Trombone Trouble: Part 3 - What Was I Thinking?

As mentioned in my last installment, I was able to jettison the trombone millstone when I entered seventh grade. Having fallen under the thrall of The Beatles, I had started to teach myself the guitar. I took a book out of the library and astonished myself by mastering a few rudimentary chords.

My progress was such that within a few years, I had an electric guitar and a bass guitar and I was playing in a garage band composed of neighborhood knuckleheads. I'm not saying we were very good, but we were enthusiastic.

Adding to this din was the set of drums my brother, Scott, acquired for Christmas.

Yep. I was ridin' high! I felt as if I could learn to play any stringed instrument and this idiotic notion paved the way for my downfall.

During a visit to "The String Shoppe" I noticed that they had a pretty beat-up, yet playable-looking banjo in stock for only $15. Wow! For fifteen dollars I could add another instrument to my arsenal.

"How hard could it be?" I reasoned, full of teen aged hubris. "I mean, those mutants on 'Hee Haw' play banjos all the time!"

My birthday was coming up, so I told my folks I wanted that banjo as my present that year.

Came the big day, I received a birthday card with $15 in it. Seems Grandpa Jones had gotten to ye olde string shoppe ahead of my parents and had scarfed up the object of my desire! With no rickety banjo to be had, my folks generously gave the full purchase price in cash.

"Aw, man," I groused. "Where am I gonna find another $15 banjo? Or a $15 anything, for that matter?"

The answer was quick in coming.

The Denton, Cotier and Daniels Music Store was closing out their giant Downtown warehouse. On a very snowy Presidents Day, we kids took a trip downtown with my Mother to check it out...

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Amongst the piles of musical instruments and accessories was a case.

A very battered case.

A case with a $15 price tag on it.

A trombone case.

Inside the case was an ancient Cavalier trombone. It had a matte silver finish and it smelled musty. (The one pictured here could be its twin, except it appears to be a brassy color.)

The price was right, even if the instrument wasn't. Yep, I bought it.

You'd be amazed how much aggravation $15 could buy you back then!

The worst was yet to come...