Dear Mr. Akright

Thank you so much for the hope you are holding out for the restoration of this Martin T-3 468A Deluxe (6" bell) trumpet. I have boxed up everything we were able to find from the fire, we got most of it.

Inventory:

• 6" Bell, burnt. Forward bell-to-leadpipe brace still attached.
• Valve assembly, with valves, stems, buttons, valve slides. Valve caps all cracked loose, valves are removable. The spring barrel has come unsoldered from #3, there on the hot end of the horn.
• Leadpipe, kinked. Receiver, second valve brace, finger hook, and outer reversed tuning slide sleeve still attached.
• Bell tail to first valve slide brace.
• Tuning slide, melted. Upper leg still on leadpipe.
• Tuning slide water key, detached.
• Third slide ring, and mount.

• Third valve water key.
• Receiver to bell brace.
• Bell to second valve brace.

We're hoping that the horn can be returned to nearly its pre-fire condition. It does not have to look new, but it should be presentable and not an embarrassment to play, since I'm hoping it will get a lot of that in its new life. It need not be re-plated, necessarily, but I suspect that it won't clean up quite well enough without it. That's a guess, we can leave that decision until later. If the replacement bell is not already silver, that will drive this decision.

The parts that cannot be repaired we wish to keep in as close to their current condition as possible, so that they may be mounted to a commemorative plaque. Especially the bell.

If the leadpipe can be repaired and reused that's probably preferable to a replacement. If it cracks I think a small patch would be an acceptable scar from its ordeal. I'll leave that decision up to you, though.

We're hoping to get some photos of the horn's progress, assuming it's a go. (Before/during/after, etc.) And any anecdotes you might recall regarding these horns. My brother's very into the "piece of history" thing.

The horn had been in a double hard case when it burnt, though only one horn was resident. (I have the other horn that had been in there, it's the prototype Benge/Martin that you made for Mic. My daily driver. It's in a single case that I'm told was actually made for these horns, which was given to me some time after I got the horn.) Most cases can't handle the 6" bell, ideally we can get another case like what was lost. The most important thing is that it fits the horn and protects it properly. This is a somewhat separate issue, of course, but important in time if this project is a success.

Thank you!