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Pretty Good Bb and Bass on eBay

Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-07-09 20:17

Over the weekend I went to an eBay seller's house and tried a Buffet Bb http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1444186255 and a Conn bass, http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1444187104 . The auctions end tomorrow, and, though I'm not interested in the horns, they are both worth bidding on if the price stays within reason.

The owner is an interesting man in his 70s who played in several of the big bands. He clearly knew what he was talking about.

The Bb has no serial number (it was a black-market import) and is from the early 1950s, just before Buffet introduced the R-13. The intonation is outstanding, and the tone is fine. It has a good deal of wear, and while it's playable, the joints are loose and it will need a complete overhaul. It has an old Selmer mouthpiece with HS* in an oval on the table. There's enough wear on the instrument that it probably shouldn't be your only one, but it's a pretty good one.

The bass has a manual double register key, which takes some getting used to. It also has an open hole for the left index finger, and the left little finger keys are in funny places. It's not loud, and the high register is only adequate, but the low register has wonderful color. It has an old Selmer mouthpiece with it. The thing will need a LOT of work, but may be worth it.

I got the impression that the reserve prices may have been set unrealistically high, but for those looking, the instruments have some merit at maybe $500 each.

Happy bidding.

Ken Shaw

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