'ThE Martin' trumpet: What is it?

[easyleopard]

I recently bought a Martin trumpet from a pawn shop. The only inscriptions that appear on the horn (the bell) are "ThE Martin” (with a peculiar capital E), ELKHART-INDIANA (hyphenated words in capital letters), USA" and the serial number 700294. It looks identical to the Martin Imperial trumpet of the 1930s (without a thumb saddle like many Committee trumpets). I looked everywhere conceivable but found nothing on "ThE Martin" trumpet. Can anyone tell me what I have bought?
According to the serial number 700294, it was made in 1964 when the Committee line of saxophones were being referred to as "The Martin." Nowhere did it mention that the same applied to trumpets, unless someone at the RMC plant pulled a fluke. When compared with my Martin Custom C trumpet, this weird horn sounded similarly rich and complex, even a bit darker (better than the latter day Committees). It held its own when pitched against the rest of my horn arsenal: Conn 38B Constellation, 61B Super Connstellation, Conn Vintage 1B, 2B, King Super 20 Silversonic, Silver Flair, Buescher 200, Holton Revelation, Bach Stradivarus Commercial; etc., but its tone color sounds closest to my Buescher 200. Hence I am utterly bewildered by this odd ball.
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[X200]

Looks like an end-of-the-road horn:
https://www.horn-u-copia.net/serial/martinlist.html

A horn-u-copia photo search will reveal at least one other of that vintage.

[AndyDavids]

You just bought a trumpet...j/k
If it doesn't have "Committee Model" stamped then my guess is not worth very much. But it may be a great player for you,
and if it is, enjoy!!

[OldSchoolEuph]

See if you can find it in this

https://www.trumpet-history.com/Martin%20Trumpet%20Models.pdf
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Ron Berndt
www.trumpet-history.com

2017 Austin Winds Stage 466
1962 Mt. Vernon Bach 43
1954 Holton 49 Stratodyne
1927 Conn 22B
1957 Holton 27 cornet
1985 Yamaha YEP-621
1975 Yamaha YEP-321 Custom
1965 Besson Baritone
1975 Olds Recording R-20

[huntman10]

Does it have anything stamped on the mouthpiece receiver??
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huntman10
Collector/Player of Fine (and not so fine) Brass Instruments including
Various Strads, Yammies, Al Hirt Courtois, Schilkes,
Selmer 25, Getzen Eternas, Kanstuls (920 Pic, CG)
Martin Custom Large Bore, Lots Olds!, Conns, etc.

[Andy Cooper]

Does it look like any of these?

https://www.saxophone.org/museum/publications/id/292

pages 8,9,10

You might also look at trumpets here
https://contemporacorner.com/trumpets/

There were some things going on with Richards Music, Blessing, Martin, and Reynolds in the 60's. We might be looking as some kind of internal stencil. "The Martin" was a specific term used for some of the Martin saxophones from '45 to '63.

[kehaulani]

Martin made a classic and very good sax called "The Martin". Maybe this is a parallel trumpet in that line. Might be someplace to search.
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"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn

[Leeway]

"The Martin" on the Bell and the serial number says you have a horn made in the original factory at Elkhart. By the time your horn was made the factory was owned by Wurlitzer who had financed RMC who had acquired Reynolds and Blessing as well as Martin by 1961. RMC was not successful and Wurlitzer ended up with all Trademarks and assets.
Martin serial numbers restart at 700000 from 1964 with the Wurlitzer acquisition.

If your horn looks like an Imperial, it it very likely based on a Martin Imperial and built from parts and Tooling used to make the same horns in the same factory from the 1930s..
Older models were often built from old parts and sold as Student or intermediate level horns. This is not to say they were poor quality however.
Martin, under Wurlitzer made several models of Martin Trumpets based on previous models sometimes renamed or given names of earlier models.
It's not a Committee but from the same Factory, Tooling, craftsmen, etc.
Depending how it plays snd sounds, there's every chance you just scored a vintage horn that sounds not unlike a Committee but might feel a bit stuffier!
On the other hand you may be lucky and have a great horn that plays and sounds beautiful