Kiev, USSR — Rare Pre-1971 Model without Year Stamp (No. 4288)
I am offering for sale a rare vintage brass instrument — a B♭ Tenor Horn, manufactured at the Orpheus factory in Kiev, USSR.
The history of this enterprise is closely tied to the development of the Soviet musical instrument industry. Toward the end of its existence, the Kiev Orpheus factory was rightfully considered an enterprise that produced brass instruments of significantly higher quality than the industry leaders of that time, including the Moscow factories.
The main uniqueness and collectible value of this particular specimen is that there is no manufactured year stamped on it. According to available historical data, the Kiev Orpheus factory began strictly and serially stamping the production year on its instruments only from 1971. Given the design features, the fundamental layout of the rotary mechanism, the nature of the factory work performed, and the serial number (No. 4288), this instrument is a rare specimen from the late 1960s (possibly the very beginning of 1970).
Later, by the mid-1980s, the Kiev Radio Equipment Plant (with which this production facility merged) and the "Mayak" plant amazed the entire Soviet Union with world-famous electronic musical and audio equipment. Among them was the iconic "Mayak-203" reel-to-reel tape recorder, which was on everyone's lips back then. Older people still remember the excellent condition, advanced level, and reliability of this equipment. The same high engineering standards were applied to the production of brass instruments.
The keys of the instrument are moving (this is clearly visible in the attached demonstration video). However, the instrument has not been used for over 40 years; it has been kept in storage all this time. In this regard, it absolutely requires professional preventative maintenance in a specialized workshop for the repair and adjustment of brass musical instruments. I am writing about this in great detail so that you clearly understand: the instrument needs to be lubricated, the old grease in the slide mechanism must be replaced, and full adjustment works and fine-tuning must be carried out. Only after the qualified intervention of a master will this vintage instrument fully unlock its potential. Before purchasing, I strongly recommend watching the attached video carefully.
In one of the photos and in the video, it is clearly visible that in one of the places on the bell flare, the instrument has mechanical damage (dents). They are in exactly the same condition as seen in the footage. There are many ready-made solutions and methods available on the Internet to remove such unpleasant issues to an absolute zero, followed by polishing the straightened area to make it completely unnoticeable. These works are easily and simply performed in any repair shop in developed nations.
Why isn't the defect fixed by us? Our city is located just 50 km from the conflict zone. You all understand which conflict is being referred to. Under wartime conditions, finding specialized masters for such fine adjustment and repair of brass instruments here in our city, and in Ukraine as a whole, is simply impossible right now, as the situation in the city is completely different... This nuance is already fully taken into account in the reduced price of the lot.
Shipping is carried out from Ukraine. Please check in advance for any potential customs duties and taxes in your country of destination. Payment of all import duties and fees is the mandatory responsibility of the buyer, in accordance with the applicable laws of the destination country. We guarantee a professional approach to packaging: the instrument will be securely fixed, protected with a thick layer of shock-absorbing materials, and tightly packed in a durable container to prevent any damage during international transit.
Returns are not accepted. In exceptional cases, if a return has been pre-approved in writing, the buyer is required to pack the instrument, insure it, and ship it back to the seller at their own expense and risk. It is mandatory to provide a valid tracking number from the postal service.
Upon receipt of a return, we conduct a commission-based unpacking and inspection of the instrument. During this inspection, we verify the absence of third-party interference, including unauthorized adjustment, acid cleaning, soldering, replacement of any spare parts, or any other manipulations or interventions in the integrity of the instrument. Upon detection of the aforementioned manipulations, this fact is recognized as interference and a violation of the integrity of the musical instrument. In such cases, an opened case is subject to closure without any refund payment.
Please understand: due to my health condition (disability and limited mobility), I do not have the physical capacity to handle complex logistics and repeated repairs of the instrument.