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Blessing Trumpet Question



 
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fayettevillebill
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Joined: 13 May 2014
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Location: Fayetteville AR

PostPosted: Thu May 22, 2014 12:22 pm    Post subject: Blessing Trumpet Question Reply with quote

I am curious about my scrap-yard acquired Blessing Scholastic trumpet. http://comp.uark.edu/~wladams/HornPage/blessing/index.htm I know it is a student horn, and the serial number, which I forgot to jot down, indicates it was made in 1993. I like the sound of it quite well. Is there any way to determine its model name, number, or whatever? I keep wanting to conclude that it is or is identical to a B-125, but this is not proven. "Scholastic" seems more like a series name than an individual model name, but I certainly could be wrong. Any Blessing experts out there? Editing to add: S/N is 434988.
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Vega-Lux
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Joined: 23 Jan 2014
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Location: Amesbury, Massachusetts

PostPosted: Thu May 22, 2014 9:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Blessing Trumpet Question Reply with quote

fayettevillebill wrote:
I am curious about my scrap-yard acquired Blessing Scholastic trumpet. ... I know it is a student horn, and the serial number, which I forgot to jot down, indicates it was made in 1993. I like the sound of it quite well. Is there any way to determine its model name, number, or whatever? I keep wanting to conclude that it is or is identical to a B-125, but this is not proven. "Scholastic" seems more like a series name than an individual model name, but I certainly could be wrong. Any Blessing experts out there?


This looks very much like the Blessing BT-125 I almost purchased in Pensacola FL in April. My will power prevailed briefly, but I just purchased a Blessing XL-CR shepherd's crook cornet last week.

I believe you are correct about the BT-125 also being called the "Scholastic":
http://www.brassreview.com/reviews/g33-blessing.html

I actually just spoke on the phone to Steve Allen of Blessing earlier today, to get more information on my XL-CR cornet. I had e-mailed them questions about 5 days ago and had gotten no response, so I tried the phone number with success.

I was floored when Steve told me that "Blessing's official serial number records, prior to 2009 are a collection of spiral bound notebooks with hand written entries!" He said my cornet must be from before 2009, because the serial number was not his their computer system! He also said that the G prefix before my five serials numbers had no significance and that they chose to add various letters when they ran out of numbers ! ? Say what? I did not want to seem too incredulous, and thanked him for his time since I apparently was not going to get much more information today.

Where did you get your serial#/manufacturing date info from?

Let me know if you would like the phone number for Steve Allen.

Marc
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fayettevillebill
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PostPosted: Fri May 23, 2014 5:16 am    Post subject: Blessing Serial Numbers Reply with quote

Howdy, Vega-Lux! Here are two sites I found when I was looking for info on Blessing serial numbers: http://www.musictrader.com/blessing.html and http://worldofbrass.altervista.org/links.serial.blessing.php - - Horn-U-Copia showed what looked like the same basic list without the commentary or the "add 50" idea. Maybe they're good at making horns but awful at keeping records.

I think I'll pass on the phone number. This isn't a major issue, just personal curiosity. Besides, it doesn't sound like I'd get much anyway. Just looking around on the web for general info on Blessing trumpets, I don't find a whole lot. Nothing about "How to ID Your Blessing" nor any "Models Timeline" nor anything else. Things I have read talk about "someone's Blessing B-125 from 1995," for example, and then refer to it as "...which Blessing made for many years," which implies that it could apply to my horn without saying it. Oh, well, I'll just dig up Sherlock Holmes, and then Watson can write "The Confounding Conundrum Of The Confused Cornetist" or something.

Thankee!
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Vega-Lux
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PostPosted: Fri May 23, 2014 5:55 pm    Post subject: Re: Blessing Serial Numbers Reply with quote

fayettevillebill wrote:
Maybe they're good at making horns but awful at keeping records....I think I'll pass on the phone number...Oh, well, I'll just dig up Sherlock Holmes, and then Watson can write "The Confounding Conundrum Of The Confused Cornetist" or something.


Thanks for the two links. I was familiar with the musictrader list but not the Worldofbrass one.

I love your title of the Sherlock Holmes story-to-be-written! I can even imagine a duet with the confused cornetist and Holmes on his violin.

I actually am feeling very much the part of the confused cornetist, as I cannot for the life of me understand why a serious manufacturer of brass instruments cannot come up with a logical serial number system that is well documented and easily shared with horn buyers and players?

This is a true mystery.
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yourbrass
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 6:33 am    Post subject: Re: Blessing Serial Numbers Reply with quote

[quote="Vega-Lux"]
fayettevillebill wrote:

I actually am feeling very much the part of the confused cornetist, as I cannot for the life of me understand why a serious manufacturer of brass instruments cannot come up with a logical serial number system that is well documented and easily shared with horn buyers and players?

This is a true mystery.


Companies go out of business, owners change, there are multiple reasons why good records are hard to come by. But back to Blessing - in doing some research I picked up Blessing trumpets from before and after WWII on ebay auctions. I haven't worked on the pre-war one yet, but I put the 40's one in shape for a young player who needed a horn. It surprised me how well the thing plays - it doesn't pull sharp above the staff and it's got a piercing tone. I feel lucky on that one - less than $100!
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Chris176
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 3:31 am    Post subject: Re: Blessing Trumpet Question Reply with quote

fayettevillebill wrote:
I am curious about my scrap-yard acquired Blessing Scholastic trumpet. http://comp.uark.edu/~wladams/HornPage/blessing/index.htm I know it is a student horn, and the serial number, which I forgot to jot down, indicates it was made in 1993. I like the sound of it quite well. Is there any way to determine its model name, number, or whatever? I keep wanting to conclude that it is or is identical to a B-125, but this is not proven. "Scholastic" seems more like a series name than an individual model name, but I certainly could be wrong. Any Blessing experts out there? Editing to add: S/N is 434988.


Just bumping this thread.
I have a Blessing C, the serial number being 341,713. I too am totally bemused by the numbering system. Going by the musictrader list, post 1983, I have to add 50 to the 2 digit prefix. The numbers given in the list only go up to 1980 so I've no idea what number I'm adding onto.

Also, the 1980 S/N is given as 281,221. Adding 50 on to the 28 would take the serial number up to 7 digits within 2 years.

Am I missing something? Can anyone give me any indication as to what year my S/N equates to?

As an aside, rumour has it that Håkan Hardenberger picked this instrument up at a trade fair in the UK, gave it a bit of a work out and said 'Yes, that's nice' . An eagle-eyed (or eared) guy overheard this and immediately bought it.

I picked it up a couple of years ago, as, I believe, the 3rd owner. Easy blowing and a penetrating sound.
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Brassnose
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 19, 2022 10:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Piggybacking once more more on an old thread: my instrument repair man told me today that he thinks the older Blessing Scholastic trumpets (like mine from 1980) are modeled after the 37 Bach horns. Any chance someone knows if this is possible?

He also suggested that the B-125, 127 etc numbers came up in later years (mine was purchased new in 1980 and bears no numbers, just the Blessing Scholastic engraving on the bell).
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BC73
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2023 11:15 am    Post subject: Blessing Model Identity Reply with quote

I've been looking at Blessing trumpets online (I have their Artist model Flugel) as a backup horn and it seems like all the ones I've looked at had the model number stamped on the leadpipe.
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