TromboneChat

chromebone wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2026 6:36 am Here’s one. For a mere $23,000, you can be the envy of all of your friends in the section.

I know the person selling the instrument. Pretty sure he's the original owner who bought it from Dave back in the mid/late 80s. It's been played professionally off and on since then and is in great condition. It is one of only a handful of large bores Dave ever made and one of even fewer complete instruments. I've played in a section with him using it on a few occasions. It is quite responsive and projects like crazy.

didn't the listing have an original receipt from Monette of 35k?

NotSkilledHere wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2026 7:11 am didn't the listing have an original receipt from Monette of 35k?

It was basically an insurance valuation from Monette, it was not the original price paid.
An independent appraisal would be more accurate than David Monette’s opinion of what he thinks the horn is worth.

NotSkilledHere wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2026 7:11 am didn't the listing have an original receipt from Monette of 35k?

Yes it did

Is it just me or does that Bell section look super long... the spacing of the two back braces seems like the spacing of some G trombones?

MahlerMusic wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2026 8:28 am Is it just me or does that Bell section look super long... the spacing of the two back braces seems like the spacing of some G trombones?

I think that's a combination of the camera angle plus a wide-angle lens, with an additional contribution from a fairly narrow chassis.

JohnL wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2026 9:16 am

MahlerMusic wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2026 8:28 am Is it just me or does that Bell section look super long... the spacing of the two back braces seems like the spacing of some G trombones?

I think that's a combination of the camera angle plus a wide-angle lens, with an additional contribution from a fairly narrow chassis.

You are correct, the other pictures I can now see on Facebook make it look more normal.

chromebone wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2026 7:22 amIt was basically an insurance valuation from Monette, it was not the original price paid.
An independent appraisal would be more accurate than David Monette’s opinion of what he thinks the horn is worth.

Good luck getting someone to even go near it for a "real world" or "fair market price" valuation. It's being marketed much more as a collector's item than as a functional piece. Monette is the Alembic Guitars of the brass world however, so I could see a hardcore well-heeled fan going for it just to have one of the few examples ever made.

Given Monettes constant need to optimize and refine I am not sure I would want a Monette from the mid 1980s. I’d rather have one made this century with a bit more knowledge in the design. If I had the money I would buy it

To offer my answer to original topic question: there are no Monettes of the trombone world because there has never been a Louis Armstrong > Miles Davis > Wynton Marsalis lineage on the trombone. If there was we’d have a lot more heavily braced and gold plated trombones in the wild.

tbonesullivan wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 10:30 am

chromebone wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2026 7:22 amIt was basically an insurance valuation from Monette, it was not the original price paid.
An independent appraisal would be more accurate than David Monette’s opinion of what he thinks the horn is worth.

Good luck getting someone to even go near it for a "real world" or "fair market price" valuation. It's being marketed much more as a collector's item than as a functional piece. Monette is the Alembic Guitars of the brass world however, so I could see a hardcore well-heeled fan going for it just to have one of the few examples ever made.

Trombones aren’t collectors items the way ‘59 Les Pauls are. I think it’s worth a few thousand, maybe $5000, but $23,000 is kind of high. And good luck collecting $35,000 from insurance if it was stolen even with that appraisal.

All that being said, it’s probably a really good horn on its own merits.

Maybe if some name players were playing them like Wynton it would be a different story. But even then, I doubt it would worth that much. Monette has developed some mystique in the trumpet world, but it hasn’t translated to the trombone world. The design philosophy just doesn’t work for trombone.

Who’s the most famous trombonist in the world? James Pankow? Would one of his horns go for $23,000 if it came on the market? Doubtful. But I am prepared to eat my words if he gets that price.

The highest value I saw was $100k for Arthur Pryor's gold plated trombone. That me was insured for something like that amount, I believe.

But really it wasn't worth that. Unless someone did end up buying it from Dillon's music for that crazy amount?

harrisonreed wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2026 6:43 am What is it made of pure gold? Where is the cutout lampshade style double bell skin?

Interestingly, he included a "letter of authenticity" in his post that indicates the original price was $35,000. A bit sus if you ask me. But don't ask me because I really don't know. Could be true.

Chazzer69 wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 12:28 pm

harrisonreed wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2026 6:43 am What is it made of pure gold? Where is the cutout lampshade style double bell skin?

Interestingly, he included a "letter of authenticity" in his post that indicates the original price was $35,000. A bit sus if you ask me. But don't ask me because I really don't know. Could be true.

It a valuation appraisal by David Monette, not the original price. $35,000 1980’s in today’s money would be over $108,000.

chromebone wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 12:51 pm

Chazzer69 wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 12:28 pm

Interestingly, he included a "letter of authenticity" in his post that indicates the original price was $35,000. A bit sus if you ask me. But don't ask me because I really don't know. Could be true.

It a valuation appraisal by David Monette, not the original price. $35,000 1980’s in today’s money would be over $108,000.

That's what I get for not reading thoroughly. Called out.

BassBoneFL wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2026 7:00 am

chromebone wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2026 6:36 am Here’s one. For a mere $23,000, you can be the envy of all of your friends in the section.

I know the person selling the instrument. Pretty sure he's the original owner who bought it from Dave back in the mid/late 80s. It's been played professionally off and on since then and is in great condition. It is one of only a handful of large bores Dave ever made and one of even fewer complete instruments. I've played in a section with him using it on a few occasions. It is quite responsive and projects like crazy.

I can vouch for the owner of this horn. We grew up together and still communicate regularly. Visited him in March. If you are interested in the horn, he is a straight shooter.

Doug