Improving vintage Blessing marching baritones

[bloke]

Even though only the name exists now and it is now stamped on Chinese instruments, I was always sort of impressed with the USA Blessing marching baritones which featured European made (Bauerfeind) valvesets. Revisiting them these days when they come through the shop and comparing them to others, their standard shank receivers seem to keep them from making quite as much racket as some of the others, even though some of the others may not really be as good overall.

Have any of you marching rednecks slipped large shank receivers on those American Blessing marching baritones and made any subsequent observations?

...and sure, that would also involve expanding the small end of the mouthpipe tube to accommodate the large receiver.

[tokuno]

I've got a tenor shank 1970s Olds marching baritone (small bell by today's standard) that plays well, but would probably benefit by that mod.
Btw, I had opportunity to try that horn's bigger brother. Still a baritone, but longer, taller, heavier, bigger bell, and it's a fabulously smooth, easy-playing horn. Makes me wonder if it's an exceptional sample, or representative of that model, in which case, if someone has one, I'll buy it. Far better player than the like-size Yamaha and the Thomann clone.

[bloke]

If that instrument is in your town, take a picture of it, sometime...and (maybe) let us know the overall length and bell diameter.

[bloke]

I'm very biased - perhaps bigoted - against Japan instruments.
Band directors have been programmed (via goodwill, etc.) to auto-choose this brand, they cost the taxpayers just about the most of any, and they are a PITA to repair.

disclosure:
I sell a competitor make which builds knock-offs of Japan designs, I can sell them for about half as much, the knock-off maker's excellent-fitting brazed-together stainless steel pistons (vs. Japan lead-soldered and nickel-plated pistons) are easier to deal with, (even though there's no metal sandwich) the guides are easier to adjust, they're a bit thicker (less dent-prone) vs. Japan, and their cases are immeasurably sturdier vs. Japan. OK...Everything I just stated may well not (??) be true. Anyone curious should investigate for themselves.

OK...I just stated my biases.

For those of you who own very expensive German cars, I would compare (don't get confused in this analogy) expensive Japan instruments to those very expensive German cars, whereby I would compare King (and the Chinese make I sell) to Toyota.

German cars cost a fortune, and UNLESS you COMPLETELY service them ABSOLUTELY as their owners' manuals outline, they are GOING to give you trouble.

Toyota's cars - in comparison - (even their CHEAPEST models - though Toyotas are not inexpensive) will go-and-go-and-go - even if the owners' manuals are tossed out the window, and EVEN IF the synthetic oil is only changed every 20,000K miles (not even every 10K).

I just finished "repairing" the first of 11 Japan marching baritones. They are used by slightly older children (technically: "adults") so I'm not going to have to do as much case repair, but basically THERE WAS NOTHING "BROKEN" ON THIS first-of-11 INSTRUMENT, but EVEN THOUGH there was nothing "broken", I had to "FOOL AROUND" with it for the better part of an HOUR to get two of the valves working properly. I replaced NOTHING (other than under-button felts). I had to monkey around with (the most minor amount of) dirt in casings, I had to monkey around with the guides, and I had to monkey around with the casings' valve guide tracks. again: reminiscent of working on a German car - having missed approximately a year of its mandatory scheduled service appointments.

Obviously, I'm not a band director, but WERE I one, I wouldn't want stuff like this (certainly not at these prices, if any sympathy for taxpayers) out on the marching field. EVEN THOUGH old grubby no-longer-made-in-Brazil crummy old Dynasty marching baritones don't sound as good, their CASES don't fall apart, and - no matter what - their VALVES go up-and-down.

OK...again...I could be completely lying...and I could be describing a completely anecdotal instrument...again: I COULD be... Others should investigate independently and determine whether my observations are based on biases or whether they are based on routine experiences.

[Finetales]

I have a Blessing M-300 Artist marching baritone with the Bauerfeind valves. I used it on a recording session once (never thought I'd get paid to play that, of all things) and volume-wise it had no trouble keeping up with and even cutting through the 28 other brass players in the room. I also had no trouble back when I marched one in high school.

That said, I have thought about putting a large shank receiver on it to make it more open. Maybe I will one day.

I also have the baritone's stablemate, the M-200 Artist marching trombone (flugabone). Also a great player!

[tokuno]

Thanks for this. My mini Olds marching baritone is obviously a flugabone; I didn't know such existed.

I also have the baritone's stablemate, the M-200 Artist marching trombone (flugabone). Also a great player!

[bloke]

Everyone other than King had to call those little things marching trombones, because King copyrighted the name flugabone.

People discuss back and forth whether Olds in California made a better one or whether King made a better one. Owning a King - and having owned an Olds in the past, I'm in the King camp.

I don't think anyone makes these anymore. I always viewed Getzen/Holton/Blessing/DEG as alsorans, as far as "marching trombones" were concerned.

[Finetales]

I've had the King, the Olds, and the Blessing. All great players, but pretty different. I don't think any of them is "better" really, they're each just best suited for different things.

- The King is the loudest and has a shouty sound - great for playing in loud bands. I use mine in funk bands and a cumbia band.
- The Olds has a much more refined, yet reserved sound. If there was such a thing as "classical flugabone gigs", the Olds would be the perfect choice.
- The Blessing is pretty similar to the Olds since they appear to have the same design. But the Blessing feels looser and less "legit" than the Olds, and its strongest suit is playing quiet, smoky jazz.
- I also have a King 1140 trombonium which plays GREAT, and more open than any of the flugabones. It's also less mouthpiece sensitive. That horn is all jazz trombone and would be perfect for bebop and the like.

All of them do everything you'd expect a valve trombone to do perfectly well, they each just have their little niches where they excel. For what it's worth, I'm keeping the King (flugabone, not trombonium) and maybe the Blessing. The Olds is long gone and the trombonium is on its way out. If I had infinite money and space I'd keep all of them, but...

[bloke]

I always thought that these things only sounded sort of combined with a sound that sort of stuffy, but I have a trombone player friend (70+) who switched to trombone in the 12th grade or so from euphonium. He plays like an angel. He picked mine up for the first time ever playing one of these things and it sounded gorgeous.