PlanetZ forums - scopeusers.com

that repair shouldn't be over $50-100.

toothpaste and a drill is the worst news, a thorough cleaning with alchohol and a brush with fresh oil following is the most likely cure.

Ha! The place I'm taking it to is going to insist on making it as good as new. They take great pride in that sort of thing, also $$.

yeah, they take great pride in taking all your money...by the time your $400 repair is over you could just buy a new one.

If you need it to be shiny. A Yamaha of this caliber is over $1,000.

only if you pay full retail. the current version is only $899 on amazon. it's only a student horn.

i assure you, it's possible to find a perfect one for less than $500. do whatcha like...

It's still cheaper to get this one fixed. It came with a nicer mouthpiece too which I probably would not have bought on my own. It's a mouthpiece which has been used by pros.

It will be under $400 to fix the valves (let's hope) and the chemical bath. They will do a better job than the current factory would on a new horn. They made my saxophone better than new after I dropped it.

I saw an Ambassador with a new valve job for $400 but you are not sure to win the bid.

In hindsight this trumpet wasn't a great bargain but the further cost of $400 will make it better than a new $400 trumpet.

Update: I spoke with Doctor Valve, a renowned trumpet repair person. He thinks it's won't be expensive to fix so now I am thinking $200 (if I am lucky) including the cleaning so it will be worth it, a hassle but worth it. He says they still sell these valves for $50.

Intermetallic compounds grow at the interface of the solder and the substrate during storage. This creates an enhanced resonance thus trumpets over 30 years old sound better than new ones do.