Old Bach Strad 13XXX vintage

[Sooner]

I have the rare opportunity to purchase a Bach strad from around 1955. The only problem is that it is not in what I would call the best of shape and it would most likely need a complete valve job.
The other problem is that the bell doesn't have a number on it. Is there anyway to tell what type of bell is on there? Or is there a chance that this is some sort of counterfeit?
Normally I would jump on any Bach strad from that era, but in this case I would need to part with my precious 40b in order to get it.
Is getting a Bach from that vintage pretty much a win/win situation, or might it be a money trap given the valve work it would need.
I should mention that I rarely play my 40b since I got a 38b, but I hate to part with it given the condition that it is in and the rarity of the 40b's.
_________________
N.Y. Bach 31 bell S-bore (.440) 50XX, Bob Reeves 41sv-692s, Bach MV 1.5C/warburton 9 BB for legit.

Proffessional poker dealer/player (helps support my music habit) and trumpet player of the Octopi.

Now a synth junkie as well

[plp]

While Tom Turner is your man as far as Strad history goes, I think the reason there is no bell stamping is because they were still doing trumpets 'to order' as opposed to mass production, and yours may be a non typical bell. I know this was the case earlier in Bach's history, but don't know when they began to get away from this in favor of higher volume production.

If it were me, I'd hang on to the 40-B. Those are just the neatest looking trumpets, and a great example of functional art deco.

[ This Message was edited by: plp on 2004-05-10 19:55 ]

[Mikeytrpt]

Call the Selmer Company and give them the serial number of the horn. They should have a "Shop Card" on that horn, which would list the specs, including which bell and leadpipe were used.

[bgwbold]

Some of them have numbers, though. I have seen a lot of them with the more common model numbers stamped on them where the horn is even older than that. I am not sure what it means when there is no number. I am a little confused, since I thought all of the mandrels had numbers.

Mike

[Cliff Fitch]

I use to have a Bach 37 bell mandrel which fit perfectly in a 1953 NY Bach Strad that I use to own. The bell on it was marked only"Stradivarius Model". I just assumed that if it was not marked, it was a standard 37 bell but I am not sure if that is the case. Cliff
_________________
1977 Bach Stradivarius Model 37 (Lacquered)
1972 L.A. Benge 3X+ MLP (Lacquered)
Member: International Trumpet Guild

[wardsd]

a 13xxx serial number no longer has the the bell number on it. They were only on the first few thousand horns. I had a 7000 series NY Strad, and it already had the New York 67 code on it, not the bell number.

Here is all the info you need on Bell markings: http://www.selmer.com/bachology/bacologyI.html

Steve

[Irving]

Bach didn't always mark the bell number on his bells. That doesn't mean that it's automatically a 37 bell, though. I have a Mt. Vernon Bach Bb, 15xxx that isn't marked, but, according to the shop card, it's a 43 bell. So just ask the factory for the horn's shop card, and that way, you'll find out what kind of bell you have.

[bgwbold]

Steve, I believe that the 67 refers to the old two digit postal zone where the factory was located in NY. The model number, when it was stamped on the horns was below the script Stradivarius. I am looking at one right now from 1953 and the engraving is as follows:

Stradivarius
Model 37

Vincent Bach
---------------
CORPORATION

NEW YORK 67
U.S.A.



If there is a Model 72, I would assume somewhere there must have been a Model 67, but in the above case the 67 does not appear to be the model number.

[wardsd]

bgwbold,
Yes, that is all fully explained in the link I provided. I did not mean to imply mine was a model 67, It simply had New York 67 posted on the bell, as did all of them in that time frame.

Sorry for the confusion.

Steve

[bgwbold]

Sorry, Steve, I just did not read all the way down. Your link does deal with it and even tells the zip code of the factory when the postal zone was converted to the zip code. Thanks again.

Mike