TromboneChat

I have a beater TB200 that I am going to attempt to make playable on the cheap. What is the best way to source parts for this horn - should I just buy a used donor horn for parts on ebay? Also, are there common parts between the other Bach medium bore horns, like the Mercedes and the 36? The TB200 is a step-up intermediate student horn.

Are you a repair tech, with an Allied account?

hornbuilder wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 12:19 pm Are you a repair tech, with an Allied account?

Nope. Just a guy with a propane torch.

Parts are sold through Allied Supply, but you have to be a registered repair business to buy from them.

Some parts may be available from Votaw Tool. They aren't as restrictive as Allied, but their catalog is much smaller.

Your best shot as a rank amateur would be to get some donor horns. Some of the techs here might have a "boneyard" of spare parts that they might sell, but you will have to describe what you are looking for.

I can't tell you what fits what, although I understand the Mercedes was made with 36 parts.

I believe Conn Selmer sells parts to the public now. Aren't their student instruments made in China now? I imagine there would be very little or no overlap between the student and pro parts on their current models. If it's an older instrument you might not be able to get new parts.

I am thinking the way to go is donor horn. I paid $100 for the beater horn and don't want to spend a lot on new parts. With eBay I don't think many of the sellers know what they are selling. I usually end up asking for a measurement of bell diameter (7.5" or 8") and inner slide bore (0.500" or 0.525"). If they can't give me those measurements, I will walk away. I also look at the photos for details on the tuning slide ferrule and the cork barrels and tenon to see if they look like the same configuration.

What are you missing from it?

The hand slide crook has a couple significant dents. So either repair or replace. The slide will need to be realigned in any case. I also want to see about modifying the bell section to make a removable bell using knurled finger nuts. To accommodate multiple bells I would need the tuning slide receiver and ferrule, as well as both sets of bell mounts for each bell. The plus side of a donor horn is I would have a choice of multiple hand slides to choose the best one.

The parts to make the bell modular is not cheap… neither is anything else and to spend all that money and time and effort on a TB200 is a little silly. Spend a little more and get a 36, completely worth it.

Elow wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 6:25 pm The parts to make the bell modular is not cheap… neither is anything else and to spend all that money and time and effort on a TB200 is a little silly. Spend a little more and get a 36, completely worth it.

The point you are missing is that I’m using a beater horn to work on mod skills. I already have dies and taps, so the cost of bar stock and brass knurled nuts to fab a modular system is not that much. If I ever get serious about wanting a decent medium bore horn, I’ll probably just but a Conn gen II 525 slide for my 88H.

I've been there.
Beware the money pit.
There is gratification in using something you have built yourself, but learning as you go comes at a very high price.

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Full bottom crook assembly $140
Oddly they don't seem to sell just the crook for this model.

Of course you can go a few steps further and see if you can swap in the crook from something else, such as a King 606 or a Conn 23H. Or a Jupiter slide crook from Votah.