotten it in such circumstances.

[@chrismarbrey9678]

I owned the very some horn. Mine was frome the 70s.

[@chrismarbrey9678]

I also owned the straight horn version. It had been used a lot more. The gold wash was no more, but the F attachment was in great condition. The gold wash was perfect.

[@정경원-m2s]

I like my anniversary model king 3bfss too.! I have a question. Does your trombone have one piece leadpipe? or two piece leadpipe?

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

That must be one very special horn! I don’t know about the leadpipe on mine, unfortunately. How does one tell?

[@정경원-m2s]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass Mine has two piece leadpipe. Some older vintage is said to have one piece leadpipe, and some say older vintage has better blow because they have one piece leadpipe. I was just curious how it is about 60's vintage.(mine is 90's model.) Just look inside the mouthpiece receiver and if yours have two piece leadpipe, you may see the step(start of a leadpipe).

[@kamronmitchell3443]

How do you feel about a king timpo 1306

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Excellent horn. About as close to a King 3B as you can get without paying the full 3B price.

[@rayh1009]

I think that's the sweetest sound I've heard from you on any horn on this channel. But I've been thinking lately about how great the sound of a trombone can be in general. How does the difficulty of playing the instrument compare to trumpet?

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thanks so much Ray! The trombone is very difficult to start out on but equally rewarding. You might try something like a valve trombone/baritone/bass trumpet before you pull the plug on a trombone just to make sure your lips cooperate with the larger mouthpiece.

[@domepiece11]

Switching from one valved instrument to another of different mouthpiece size seems hard enough. But I always wondered how long it would take to get that intuitive feel for slide positions that it seems to take trombone players years of playing in school band everyday to master. So that is partly why Sam impresses me with the trombone. :)

[@davidwallace1390]

Great fiind, prayer works.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Incredible how it does sometimes.

[@jimdevlin9045]

Great things happen! Enjoy that horn.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

I absolutely will!

[@leoelantra]

I have a King 605F that I got for $300.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Very nice. The 605F sounds like a lot of fun. I am partial to those extra-small bore horns.

[@pebblebeach8517]

Ha’ great find you deserve it.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thank you! It was a blessing.

[@lukekent9687]

What a find! So blessed!

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Truly!

[@IndianOutlaw1870]

God is good, brother.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@IndianOutlaw1870 Indeed He is.

[@el-pesomuerto5683]

king 606 one of the best trombones, Willy Colon uses the 606 as his main

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Having played both the 606 and this 3B, the 3B is still a significant step up.

[@psychedelicpucho]

That surprises me that Willie would play a 606 when he could get a 3b. What is your source, if you don’t mind me asking?

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@psychedelicpuchoIn fairness, King was really late getting on the .500” bore/8” bell pro horn train. I think they have something like a 2B+ now, but the 3B being .508”, perhaps a hyper-sensitive player who’s very in-tune with their own sound might feel the 3B is a hair too large and the 2B a hair too small.

[@minemaster3157]

Wow this is insane, currently searching for a good euphonium that’s not crazy priced, this gives me motivation to keep searching. This story was wonderful and I’m sure that you relieved her from her worries she had from selling it.

[@minemaster3157]

My eyes were damn near watering when he said silver sterling bell

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Best of luck! Euphoniums are tough because people tend to be reluctant to let them go. Thank you for your comment.

[@minemaster3157]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass yeah, i noticed its all student horns, or expensive professional models

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Since you mention student horns, do keep an eye out for the King 2280. If one comes up for cheap, might be worth it. They aren't quite as 'dark' as what I seek from a euphonium, but they take a large shank mouthpiece like pro models and have a HUGE sound. So much fun to play, especially in the 4th valve and pedal range. It is a non-compensating 4th system but the 4th slide is long enough to extend for a low B.

[@minemaster3157]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass i will keep an eye out for that, thank you!

[@gmoney6347]

Beautiful horn! Would love to get a 3b or 3bf one day. Several years ago an older gentleman came regularly to our local city band concerts and enjoyed listening to me play. He invited me over one day to sit and chat at his house. He used to play trombone until he got old to the point that he couldn’t play anymore. He walked to his basement and brought up two Martin Committee trombones. One he played throughout his life and one that his school band director had who was a trombonist himself. His band director had given his horn to him in his late life thus why he had it. I got real lucky and he gave me that very horn that his band director gave him many years ago. Unfortunately the older gentleman passed away a couple years ago and to honor him I played “The Patriot” by Arthur Pryor. Though I played my Bach 42 for the solo, I still got to honor him more by playing the committee he gave me for the rest of the concert. I prefer to play my 1962 Conn 6H for jazz, but I like to pull out that old Martin every now and then and blow a few notes for Ray and play a gig with it. I will forever be grateful for his gift to me.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

What a touching story! Congratulations on the Committee and good on you for honoring the man’s legacy. Do keep an eye out for the 3BF because it is incredible! I do really enjoy some older Conn small-bores like the 4H and 48H (haven’t tried the 6H unfortunately so I can’t comment on that), but to me, King’s small bores reign supreme. With that said, my Conn 88H is the best trombone I’ve played on for classical work.

[@Conorplaystrombone]

In the best way possible- you kinda look and sound like pastor rob from young sheldon 🤔

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

HAHA, I’ll take it! I love Pastor Rob. One of my favorite characters from the show.

[@degelepassant1186]

Nooooooo, I cannot believe it !!!! You're so lucky !!! Definitely an old one, looking at the shape of the gooseneck...

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Yep, late 60s. An incredibly lucky find!!

[@domepiece11]

Wow, back when jazz was still mainstream… 🤪

[@directcurrent5751]

Why don't we say GOD LOVING instead of GOD FEARING ?

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@directcurrent5751 I say that too. Just a popular expression said in jest.

[@peternaryd_operasinger]

Great video Samuel!🤗👍👍

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thank you, Peter!

[@peternaryd_operasinger]

You're so welcome

[@feelgoodcharlie3822]

I think the right thing would have been to be more honest about the actual value of the horn and offer up some of those extra bucks that you used to wipe your tears with.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

If I’d been in better financial straits than “selling off my personal restorations to barely scrape my next payment for school,” I’d agree. But are you not the guy who told me techniques to score steals on bass trombones from unsuspecting sellers? Additionally, the lady selling this and other instruments of her late husband’s was not selling them to make money. While she was not a trombonist, she knew such a pristine horn could fetch more than $150. Same with the other instruments. She was much more concerned with finding someone in town who would put some good notes on it as her husband did. She was amused by how many messages she got, and how nearly I missed the opportunity to buy the horn from her, but as I said, she was happy knowing it was going to someone young and passionate who would treat it well. But I guess the bottom line here is that now I will never forget this lady. Should I ever encounter her again, or should I ever hear of her needing help, she has me at her beck and call because of the great service she did me. Not everything is transactional. Some things are cyclical, spiritual, even cosmic. I know I’m rambling at this point, but I hope someday to be fortunate enough that upon retiring from playing I can sell my instruments cheaply enough that someone like my 21-y/o (or teenage) self can buy them and benefit from them. It would make my heart happy to do something like that, and I think it made her heart happy, too.

[@feelgoodcharlie3822]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass I appreciate you admitting that what you did was not the most favorable thing despite your ongoing list of excuses. You're not mistaken, I did score some major deals on trombones, although I didn't go around flaunting about them in a video bagging about the deal of my life from an old lady. They were also not offers that even got to see, if not a random gamble based on vague images. The rest of it all is unnecessary self pity and rambling about how you choose to justify it to yourself. Whatever works for you and helps sleep at night buddy. I like your videos and your content, although you should really take a hard look at how this looks for your public who can see both sides of the situation for themselves. Outside of all of your greedy american followers that have a similiar mindset to you