Posted by Carole Nowicke on June 03, 2003 at 07:03:45:
In Reply to: Playing a Famous Instrument posted by Daniel C. Oberloh on June 03, 2003 at 02:01:05:
The famous person often sold the instrument during their playing career. That usually means they liked something else better (although sometimes just started shilling for anohter maker) so, unless it was the horn they were using at the time they quit playing, maybe not the best. Bob Rusk bought a King Eb and a French tuba from Abe Torchinsky which had belonged to Bill Bell (who sold instruments with great regularity). Bob donated them to Harvey Phillips Foundation... They sure didn't find their way into use in the Milwaukee Symphony. Many old horns are not that great--just the best that the owner found, or they figured out how to work around the problems. The Sander (not to be confused with Sander_s_) tubas that the Hellebergs kept and used were probably magic (having played Sam Green's Sander). I've had a number of guys tell me they thought they were idiots for selling their old CC Alex, or their Conn Connstellation Euphonium when the next new hot thing came along (they sold the Alex for a new small Mirafone, then they sold the 184 for the next fashionable big horn and regret dumping the Mirafone, too).