DUTTON MUSIC SERVICES

 

One of my prize jewels is Barry Benjamin's Bob Atkinson prototype.  Barry is one of my favorite people and is such a Mensch!  The Story:



"I switched from Alex to Atkinson shortly after coming to Milwaukee, not because I found something lacking in my silver 103, but because of an attitude I sensed and then actually heard from Ethyl Merker. I was playing extra and backstage horn in the Mahler 2nd at Orchestra Hall and she was too. It was the first time I had ever met her and she said as I walked in to sit down next to her (and I quote!) "An Alexander! Isn't that cute! I haven't seem one of those for years!" I thought that it would be good to consider some kind change for the region. I didn't like 8Ds so I kept my eyes open (No Lewis for me either). Then one of my private high school students came in with a horn that he was considering and turned down and his high school teacher wanted to find out what I though of buying in for the school. It was a screw bell and I told him that a screw bell horn was a disaster for a school horn. Then I put the bell on and tried it and it was excellent. I found out who owned it and bought it.



This horn was an Atkinson Double F/Bb made by Bob Atkinson, the father (ed.of the current Mark Atkinson) who was living in Los Angeles. Bob’s horn started with a Conn 6D - only an Elkhart - generally available, well made and ALWAYS tapered - the only ones he used! I was playing in L.A. for a week and looked in to see about the Atkinson. Turned out it was his prototype!


He wanted to change a lot of things for me and I let him. Several weeks later it was done and it was very, very good. I put the Alex away and played the Atkinson for 18 years! It’s special: BOTH F and Bb tuning slides move (not as in a 6D). Most slides are brass but some are silver (8D) and others are specially made. He put on a Pilczuk leadpipe and water keys (4) etc etc and when he sent my Atkinson back, he included special engravings on the keys. They were beautiful too."



from the horn archives:

"Dear Gary and Bunch,

Yes, I admit it. I do sort of play a 6D - Cleverly disguised as an Atkinson! Bob Atkinson, like many - even all - small builders of horns, started out as a repair person. When he gradually backed into putting whole horns together, it was simply beyond his shops capacity to build the entire horn from scratch, so he did what Lawson, Geyer, Lewis - and even Wes Hatch did/do. He used valves made by others. Bob settled on used valves from a horn that was generally available and well made and not too expensive - a Conn 6D. The Elkhart ones were tapered and they were the only ones he used. So my Atkinson horns look like 6Ds because they WERE 6Ds - but really aren't any more because they are very highly modified: Pilczuk leadpipes, Removeable bell flares, Amado water keys (4) on each horn, different bell flares, and one has an 8D bell throat which says C G Conn Elkhart, Indiana. One says Atkinson.

So - It ain't a 6D - it just used to play one on television.

Da Bear"





If anyone knows who bought Barry's Alexander 103 I would be obliged to know that info.