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This is my backup tenor. It is a Martin Handcraft (serial # 68XXX) which I reclaimed from the dead. It has that huge sound that Martins are well known for.
It was in many pieces and totally blackened when I found it in a friend's attic. It had not been out of its case in decades, and that certain smell that old horns get (you know what I mean) was so bad, you could smell it through the case.
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Photo by M.Margison
Copyright 2005 |
My repair tech, Layne Francis, did an amazing job restoring it. Because the horn was lacking a front F key, he also put one on for me from an old student model Yamaha.
When I came to pick the horn up, Layne told me that in all his years of working on instruments, he had never worked on a horn that was as dirty, or smelled as bad.
In the end it was worth it. Despite its ergonomic challenges, this old-timer can kick some serious ass.
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