1968 Bach Strad: before and after restoration

Here is my 1968 Bach Strad before restoration.   You can see that the lacquer finish has worn away a lot, especially in the valve area probably due to the acidic nature of the human hand. And here is my horn after Charlie Melk’s fantastic restoration.  Charlie removed the dents & polished the horn toContinue reading “1968 Bach Strad: before and after restoration”

Stone Bridge DAR Wreath-Laying

April 30, 2016 Ceremony to Honor Vietnam War Veterans & Servicewomen of the Vietnam War photo by Christine Phelps Anthony, DAR  member Today I had the honor of playing TAPS at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.  The Stone Bridge Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) from Loudoun, Virginia conducted thisContinue reading “Stone Bridge DAR Wreath-Laying”

Bach Strad restoration begins!

Charlie received my trumpet and gave me some good news:  my horn has no red rot and it is in great shape!   So the plan is to clean the trumpet via the Ultrasonic Method Here’s Charlie’s explanation of Ultrasonic cleaning from his website  (www.charliesbrassworks.com): This ultrasonic machine is designed specifically for cleaning brass instruments.Continue reading “Bach Strad restoration begins!”

Baltimore Greek Independence Parade

  New York Hellenic Philharmonic Society led by Spiro Svolakos   On Sunday, April 3, 2016, the Maryland Greek Independence Day Parade was held in the area of Baltimore known as “Greektown.”  I had the opportunity to play trumpet in the NY Hellenic Philharmonic Society.  The group is led by Spiro Svolakos (the gentleman aboveContinue reading “Baltimore Greek Independence Parade”

Who will restore my 1968 Bach Strad?

Trumpet players are always searching for the perfect mouthpiece and a legendary horn.  Like most of my fellow trumpeters, I have been looking for that special horn and I think I have it in my hands.  It is known in trumpet circles as an “Early Elkhart Bach” because it was produced when the Bach plantContinue reading “Who will restore my 1968 Bach Strad?”