Re: Re: Kings new BBb Contra


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Posted by Chris B. on August 31, 2003 at 21:30:16:

In Reply to: Re: Kings new BBb Contra posted by Wade on August 28, 2003 at 18:57:01:

Wade, your memory serves you well. In May 1981 I was one of the contra players with SR that pulled the first K-90's out of the factory shipping crates. All eight of us about collapsed the first time we picked those monsters up and tried to play. I had just graduated from HS and had never played on such a nice instrument, and had never seen such a beautiful silver plated horn. I remember sitting for hours during off times in Hutch trying to get the valves and half slide "broken in" before leaving on tour. During that summer we were the envey of all DCI contra players. Everywhere we went people wanted to try them out. I specifically remember us trading horns with the Bridgemen guys one night in a parking lot impromptu joint hornline rendition of Rainbow. They were just awestruck. Of course, you would understand the expletives that came from John Simpson when he saw others holding our horns; quite comical to everyone but us!

We treated those horns with kid gloves that first year and I know I left mine virtually unscratched. In 1982, I moved on to march with Garfield and played a 2-valve chrome DEG. I enjoyed winning with the Cadets after that, but I'll never forget the awesome sound and looks of those first K-90's in SkyRyders. I got a chance to play on one of the originals again back in 1998. The Shriners D&B Corps in Austin bought 3 or 4 of the original SR horns and our Shriner Corps in Dallas borrowed one from them for me to play. It was a great reunion with a wonderful contra.

Your post brought back great memories of those horns and their unique homemade packing crates (remember those 2-horn wooden boxes?) Your memory was right on target!
Chris "1981 SkyRyder K-90 lugger" Boyd


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