1934 Holton BALANCED New Professional Revelation 30

OldSchoolEuph

OK, lets give this a try - trick is, how do you copy a whole thread and put it here ???

Wow, turns out kinda messy.

Vintage Holton Professional Balanced Trumpet 1934 at ACB?
Discussion in 'Vintage Trumpets / Cornets' started by CompleteRookie, May 1, 2016.
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May 1, 2016#1

CompleteRookiePianissimo User
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Jan 10, 2016
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1934 Holton Professional Trumpet in raw Brass - Austin Custom Brass Web Store

Very strange, could be a custom built one?

It has the reversed leadpipe design already sported by earlier 20s Revelations but this one is a balanced model (and the only one I've seen on vintage Holtons).
Can't find any info on it. Looks rather nice, I've never seen that bell deco on any Holton before.

The name of the horn is Holton "Professional" Trumpet.
2. May 1, 2016#2

BrassBandMajorFortissimo User
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That looks like a custom horn. Only similar horn I see to that is a Holton Collegiate peashooter from the 30s
3. May 1, 2016#3

CompleteRookiePianissimo User
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Jan 10, 2016
Brooklyn,NY
If only it was 300 dollars cheaper I would buy it. The bell deco looks slightly faded. Patches and valves could cost another 4-500 to fully adjust as well.
4. May 2, 2016#4

ChopsGoneForte User
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Look on pages 5 and 6 in the 1934 Holton catalog:

1934 Holton Revelation Band Instruments | Saxophone.org
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5. May 2, 2016#5

richtomForte User
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Trent Austin is a very honest dealer and does not overcharge for horns. His price is a fair one or he would not price it there.
There is likely no one here who knows more about horns than Trent.
You certainly can call him and see what he might take for it.
Rich T.
6. May 2, 2016#6

CompleteRookiePianissimo User
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Jan 10, 2016
Brooklyn,NY
richtom said: ↑
Trent Austin is a very honest dealer and does not overcharge for horns. His price is a fair one or he would not price it there.
There is likely no one here who knows more about horns than Trent.
You certainly can call him and see what he might take for it.
Rich T.
Yeah, I've bought a Selmer Signet from him before, just wish he did a video for all vintge horns he lists. Would like to see his approach to some older ones.
7. Jun 10, 2016#7

OldSchoolEuphMezzo Piano User
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Apr 1, 2011
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It's a bit late to be replying to this old thread, but in the interest of answering the question (given that the horn is still available), here goes:

In 1932, Holton revamped the trumpets and cornets, the most distinctive element of this being the "X" rear bell brace. The 1927 changes that altered the first valve porting had been called "The New Revelation" line of Holton Band Instruments. This 1932 third generation of the Revelation along with the aesthetically altered H-C cornets and the Models 26 & 28, was dubbed the "New Professional" line of "Holton Revelation Band Instruments" (the catalog name). For the first time, Holton started putting what looked like model names on the bell of other than artist-linked instruments. The larger bore Symphony trumpet was marked "Symphony", while the standard bore were marked either "Revelation" in the lacquer finishes, or "Professional" in silver plated finishes. The pea-shooter "New Professional Streamline" trumpet (with undersprung Ideal line valves) was also marked "Revelation" in lacquer - I have not seen one in the plated finish.

This horn, looking at the general texture and the bell engraving in particular in the photos, has been buffed and blasted to remove what was left of the original finish. The top of the casings is a bit of a surprise for what should have been (and in a few tight corners appears to have been) a plated horn.

The horn can be seen in both labelings in the Holton Model Guide at www.trumpet-history.com .
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8. Jun 1, 2017#8

EaracheNew Friend
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Mar 28, 2017
Chicago
Well well, I just found this thread-----
I bought that horn about a month ago after looking at it repeatedly for over a year on the ACB site and Ebay. Finally took the bait in spite of the expense because I couldn't resist the balanced design (which I'm a sucker for) and because I love love love my 1939 Model 48 and am kind of getting Holton fever. Time will tell if it's a keeper as it's off getting its valves refitted now. In for a penny, in for a pound I guess----I really couldn't make much of a judgement on how it played with the valves the way they were.
OldSchoolEuph----very interesting observation about it having once been silver plated! I'll have to take a closer look when I get it back, but the raw brass does have an unusual texture to it-----smooth (as in not scratch or matte finished) but not really buffed quite either..... It does make it look old and like it's got a long story....
I wonder if it really is a one-off? One thing I did notice is that it's tricky getting the main slide off because it's so close to the end of the bell----the water key hits the bead before the slide is completely out. If you push down the water key it just barely clears. Would a production horn have such a quirk?
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9. Jun 1, 2017#9

Dennis78Forte User
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The Bach 184 and cr310 are designed in such a way that the finger ring doesn't really clear the bell.
True Tone likes this.
10. Jun 1, 2017#10

OldSchoolEuphMezzo Piano User
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When the slide is right at the point of coming out on a stock model 30, the lever is 7/8" from the rim bead. If yours is hitting, something has been modified from the original. Is there anything unusual (like a 1-1/2" sleeve or ferrule) where the bell stem meets the valve block? I would say to look for bell and leadpipe scars from original brace placement, but the refinishing, or more accurately de-finishing, would probably have erased those.

Jun 1, 2017#11

OldSchoolEuphMezzo Piano User
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Apr 1, 2011
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Well that is odd. I just did an EBay search and that horn is still listed.

Looking at the pictures with a stock example in my hands, the receiver sits about 1-1/2" further forward than stock and the X brace is more centered in the receiver sleeve. The valves and whole body are dfinately closer to the bell rim. But the bell stem is not spliced nor the leadpipe cut down. It actually looks as if the bell were rebent to achieve this more balanced arrangement. The bell droops a bit, probably was dropped, and the photos are not the best for orthagonal comparisons. The work is certainly expert, but I don't think it is factory. It's just not the way Holton would have done it (placing the receiver ring ahead of the bell crook).

But why is it still on EBay???
Last edited: Jun 2, 2017
3. Jun 1, 2017#12

EaracheNew Friend
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Mar 28, 2017
Chicago
Wow, I'm a little bummed to think that Holton wasn't behind the design. Oh well! If it plays well after the valves are done it'll all be good whatever.
As for the Ebay listing, my guess is that ACB forgot to take it down after they sold me the horn----I bought it direct from them since they had it listed on their website, too. I've alerted them that the ebay listing is still up.
Oh, and happily the bell is not as droopy as it looks in the pictures-----in fact, I think they may even have straightened it for me before shipping it. Sweet!
4. Jun 2, 2017#13

OldSchoolEuphMezzo Piano User
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Apr 1, 2011
Michigan
Well the reason I had one sitting just a couple feet away is that I use it as a back-up. These are great horns. I think you will be very happy once the valves are tight.

Something may have been done with the tuning slide as well. The stop rod clamp has been cut off and reattached. I am curious to know if you pull unusually far (indicating a slight shortening for that bell clearance).

If the bell was rebent as I suspect when the horn was stripped, of course temper could be an issue. But anyone skilled enough to do what I see there would have to know what they were doing. My bet is that your horn plays as well as my back-up. I think you are going to enjoy this horn.

There was an earlier post about the price, and for a stock model 30 the statement was reasonable. But this is something special (it's too bad we do not know who the craftsman was) and if it plays like I expect it will, you made a good investment.
Last edited: Jun 2, 2017
5. Jun 2, 2017#14

EaracheNew Friend
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Mar 28, 2017
Chicago
Ooooo, I hope it ends up being a sweet horn----and I thank you for the encouragement. If it's less than sweet, I'll have spent a silly amount of money. But after investing in the valves on a number of vintage horns, I haven't been disappointed yet----there's just no substitute for tight and reliable valves, even if it means investing more dough than a horn is worth. I'm getting pretty used to the idea that it's the only way to turn a vintage horn into an every day player (or main axe, or whatever you want to call it).
I'll report when I get it back in a month or 6 weeks!