Customer Reviews

Antique Brass Wind Instruments: Identification and Value Guide

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This book has lots of illustrations taken from old music catalogs and limited text. Most of the text that is there is quoted from other sources. Information on about 10 companies only and skips some of the largest including Conn, Buescher, York, and Boosey and nothing on some of the smaller old brands like Lehnert. The valuations given are for specific instruments, and the guidelines for generalized pricing are next to useless, with statements such as: "Valuing antique brass instruments is like shooting at a moving target in the dark." All in all some limited information about a number of companies, and many interesting old illustrations of historic instruments, but not of much use in determining value of instruments other than the specific ones in the book.

This book has lots of illustrations taken from old music catalogs and limited text. Most of the text that is there is quoted from other sources. Information on about 10 companies only and skips some of the largest including Conn, Buescher, York, and Boosey and nothing on some of the smaller old brands like Lehnert. The valuations given are for specific instruments, and the guidelines for generalized pricing are next to useless, with statements such as: "Valuing antique brass instruments is like shooting at a moving target in the dark." All in all some limited information about a number of companies, and many interesting old illustrations of historic instruments, but not of much use in determining value of instruments other than the specific ones in the book.

I have 25 years' experience in buying and selling antique wood and brasswinds, so this book was of very great interest. It claims to be a buyers'/collectors' guide but fails miserably. It gives lists of original prices for 19th century brasswinds by only TEN makers without consistent indication of current values. Pictures are arbitrary, poorly reproduced and often too small to be useful. Commonly encountered makers (Boosey, Gautrot, Sax etc) are absent. The "subjective price list" is poorly researched and not limited to antiques. Shame on Schiffer Publishing for publishing this book, it is almost useless. A potential buyer or seller will find little or no value in this book.