King 3B+ / 2125

[MrHCinDE]

I recently acquired a King 3b+, stamped with the model number 2125 and 3B+ on the bell. The serial number (and original purchase receipt) date it to early 80s.

The lacquer is quite golden, so much so that the outer slide could be mistaken for brass.

To my eye, the bell flare is even redder in tone, e.g. when held up next to the tuning slide.

Did the 2125 have a rose (or gold) brass bell as standard? I couldn‘t find any reference to ‚G‘ in the model number.

[BGuttman]

Most King pro models had gold brass bells until fairly recently.

[HermanGerman]

Rose brass bell and too much red rot on the outer for my taste... I hope you did not pay the full 700 Euro...

[MrHCinDE]

Rose brass it is then, thanks. That also makes sense to how it plays now I‘ve had a quick blow on it. It fits pretty nicely between my 3b and large bore options. I‘m going to try it in a 7-piece polka group where we play a mix of traditional music, viera Blech arrangement/compositions and some rock/jazz arrangements. My 3b and custom large bore setup are too nice to risk on some of those gigs but actually I think medium bore is a good choice anyway. I still wouldn‘t risk a €700 horn for Fasching but think it‘s a reasonable option for „sub-prime“ gigs where I want something that plays really well, is nice and light to hold and still has a rich sound but doesn’t cost thousands of €.

I assume we‘re talking about the same instrument, it was just advertised on eBay Kleinanzeigen this week?

The outer slide is in excellent condition, no red rot and even the lacquer is in top condition (that good old solid King lacquer!). Overall the rest of the instrument is also in great condition.

I got a photo from the seller which made the slide crook look like it was rife with red rot so had budgeted to get a new crook assembly fitted, the part from King is actually quite cheap, less than €100, and would just need two solder joints so with a friendly local tech I‘d be in for about €150 or so. I was also toying with the idea of getting a wider crook, so the condition of the old one wasn‘t so decisive for me.

As it is, what looked like the worst of the red rot in the photo seems to me to be surface damage from the outside, there are also some small spots which look more like they could have come through from the inside and will probably eventually open up into holes but nothing urgent.

I’d say it plays like way more than €700 worth of horn and even with the cost of a crook replacement, which I don‘t need to do urgently, it still looks a better option than most used 3b/3b+ I‘ve seen in the used market in Germany.

[chromebone]

Most first gen 3B pluses and I think all of the ones with f attachments had gold brass bells; I don’t think I’ve ever seen a first gen 3B+ F attachment with a yellow bell.
On a related note, it still baffles me why Conn-Selmer doesn’t offer the current 3B + with an f attachment but the regular one does. Makes no sense whatsoever, but then again, we’re talking about Conn-Selmer.

[greenbean]

First gen 3B+’s (beginning in 1981?) are excellent horns. Never played one that wasn’t great. Gold brass bells, too!

[EOlson9]

First gen 3B+’s (beginning in 1981?) are excellent horns. Never played one that wasn’t great. Gold brass bells, too!

Tom's played a few of these, including the one I bought from him. Still love that horn!!

[MrHCinDE]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge about these horns.

My initial impression is also that it plays really nicely, sorta like the lovechild of an Elkhart 8h and a 3b.

I‘m a bit confused whether it would be rose brass or gold brass (although I know that definition is a bit dependent on the manufacturer anyway…) but either way it‘s looking a lot like something rose/gold with higher copper content than yellow brass.

One other thing I just noticed, it‘s a two piece bell, I thought the newer 3B+ are one piece (but haven’t ever played one myself so am not sure). Was there a design change from two piece to one piece bells at some point?

[chromebone]

At some point UMI/Conn-Selmer went over to plasma welded bells, so you may not see a seam on the newer ones even if they are two piece. I have an older Benge 190 from the ‘80’s that has a seam and a newer one from the late ‘90’s that has no seam, but Chuck Ward told me they were all two piece but the later ones were/are plasma welded.

[greenbean]

They are still 2-piece, as far as I know.