RARE 1979 KING MODEL 2000AT "FLAIR" PRO Bb TRUMPET~ SUCCESSOR OF 1055T~ PRISTINE

Description

RARE 1979 KING MODEL 2000AT "FLAIR" ~ SILVER PLATED MEDIUM LARGE PLUS BORE (.462") LIGHTWEIGHT PROFESSIONAL Bb TRUMPET IN COLLECTOR GRADE PRISTINE CONDITION
I have been playing horns for 66 years...collecting and restoring vintage trumpets and cornets, producing custom finishes, and building custom horns for 55 years.  Over the decades I amassed a vast trumpet/ cornet collection.  During the past few years I have thinned out the herd, and continue to do so.
All my horns are gig ready...they have been
completely
disassembled, cleaned, valves are hand lapped and precision adjusted & aligned (PVA) with new corks & felts when necessary, all slide tubes are hand lapped and polished, and then the horn is re-assembled and play tested.
PLEASE LOOK AT THE OTHER HORNS I HAVE LISTED
For your consideration, here is a collector grade pristine example of a 43 year old Model 2000AT Flair
that is
in need of a new owner
.
This trumpet is straight without dents, dings, pings nor repairs of any nature whatsoever.  It has seen VERY little play time in its history, thus the valves are still bright and shiny and exhibit factory spec compression.  I purchased this trumpet new in December 1979 and it has remained one of the favored horns in my collection.  Being a very early production model, "AT" (Acoustic Tempered bell) had yet to be added to the engraving...this would appear the following year...the original designation for this first year model is 2000T.
In 1964 the world was introduced to the first true "Superhorn"...the 1055T Silver Flair that was
made famous by Herb Alpert, Dizzy Gillespie, and Ollie Mitchell to mention a few
.
Dizzy Gillespie owned 20 of them, never went on a gig with less than three in hand, and his famous upturned bell model is now on display in the Smithsonian.
Sales of the 1055T lasted into 1979 when production then began on the newly designed "2000 Flair" Series of top-of-the-line professional trumpets that were introduced in September 1979 and discontinued in September 1983.  IMHO, this was the last great series of pro trumpets by King...they never again built anything remotely equal to this model line.  The "2000 Flair" Series consisted of four models:
2000
- lightweight .462" successor of 1055T;
2001
- lightweight .468" large bore;
2006
- standard weight .462";
2007
- .468" standard weight large bore.  They all featured the original 1055's offset, wide gaped 1st slide that became an industry standard being copied by Benge, Conn and other manufacturers, a newly designed valve block, and the highly touted Acoustic Tempered bells.  A second tuning slide brace, a reversed 3rd slide with dump slide and stop rod, a different mouthpiece receiver, and brass rather than aluminum valve stems were the other changes made to the 2000 that differed from the 1055T.
This 2000AT Flair produces a rich, warm tone with projection that will blow paint off the back wall of a large auditorium...a seriously powerful horn!  It makes a great jazz/ lead axe, but is equally at home playing commercial or legit styles.  It is a lightweight 2 lb. - 3.8 oz. screamer of a trumpet that will accommodate virtually any music style and acoustic venue.  It is actually one ounce lighter than the original 1055T even though it has an extra tuning slide brace, 3rd dump slide, stop rod assembly, and brass rather than aluminum valve stems.  The trumpet has a clear and resonant tone that is easily controlled...its sound is BIG, BOLD, FAT, centered and focused.  It is a VERY free and open blowing horn and loves to be piloted in the stratosphere where it develops a sophisticated brighter edge with complex overtones.
This horn has great intonation...the low register is not flat, and is very resonant.  The 5th harmonic is great, and so is the upper register intonation.  Slots are superb.
Responsive and flexible, the 2000AT Flair makes a great jazz horn, but with the right mouthpiece will back off nicely for those soft ballads.
Mechanically, this trumpet is in superb condition with lightning fast valves that are bright and shiny and have factory spec compression.  All slides operate with silky smoothness including the 1st slide trigger.  Cosmetically, the trumpet is in pristine collector grade condition both outside and in.
I tend to be overly critical and as accurate as possible when describing my horns, so that no one receives any "surprises".  So, bid with confidence as I think you'll find my feedback speaks for itself.
Finish
-   Original polished silver plate @ 100% over yellow brass, rose brass, and nickel silver.
Serial #
-   777XXX
Bore Size
-   .462" medium large plus bore (the original 1055T SF was listed in the catalog as a large bore .462"...I feel .462" equals a MLPlus bore...it's just semantics!)
Features
-   Lightweight "Acoustic Tempered" one-piece bell; rose brass lead pipe; corrosion resistant nickel silver inner and outer slide tubes; reversed 1st valve slide w/ trigger; reversed 3rd valve slide w/ fixed ring, dump slide, and stop rod.
Accessories
-   Original wood shelled, double handled case with blanket interior in near mint condition.  Also included is a gold plated copy of a Bach Megatone 3C mouthpiece, silver polishing cloth, valve oil, slide grease, warranty card, build tag, care pamphlet, and 2 case keys.
Shipping is a flat fee of . via FedEx Home or Ground,
with insurance and signature requirement
, to the 48 continental states.  Alaska and Hawaii require more postage.  I will ship worldwide.  I accept PayPal ONLY.  Payment must be received within 4 days or the item will be re-listed.
Sales Tax:
Due to recent laws that were passed regarding Sales Tax being charged on internet purchases, eBay automatically will apply taxes to purchases made from the states affected by these laws
.  I have no say in the collection of these taxes and I do not benefit from this.
International Buyers - Please Note:
Import duties, taxes, and charges are
not included
in the item price nor shipping cost.  These charges are the buyer's responsibility.  Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding or buying.
This item is being sold "As is"...no returns nor refunds will be offered unless I have somehow misrepresented the item.  I do my very best to be as accurate as humanly possible in my descriptions.  I am not an instrument dealer...just a musician and collector.  However, bid with confidence as my feedback speaks for itself.