Hah, I missed it too, can't remember if I mentioned it!
What started it was my first few days playing trombone at Disney. My Williams trombone was made in the 1950s and the lacquer is very worn. When the raw brass is exposed to air and intense heat like that + humidity, rain, sweat, acids from skin, etc, it can damage and discolor the instrument.
But what really got me nervous was the Encanto Medley because it involves audience interaction, where I'm expected to hold my trombone in the crook of my elbow while handing maracas to kids (who of course come running and gather around the maraca bag...and my trombone.)
My Williams is an extremely rare trombone, handmade by a craftsman. His trombones are revered among trombonists; they're like the Stradivarius of the trombone world. Once that trombone is damaged, it's gone. I can't just go out and buy another one (one might appear on ebay about once every 5 years) and there are few craftsmen with the skill to restore one to original playability if it gets badly damaged.
Also, it's my favorite horn! I have played it on almost every gig: the circus, cruise ships, tours, weddings...everywhere that I possibly can. I'd be heartbroken if it were damaged beyond repair.
So instead I decided to play my Minick in the park...but unfortunately THAT is a rare horn too! Even rarer than the Williams...Larry Minick was less a craftsman and more of a custom work expert, his best work was when he made improvements and customizations to existing horns. He only made a handful of horns himself, in fact the number is unknown but it's believed there are no more than 20-30 Minick-made trombones in the whole world.
And I was using one of these as a backup to the Williams, in the park, where it could just as easily be damaged and lost to the world because of some kid with a maraca :p
So I started looking for a "burner horn," just something decent but that I'd be willing to risk in an outdoor amusement park setting. While shopping around I got into conversations with misc trombonists, and during one of those chats Trombone Guy appeared, expressed admiration for my Minick, and said if I was ever willing to sell it to let him know.
I checked his page and turns out, he'd HAD a Minick, and it had been STOLEN just last month!! His odds of finding another were slim-to-none, you almost never see them for sale. But on top of that...he had a Williams trombone that he was willing to sell!! With a serial number just a few digits from mine!!
So I said, "Hey...what do you think about doing a trade?" He had something I wanted, and vice versa. The horns are more or less equivalent financial value. I don't care for how the Minick plays, I was keeping it because of it's rarity. It would be much better to have someone actively playing it and enjoying it :) And he felt the same way about his Williams, it wasn't a good fit for him, he prefers something like the Minick. It really felt like the universe brought us together for this haha.
My idea with having a second Williams is that if one gets damaged, I have another. Or I have one that can be a "burner" and supply parts if the other gets broken/damaged. Basically it's still super rude of me to use a Williams in a risky outdoor setting, but I'll feel less bad about it knowing there's at least a possibility of repair and recovery.
That's why we decided to trade! It only cost us both the shipping and insurance. Hopefully we both get what we're looking for. Thanks for asking!
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Date: 2024-07-15 02:24 am (UTC)Hah, I missed it too, can't remember if I mentioned it!
What started it was my first few days playing trombone at Disney. My Williams trombone was made in the 1950s and the lacquer is very worn. When the raw brass is exposed to air and intense heat like that + humidity, rain, sweat, acids from skin, etc, it can damage and discolor the instrument.
But what really got me nervous was the Encanto Medley because it involves audience interaction, where I'm expected to hold my trombone in the crook of my elbow while handing maracas to kids (who of course come running and gather around the maraca bag...and my trombone.)
My Williams is an extremely rare trombone, handmade by a craftsman. His trombones are revered among trombonists; they're like the Stradivarius of the trombone world. Once that trombone is damaged, it's gone. I can't just go out and buy another one (one might appear on ebay about once every 5 years) and there are few craftsmen with the skill to restore one to original playability if it gets badly damaged.
Also, it's my favorite horn! I have played it on almost every gig: the circus, cruise ships, tours, weddings...everywhere that I possibly can. I'd be heartbroken if it were damaged beyond repair.
So instead I decided to play my Minick in the park...but unfortunately THAT is a rare horn too! Even rarer than the Williams...Larry Minick was less a craftsman and more of a custom work expert, his best work was when he made improvements and customizations to existing horns. He only made a handful of horns himself, in fact the number is unknown but it's believed there are no more than 20-30 Minick-made trombones in the whole world.
And I was using one of these as a backup to the Williams, in the park, where it could just as easily be damaged and lost to the world because of some kid with a maraca :p
So I started looking for a "burner horn," just something decent but that I'd be willing to risk in an outdoor amusement park setting. While shopping around I got into conversations with misc trombonists, and during one of those chats Trombone Guy appeared, expressed admiration for my Minick, and said if I was ever willing to sell it to let him know.
I checked his page and turns out, he'd HAD a Minick, and it had been STOLEN just last month!! His odds of finding another were slim-to-none, you almost never see them for sale. But on top of that...he had a Williams trombone that he was willing to sell!! With a serial number just a few digits from mine!!
So I said, "Hey...what do you think about doing a trade?"
He had something I wanted, and vice versa. The horns are more or less equivalent financial value. I don't care for how the Minick plays, I was keeping it because of it's rarity. It would be much better to have someone actively playing it and enjoying it :) And he felt the same way about his Williams, it wasn't a good fit for him, he prefers something like the Minick. It really felt like the universe brought us together for this haha.
My idea with having a second Williams is that if one gets damaged, I have another. Or I have one that can be a "burner" and supply parts if the other gets broken/damaged. Basically it's still super rude of me to use a Williams in a risky outdoor setting, but I'll feel less bad about it knowing there's at least a possibility of repair and recovery.
That's why we decided to trade! It only cost us both the shipping and insurance. Hopefully we both get what we're looking for. Thanks for asking!