From a dark and dented sad instrument to a restored and gleamng triumph!!

Please look at this video on youtube
The Triumph – a triumphant restoration

 Steven Mead purchased a very old euphonium, dated circa 1915, from a friend, in October 2017. It was in a very poor condition indeed. Steve could see from the markings it was manufactured at St Albans near London, for the Salvation Army. It was the model: Class A The Triumph. He called his good friend Rick McQueeney at McQueen's Musical Instrument Repairs in Manchester and a complete renovation was planned. The finished instrument was picked up on 4 January 2018. It is a quite stunning restoration, and now plays very beautifully.

 

 

“ I purchased this all euphonium from an advert that I saw on Facebook, posted by a tuba playing friend of mine from London, Andy Kershaw. I sent a message and he said I was the first person to respond, so I bought it on sight.  I was intrigued by its very unique shape, it was unlike any old euphonium I’d seen before.  I immediately sent a photo to Rick McQeeney in Manchester and he took a closer look and told me that instruments of that vintage were very well-made, and used very high quality brass.

 About two weeks later I picked up the euphonium in Cambridge, and was amazed quite how short it was, short and wide. It played really terribly!!  I was quite disappointed, but I knew that once we’ve fixed all the air leaks in the valve block it would respond much better.

 

 I got it to McQueens Musical Instruments the following week, and they immediately disassembled it in front of me!  It became a pile of metal tubing in a plastic container.  From then on I received updates every couple of days from Rick with photographs showing the amazing transformation beginning. It was clear the brass was rich and pure colour and very easy to work with, according to Rick.

 We almost got it completed before the Christmas break but because I and Rick were both away, we left the final finishing and collection until January 4.

 The response to the restoration video that McQueen posted on their Facebook page is extraordinary, 90,000 views, over 1100 shares,  and hundreds of messages from people who felt very emotional and uplifted by this fantastic transformation.”

 

It plays with a wonderful sweet sound throughout the range, excellent tuning right up to the top, and the valves are now quite outstanding thanks to the hard work of Rick and his team. It has been commented that the finish is probably superior to that when it was originally made!!

 Steven will feature The Triumph in concerts during 2018, with the first one being in Bournemouth on March 11.