[Trombone-l] Holton TR-180

[Ray Horton]

A good repairman ought to be able to make a D slide pretty cheaply.  
It's just a matter of finding tubing the right size.


RBH


t.stone at att.net wrote:
> Hi List,
>
> I have recently acquired a Lewis van Haney Holton TR-180 double-valve bass trombone that, according to its serial number (518XXX), was made in 1972. It's a school horn belonging to a local junior college that no longer has a marching band program. It seems that all of the schools' old instruments are now stored in an on-campus bungalow away from the music department. I happened across this horn quite by accident last June as it was being loaded into a van, along with the last of the schools' instruments, to be stored in the bungalow during a summer remodeling of the music building. I asked to check it at that time, but was told to wait until the Fall semester when the appropriate paperwork could be processed. So, I did just that and when September came, with the exception of there being no pesky paperwork, I got the horn -- for what now might turn out to be an indefinite period of time. For its age, it's in remarkable condition. With the exception of a couple of dents on the 
>  bottom
>  of the lower outer slide that will need to be repaired before it can be played without damaging the inner tubes, there are no other dents, or even any signs of any repairs. The inner slide tubes look clean and free from wear and the lacquer is about 98 percent. This is apparently an early van Haney 180 because it is B-Flat/F/E. Later 180's had a D slide as an option one could purchase with the horn. It also has the vaunted "Wonder Bar"  trigger mechanism whereby after depressing the F trigger one could simply slide the thumb over to the left to depress the E or optional D trigger. It also has the nylon ball and socket  linkage. All cool for 1972, but klanky and archaic by today's standards. It seems to play and respond well from the little I've played it so far. I'll know more after I get the slide repaired and the valves and linkage looked at. I've done some research and found that the van Haney 180 was not as well regarded as the Kleinhammer TR-169. The rosebrass bell (10"
>  ) is w
> rong for the horn, with too large a bell flare and a throat that's a little to tight. The wrong leadpipe was installed at the factory and, when discovered, never changed to the correct one, and the neckpipe is also a bit to tight. Then there's the Wonder Bar that's really anything but. But, hey, for the initial cost of the horn (zero thousands of dollars), fixing the slide, and maybe cleaning the valves and updating the nylon ball and socket joints ($150, or so?),  and having a D slide made (I don't to even think about how much that will cost!), I'll have a double-valve horn to play for a while until I can afford get my Dream Horn. So, here's my questions to The List: Do any of you have additional first-hand knowledge of the van Haney Holton TR-180 that you can share with me, and... does anyone happen to have a D slide for the TR-180 laying around gathering dust that I could either buy or borrow so that I can properly experience the full potential of the horn?
>
> Tim
> Northridge, CA
> t.stone at att.net
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