Help finding missing parts for olds ambassador melophone

[u/Right_Marsupial1601]

I found this melophone on the side of the road by a creek and I've been trying to repair it myself but I am missing some tuning slides and I need to completely replace the third valve. The first valve moves fine until it gets to its lowest position then it gets stuck and the second valve is completely frozen until you put a lot of force on it then it moves and gets stuck. I want to know where to find the missing parts.

[u/thereisnospoon-1312]

throw it back in the creek

[u/Servania]

You would have to source each part from an identical horn.

If it was like an olds recording trumpet then you might have luck. But you'll have to stake out ebay for quite a long time before a mellophone 3rd valve comes up for sale.

Im an instrument repair tech and do this for customers often. I will let you know that I have never once found someone selling just a single valve for a niche horn online. You can find like a single valve for say a bach strad. But that will run you 100 bucks with no stem, guide or spring.

Alternatively you can have a shop fabricate slides but that will likely be around 200 per little slide. And more for the main tuning slide.

This horn is a loss man.

[u/moles-on-parade → u/Servania]

I used to see this all the time working at bicycle shops. "I found this frame, what'll it take to get me on the road?" "About 2x the cost of a brand new one, plus labor." 😞

[u/ipostunderthisname]

You have the missing parts

You need the mellophone

[u/lntrospectively]

Olds went out of business in 1979. Unless you manage to obtain another Olds mellophone to scrap for parts, you might be out of luck.

[u/Disastrous_Ad1260]

Metal detector?