Bach Trombone Serial Number Lookup
Specifications of Discontinued Trombone ModelsDiscontinued Trombone ModelsThis is a list containing the specifications of non-custom trombone models from various manufacturers that have been discontinued. I hope to add to and continually update this list - please do let me know if you spot any errors or omissions.Please take a few moments to read my and if you haven't done so already.Discontinued Trombone Model SpecificationsManufacturer (Parent Company)ModelBore (in.)Bell (in.)Valve(s)Other informationAmati-DenakVincent Bach (Selmer)Vincent Bach began producing mouthpieces in New York in 1918 and trumpets in 1924. Trombone designs were finalised in 1928, the same year Vincent moved factories to the Bronx, New York. Hence, I don't think there were any trombones produced at the previous site (I haven't seen any evidence to suggest the opposite), but don't quote me on this! In 1953, Bach moved factories again, this time to Mount Vernon, New York where production continued until the early 1960s.
Vincent Bach sold his company to the Selmer Corporation in 1961. Selmer had all the tooling and machinery moved to Elkhart, Indiana, and production resumed in 1965.Mount Vernon-era instruments are highly-prized by collectors, particularly those rare examples that are in good condition. Elkart instruments have also been very good until the late 1980s. Sadly, the previously high standard of quality control declined in the 1990s - there have been complaints of instances of shoddy workmanship. Bach aficionados will generally keen to point out that most Bachs are good instruments, however. The trick, it seems, is to play test a few examples to make sure you're getting one of the good ones.New! Gordon Cherry has very kindly given permission for his Bach trombone serial number list to be reproduced on this site.
Click here to view it.Benge (UMI)BlessingB-98.5629.5F/GbBass. Independent valves. Believed to be a clone of the Bach 50B3. Mixed reviews - some people believe it's great, others think it's a dud.Boosey & Hawkes (Besson)Boosey & Hawkes has for many years been the sole large-scale producer of brass instruments in the UK.
This company was formed from the merger of Boosey & Co. With Hawkes & Son in the 1930s. The former began life as a bookstore founded by Thomas Boosey in the 18th century. It only diversified into instrument manufacture about a century later. Hawkes & Son was originally founded in the 1860s by William Hawkes as an importer of muscial instruments, later venturing into music publishing and instrument manufacture. After WWII, the B&H group acquired the British arm of Besson, a company founded by the Frenchman Gustave Auguste Besson in the mid-19th century.
The resulting profusion of brands and models have been rationalised over the years, and today, B&H brass instruments are principally produced under the Besson brand name. Strangely enough, despite the early diversity of brands and models, B&H apparently did not possess a large bore (ie 0.547) tenor in its range until around the mid-1950s.
King Trombone Serial Number Lookup
Early.547 instruments were apparently expensive and disappointing compared to American counterparts. B&H were apparently good at making F attachment linkages however - all the references I've seen consistently describe F attachment action as being favourable compared to that generally found on American instruments.Note on serial numbers: If you're looking to date your Besson instrument by looking at serial number lists available on the internet, you should be aware that there are two different lists.
One relates to Besson (London) instruments and the other to Besson (Paris) ones. Additionally, it seems that Kanstul and The Allied Company (I'm not familiar with the latter) in the USA produced Besson instruments for which serial numbers are not available (but which were similar to that used on instruments produced by B&H at their Edgware plant).Gordon Cherry has very kindly given permission for his B&H trombone serial number list to be reproduced on this site. Click here to view it.New! Has recently e-mailed me some information about the 10.10, Besson International, Besson Stratford, Besson New Standard, Besson Academy and Sessionaire ranges.The 1.10 seriesStudent models, 1960s-1980sThe 10.10 series1960s-1980s. One source, believes that the 10.10 series were top-line professional instruments designed for orchestral use (as opposed to B&H's traditional market, ie brass bands). He says they were regarded as being better than the Imperials: the 10.10 clarinets in particular are still highly prized, especially as a matched pair in Bb and A. In contrast, the brass range 'didn't quite take off'.
This he attributes to the (then) fashion of using American trumpets and large bore trombones.The 20.20 seriesIntermediate(?) instruments, 1960s-1980sB&H 400 seriesStudent instruments, manufactured in Czechoslovakia. Some also contract-manufactured by Kanstul, USA.B&H Emperor seriesIntermediate models, equivalent to Besson Concorde but differing in trim and fittings.B&H Imperial seriesProfessional models. Superceded by B&H Sovereign range during early 1970s.B&H OxfordProfessional instruments.B&H Regent seriesBeginners instruments, equivalent to Besson Westminster but differing in trim and fittings. Superceded in early 1990s by Besson 600 series.B&H, later Besson, Sovereign seriesProfessional models. Replaced Imperial series. Current Sovereign range is also known as the Besson 900 series.Besson Academy seriesAccording to, this was a complete family of professional trombones. Members ranged in size from 'Alto through medium/small Tenors, medium bore Tenors, medium/large Tenors to large bore Tenors and Bb/F Bass trombones'.
Model numbers were 401 thru 409.Besson Class A'Class A' is a designation denoting professional-quality instruments. I believe this designation was only used pre-B&H era and am seeking to confirm this. Further details also being sought.Besson Concorde seriesIntermediate models, equivalent to B&H Emperor but differing in trim and fittings. Evolved into current 700 series.Besson International seriesSome contract-manufactured by Kanstul, USA. Says that the Besson International range were professional models considered equivalent to the Sovereign Cornets and Imperial trombones (Bb/F tenor and Bb/F bass). Bells had distinctive engraving; available either lacquered or in burnished silver plate.Besson New Standard seriesAccording to Stewart Stunell, these instruments were Brass Band professional instruments equivalent to the B&H Imperials.Besson Stratford seriesAccording to, the Besson Stratford range was an intermediate one equivalent to the B&H Emperor.Besson Westminster seriesStudent models, equivalent to B&H Regent but differing in trim and fittings. Now sold as 600 series.Lafleur seriesStudent line.
Evolved into 400 series.SessionaireA collection of top-line professional jazz trumpets and trombones, according to. He says they have 'a neat caliper tuning slide mechanism'. Stewart is the proud and happy owner of a Sessionaire trombone, medium/small bore (0.487in) with 8 inch bell, which 'sings like a dream'.BlessingCG ConnCharles Gerard Conn started manufacturing brass instruments in Elkhart, Indiana, during the 1870s, and his company proved to be a great success. On Conns retirement in 1915, the company was sold to Carl Diamond Greenleaf. Under Greenleafs direction, the firm prospered, expanding still further through both organic growth and purchase of other companies. During his stewardship also, many instrument models and various innovations were introduced some of which are still around today, eg the system of numbers and letters for designating instrument models, vocabells (rimless bells), the renown Conn 88H series (it is rumoured that Vincent Bach modelled his famous Stradivarius 42 trombones on the 88H). This period, the following one under the administration of Paul Gazlay (1949-1958) and a third led by Greenleafs son Leland, are today considered to have been the golden years of the Conn Corporation.
Conn trombones of this fabled era have a legendary reputation amongst the classical musicians and instruments manufactured in the 1950s and 60s are particularly prized by collectors.In 1969, the Greenleaf family sold the company to the MacMillan Company, a publisher of books. The years under MacMillan ownership were something of a disaster, a dark age for Conn. MacMillan relocated Conns headquarters in Illinois, deliberately destroying historical records in the process, leading to loss of a (now) priceless and irreplaceable treasure trove of information about older Conn instruments. A fine new instrument factory in Elkhart was sold to Selmer (Vincent Bach instruments are now produced there) while Conns own instrument manufacturing was largely moved to Abilene, Texas, to take advantage of lower labour costs. However, MacMillan failed to appreciate that instrument manufacture is a labour-intensive process requiring a skilled workforce not to be found in Abilene. The first few years in Abilene were essentially learning ones for the new staff, and hence quality of output was very variable.
Generally, Abilene-produced instruments have a poor reputation, although it is possible to find examples of good quality.In 1980, the former Conn employee Daniel Henkin purchased the Conn Corporation from MacMillan. Amongst his achievements were to bring the company back to Elkhart and the purchase of King Musical Instruments. Conn and King were sold in 1985 to Skane Gripen, a Swedish conglomerate, which formed a new parent company, United Musical Instruments (UMI), under whose umbrella Conn and King remain today. The Abilene plant was closed the following year and production of Conn-badged instruments moved to Eastlake, Ohio, where King instruments were being made. Both King and Conn instruments produced in the following decade are generally considered by enthusiasts to be ordinary in terms of quality and character. In the late 1990s, however, UMI has made great strides in improving its manufacture of instruments. The updated Conn 88H models (Generation II?
In particular have come in for considerable praise, being likened by some professionals to be every bit as good as (if not better than) their Elkhart counterparts (click to read a review on the 88H Gen2 series). It also appears that Conn may be reintroducing or improving old Conn favourites, eg the 62H.Note: Older Conn trombones had Remington-style leadpipes which will only accept mouthpieces with Remington shanks. Newer instruments and retrofitted older instruments have leadpipes with a (Bach-style) Morse taper and hence will accept modern mouthpieces with standard shanks.New! Gordon Cherry has very kindly given permission for his Conn trombone serial number list to be reproduced on this site. Click here to view it.New!
Bach Trumpet Database
According to Don Bilger, Conn also manufactured trombones under the Pan American and Cavalier brand names. He wasn't sure of the dates for Cavaliers, but Pan American production apparently ran from around 1917 to 1954 and the Pan American serial numbers don't mesh with the Conn serial number list (no source that correlates Pan American serial numbers with production dates is known). The Pan Americans he saw were all small straight tenors with.485' bores and 7' bells. There was a basic model sometimes called a 64H, and a more deluxe model with nickel trim termed the 68H. Both were reportedly modelled on the 4H professional-grade trombone.2HAccording to the, this was a #1 1/2 Bore Artists' Small Bore with 6.5' or 7' Bell (Wurlitzer Special). 1919-1927, discontinued 1929.3HAccording to the, this was a #1 1/2 Bore Artists' Small Bore with 6.5' or 7' Bell (Wurlitzer Special).
High and low pitch. 1919-1927, discontinued 1929.4H.485Small-bore, favoured for jazz, often compared with King 2B. Historical notes: according to the, this designation was used for a #2 1/2 Bore Artists' Medium Bore with 6.5' or 7' Bell (Wurlitzer Special) from 1919-1939. A #2 1/2 Bore Artist Special with Nickel Trim was introduced in 1936 and discontinued in 1941. A #2 1/2 Bore Medium Bore Artist with Light Weight Slides was introduced in 1940 and discontinued in 1954. A #2 1/2 Bore Medium Bore Artist Special with Light Weight Slides was introduced in 1940 and discontinued in 1941. A #2 1/2 Bore Victor was introduced in 1954 and discontinued in 1958.
Bach Strad Serial Number Search
A #2 1/2 Bore Victor with Light Weight Slides was introduced in 1954 and discontinued in 1958.5HAccording to the, this was a #2 1/2 Bore Artists' Medium Bore with 6.5' or 7' Bell (Wurlitzer Special). High & Low Pitch. High and low pitch. 1919-1932.6H.500Small-bore, favoured for jazz, comparable to (but brighter than) King 3B. Historical notes: according to the, this designation was used for a #3 Bore Bb Symphony Small Bore with 7.5' or 8' Bell introduced in 1918, discontinued 1928, and reinstated in 1937.
Discontinued 1985(?).7H.5258.5The 7H/78H series were possibly cloned subsequently by Blessing as their B-7 and B-78 models. The 'new' 78H model introduced in the 1970s (ie the model number reused) was essentially a 7H with F attachment.
Information about the 7H was kindly provided by Don Bilger. Historical notes: according to the, this designation was used for a #3 Bore Bb Symphony Small Bore with 7.5' or 8' Bell (high and low pitch) introduced in 1918, discontinued 1928.8HAccording to the, this was a #4 1/4 Bore Large Symphony from 1919-1934, and a #4 1/2 Bore Artist Symphony with red brass bell from 1954 to approximately 1974.9HAccording to the, this was a #? Large Bore Symphony from 1919-1934.10HAccording to the, this was a #1 1/2 Small Bore from 1919-1930, and a #3 Bore Victor with Coprion Bell and Light Weight Slides from 1955 to 1963.11HAccording to the, this was a #1 1/2 Small Bore from 1919-1930.12HAccording to the, this was a #? Bore Bass with Piston Valve to F&E, 8 1/2' Bell and tuning in slide from 1919-1923, a #2 1/2 Bore Coprion from 1938-1955 and a #2 1/2 Bore Coprion with lightweight slides (available only on special order) from 1949 to 1955.14HAccording to the, this was a #?