Airfix 1/76 Guards Band (A00701V) In-Box Review

[Ratch]

The first British military band appeared in 1678, and today they are a familiar sight at many state occasions such as Trooping the Colour. The poses in this set are as follows:

a)       Drum Major

b)      Tuba

c)       Flute

d)      Side Drum

e)      Saxophone

f)        Cymbal

g)       Trombone

h)      Trumpet

i)        Bass Drum

The actual mix of instruments varies considerably between bands, though all the instruments here would normally be used. Several others could potentially have been chosen, with perhaps the most common missing instrument being the horn. However, this remains a reasonable selection. The cost of the mould in 1959 was £2320.00.

Such a set as this must have presented Airfix with some real problems in sculpting. Musical instruments are normally complex in shape and difficult to produce in a two-piece mould. Some of these figures are face on to the mould, and some side on to it, but still there are compromises. Perhaps the most obvious is the tuba, which is nowhere near the soldier's mouth. Both sizes of drum are separate and slot in to the figure using a peg. The fit is not tight and glue should be used to fix them.

The uniform must be the easiest to research, not least because it has not noticeably changed in over 150 years. This set was designed in 1959, well over half a century ago, yet the uniforms are still basically the same today, and given the basic sculpting the full dress of the British Foot Guards is almost correctly depicted here. The figures do not have ammunition pouches (as normally worn) but have bayonet frogs (which are not usually worn). There is no lace or other detail which you might expect on some such as the drummer or the drum major, so some detail painting will be required here! Wings normally worn by musicians are correctly moulded on the drummers but missing from the other figures.

This set is of course a real antique by the standards of plastic figures, and the quality of sculpting is short of today's products. The anatomy is fine and well proportioned, but detail is very basic and often missing entirely. Faces and hands are featureless, clothing has few folds if any, although there is little flash on the supplied set. This set was last issued in 1975, and may not appeal to many enthusiasts today, but given the limited manufacture of the Vintage Classics, it is advisable to snap them up early before they disappear from the range again. The set will provoke nostalgic memories in collectors of a certain age!

[modeling maniac]

How do you know how to paint them because on all my other figures the painting guide is on the back of the box.

[Ratch]

I know by researching.

I painted a set a few years ago and used these colours:

Humbrol Acrylic 61 Matt Flesh = skin tones

Humbrol Acrylic 60 Matt Scarlet = coat, trouser stripe

Vallejo Model Color 50 70899 Dark Prussia Blue = trousers, collar, shoulder straps, wings, cuffs

Humbrol Acrylic 33 Matt Black = bearskin

Vallejo Model Color 170 70861 Glossy Blacky = boots

Vallejo Model Color 166 70994 Dark Grey = base

Humbrol Acrylic 34 Matt White = belts, cuff flaps, piping, grenades on collar, turnbacks

Humbrol Acrylic 103 Matt Cream = apron, drum skin

Humbrol Acrylic 160 German Camouflage Red Brown = pipes

Humbrol Acrylic 11 Metallic Silver Fox = Drum Major’s mace

Humbrol Acrylic 16 Metallic Gold = lace, drum belts

Humbrol Acrylic 54 Metallic Brass / Vallejo Model Color 174 70801 Brass = instruments

Humbrol Acrylic 110 Matt Natural Wood = drumsticks

[Ratch]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[modeling maniac]

Looks really good, and typically British ( straight, neat columns and harsh discipline.)

[john redman]

I will be interested to see how these do saleswise. They can't be in demand from wargamers  because there's so little conversion potential to other troops types. The vintage classics do all seem to do pretty well though so let's see.

[Ratch]

53 minutes ago, john redman said:

I will be interested to see how these do saleswise. 

All the Vintage Classics are limited production runs. Dale said this in a Spruetalk some time ago, and when I asked him about them he said, snap them up quick, they won't be around for long.

[john redman]

No doubt, but to make them pay, there must be a minimum production run, which then has to sell. It may not - back in 2011, ahead of the London Olympics, they reissued the 1/12 figures of the Beefeater, Life Guard and Guardsman as "London Icons". Modelzone had piles of them unsold at £14.99, and still had piles of them unsold two years later, when they went bust. I got three, one each for me and the kids, for £2.50 apiece in the end.

Fingers crossed nothing like that happens here - presumably people have been asking for them, plus they are unique in this scale.

 

[Ratch]

The RRP of £5.99 is cheap by the going rate for HaT and other figure sets.