SOLD: VMI 3171 Euphonium-$800- very good used condition
Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2022 1:58 pm
SOLD! Hello all. I have decided to sell my euphonium as it just doesn’t get played anymore. It is a circa 2003-2004 VMI 3171 in lacquer. It is yellow brass with 4 upright valves, non-compensating. More specs: takes large shank mouthpiece, .610 bore, 11.8 inch bell, stainless steel valves. I am the original owner. I played it several years in a community band. Then when I decided I wanted to concentrate on other musical pursuits, I unsuccessfully tried to sell it. Before I could try further sales strategies, my nephew entered middle school and wanted to join band. Originally he wanted trombone, but I offered him my euphonium to use for free and he jumped on it. A year and a half ago he graduated and I got the horn back, as he was no longer interested. 7 years of public school use had taken its toll.it was returned to me in need of cleaning, with some scratches and dents, and a turned out bell rim. I took it to our local repair shop last year. They gave it a chemical clean, valve job (just cleaning and re-alignment), slide job, all new corks and felts, and removed all dents, including the rolling out of the bell. Good news: plays like a new horn. Bad news: the scratches remain, re-lacquering would have been too expensive. Evidence of dent removal in the form of lacquer damage remain. All in all the horn still looks good. Only on close inspection can one see the lacquer damage.
The sale includes 2 large shank mouthpieces- the B&S 24AW copy it came with, and a Bach 1 1/2 GM I mostly used. Also the cleaning rod and accessory bag it came with and the original hard case, a Hiscox. If you are not familiar, these are the Rolls-Royce’s of molded cases, made in England and extraordinarily sturdy.
This is a nice instrument IMO. I didn’t note any intonation issues other than the usual you find in a non-compensating euphonium. The biggest plus is the deep rich tone quality you get from the large bell, large bore, and large mouthpiece shank. All valves and slides work like they should. If you know VMI you know they are made in Germany by B&S. At the time I bought it, it was a WWBW exclusive. This has lead them to get a bad rap from some, because they get confused with Allora, a WWBW exclusive brand that has sometimes been accused of low quality. This is most assuredly not one of those. In my opinion, this is a better instrument than the similar Yamaha 321 (I’ve played both), which I’ve seen sell for more than I’m asking here.
I am really interested in getting this in the hands of someone who will play and appreciate it. It would be a good horn for an advancing student, a doubler, a community band player, or other hobbyist player. It is not professional quality and will not take the place of a Besson or Adams. But it would be more than enough horn for many. I am looking for $800, but I will listen to reasonable offers. I do not want to ship this, the ideal buyer should be willing to drive to my location for pickup. I am located in western Pennsylvania between Erie and Pittsburgh. For the right buyer I might be persuaded do drive 100 miles to meet them. That would bring me within striking distance of Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Southwestern New York state.
Thank you for looking!
The sale includes 2 large shank mouthpieces- the B&S 24AW copy it came with, and a Bach 1 1/2 GM I mostly used. Also the cleaning rod and accessory bag it came with and the original hard case, a Hiscox. If you are not familiar, these are the Rolls-Royce’s of molded cases, made in England and extraordinarily sturdy.
This is a nice instrument IMO. I didn’t note any intonation issues other than the usual you find in a non-compensating euphonium. The biggest plus is the deep rich tone quality you get from the large bell, large bore, and large mouthpiece shank. All valves and slides work like they should. If you know VMI you know they are made in Germany by B&S. At the time I bought it, it was a WWBW exclusive. This has lead them to get a bad rap from some, because they get confused with Allora, a WWBW exclusive brand that has sometimes been accused of low quality. This is most assuredly not one of those. In my opinion, this is a better instrument than the similar Yamaha 321 (I’ve played both), which I’ve seen sell for more than I’m asking here.
I am really interested in getting this in the hands of someone who will play and appreciate it. It would be a good horn for an advancing student, a doubler, a community band player, or other hobbyist player. It is not professional quality and will not take the place of a Besson or Adams. But it would be more than enough horn for many. I am looking for $800, but I will listen to reasonable offers. I do not want to ship this, the ideal buyer should be willing to drive to my location for pickup. I am located in western Pennsylvania between Erie and Pittsburgh. For the right buyer I might be persuaded do drive 100 miles to meet them. That would bring me within striking distance of Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Southwestern New York state.
Thank you for looking!
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