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

RARE 1979 KING MODEL 2000AT "FLAIR" - SILVER PLATED MEDIUM LARGE PLUS BORE. 462 PROFESSIONAL Bb TRUMPET IN COLLECTOR GRADE PRISTINE CONDITION. I have been playing horns for 65 years... Collecting and restoring vintage trumpets and cornets, producing custom finishes, and building custom horns for 54 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 pristine example of a rare 43 year old top professional Model 2000AT "Flair" that is in need of a new owner. This trumpet is straight without dents, dings 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 have factory spec compression. 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. In September 1979 the "2000 Flair Series" of professional trumpets were introduced with a new valve block, new AT (Acoustic Tempered) bells with more of a "D" shaped back bow rather than the 1055's full radius bow, a reversed 3rd slide with dump slide (replacing the 1055 water key), a second tuning slide brace was added (this was carried on with the 2055T Silver Flair in 1983), brass valve stems and key buttons replacing the 1055's aluminum stems and buttons, and a Blessing style stop rod. There were four models in the lineup: 2000 / 2001 lightweight. 468 and 2006 / 2007 standard weight.

Production of the "Flair" Series lasted into 1983 when they were discontinued and the semi-pro model 2055T Silver Flair was introduced in the fall of 1983. IMHO, this series was the last of the "great" King professional trumpets, and the end of an era of production that has been lost forever. This trumpet was one of the first to come off the assembly line in September 1979, and as the first iteration, does not have "AT" engraved on the bell... This was added the following year. This Model 2000 is the successor to the original 1055T Silver Flair with the same offset, wide gaped 1st slide that has become an industry standard being copied by Benge, Conn and other manufacturers.

While the 1055T was a lightweight horn, this Model 2000 is actually 1 ounce lighter even when you factor in the added weight of the 2nd tuning slide brace, dump slide, brass valve stems and key buttons, and stop rod assembly... A serious lightweight scream machine! This 2000AT Flair produces a rich, warm tone with projection that will blow paint off the back wall of a large auditorium... It makes a great jazz/ lead axe, but is equally at home playing commercial or legit styles, and also works well as a studio horn. It is a lightweight 2 lb. Trumpet that will accommodate virtually any music style and acoustic venue. Agile and efficient, and having an extensive range of tonal colors, this trumpet offers a consistent core of sound throughout all registers and dynamics, with a pitch center to match all its other outstanding performance characteristics. It easily matches and blends with other trumpets and trumpet players. The trumpet has great depth of character with excellent sonority in all registers, and 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. 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 "like new" condition with lightning fast valves that are bright and shiny and have factory spec compression.

I gave the valves a PVA (Precision Valve Alignment) that improved slotting, and replaced the original springs with new beryllium springs. All FIVE slides operate with silky smoothness including the 1st slide trigger. Cosmetically, the trumpet is in pristine collector grade condition with a very tiny ping on the bell flare as its only blemish. Obviously, there are micro scratches/ swirls in the silver plating from decades of polishing, but this is to be expected if you properly care for the finish. I tend to be overly critical and as accurate as possible when describing my horns, so that no one receives any "surprises".

462 medium large plus bore the 1055T SF was listed in the catalog as a large bore. 462 equals a MLPlus bore... Features - Lightweight spun one-piece "Acoustic Tempered" 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 pristine condition. International Buyers - Please Note.

I do my very best to be as accurate as humanly possible in my descriptions. Just a musician and collector. This item is in the category "Musical Instruments & Gear\Brass\Trumpets". The seller is "alucard49" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped worldwide.

Key: Bb
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Valve Material: Nickel Plated
Bell Material: Silver Plated Yellow Brass
Instrument: Trumpet
Experience Level: Professional
MPN: 777XXX
Finish: High Polish
Finish Material: Silver
Trumpet Type: Jazz/ Commercial/ Legit
Model: 2000AT Flair
Bore Size: MLP .462\
Brand: King
Leadpipe Material: Silver Plated Rose Brass