Bach 184ML Stradivarius Professional Cornet

Yes! The Bach 184ML Strad Cornet is a true icon and I should know because I’ve owned three of them—which usually prompts the obvious question: why let the first two go? The answer is simple and frustrating. I’ve consistently had a moisture issue with the second valve, and I later learned I’m not alone. Others have experienced the same thing. My first 184ML was silver. I’ll be honest—I hate silver horns. Look at them the wrong way and they scratch. Wipe them gently with a soft cloth and somehow they still scratch. The second one came along because I loved the sound so much. I convinced myself the moisture issue would be gone this time. It wasn’t. I got annoyed and sold it. About a year later, I bought my third—and current—184ML. The moisture issue is still there, but I’ve learned how to manage it. Playing with the valves held straight and vertical helps reduce moisture buildup in the second valve. I even added a water key to the third valve slide, but that didn’t solve the issue entirely. I didn’t have time to take proper photos of this horn. I did experiment with heavy valve caps, top and bottom. In the end, I went back to the original top caps and kept the heavy bottoms—and that’s where they’ll stay. Despite its quirks, it’s still a remarkable horn with a sound that keeps pulling me back.