Risen from the grave 1938/1953 Buescher "The 400" frankentrumpet
A while ago I picked up 1938 Buesher "The 400" model 225 with a crushed bell, crushed main tuning slide upper, and squashed 2nd and 3rd valve crooks... and no valves or upper or lower valve caps for basically nothing. It thought I might find something to do with the various pieces (I actually bought it for the cool art deco braces and water keys). The longer I had the parts in a box.. the more I thought about trying to put it back together. I tried to find valves and valve caps for a reasonable price but it was hopeless.
Then in an eBay auction lot of 8 scrap trumpets and cornets, I found a 1953 "Lightweight 400" model 217... missing the bell and leadpipe but.. with a valve block that looked intact.. So I took a gamble.. and it worked out the valves were in good shape.. but the nipple where the bell attached was kinked and actually folded over on itself like a Z. I had a friend who is a professional fix that part because I was worried about overworking and cracking the brass.
The rest came together pretty easily. Lots of dent work on the bell and slide crooks. I fabricated a new upper main tuning slide upper (both inner and outer) and attached the original ferrules, decorative rings, and pinky hook. The original 225 valve block was wider and both the bell and the leadpipe were soldered directly to the valve block. On this one only the leadpipe is soldered and the bell is free on that side. I put a fixed ring on the 3rd slide because the original box was damaged and I hate adjustible 3rd slide rings. Then I added a thumb saddle form a 1940's Olds Super.
The result a super dark and smokey trumpet that is nice and bendy with slots a mile wide. I see why "The 400" is often called a "Poor Man's Committee". Feels a little tight by todays standards.. it was a large bore in 1938 but only measures 0.456" so on the low side of ML today.
I didn't go for a resotration.. I didn't take out every ding, and left it in raw brass (except the valve block which I didn't strip. It still has about 50% original lacquer, and I will probably be making a wrap for it at some point.) Even paying my friend an hour of shop time for straightening the nipple... my total cost is less than $200 (2 scrap trumpets, a length of nickel silver tubing and matching brass tubing for the tuning slide fabrication, felts, corks, and other supplies.. and about 10 hours of my time for the dentwork, fabrication, and assembly.