NY Bach 26-48

[dcjway]

After finishing up my daily practice routine on my Shires Destino I took out my old Bach and wow what a nice warm broad tone it has. The horn is a 0.448 bore with a 26 bell (made with thinnest gauge German brass Bach used at the time as evidenced by a 45 stamped on bell just below Bach's signature) and a 5 lead pipe and everything on the horn is original with the exceptions of the lacquer a longer 3rd valve stop rod and the addition of a 1st valve slide saddle all done by Charlie Melk. I bought the horn from the 80 year old daughter of the original owner making me only the 2nd owner of a piece of history. There seems to be virtually no info on the 26 bell, I have contacted Roy Humpley to see what he might know. He said there is no documentation in the archives on the bell, he did have info on the 5 lead pipe in that it is tight (the flare on the pipe from receiver to tuning slide is very apparent). He also said that 1934 was sort of an end of a period when Mr Bach was beginning to question an early notion that he should concentrate on making large bore trumpets using the 6 mouthpipe and varying his bell dimensions, stepping through #6, #7, #10 and #7-10 bells. He also said at the time he began to expand his range of bore sizes and nomenclature of his small bore trumpets (0.448) to SM or medium-small that left room for an even smaller bore size at 0.440 that he then called his small bore. Mr Humpley said if he had to guess he thought my trumpet may have been made for big dance bands and that he didn't think Mr Bach had a handle on what kind of trumpet would crack that market, but that sounded like something he would try. Mr Humpley also stated that he didn't seem to recall horns with the 26 bell becoming big sellers, which ties into what rockford told me, that only maybe 100 horns with the 26 bell were made (mostly 0.448 and 0.453 bores though I personally have seen two 0.459 bore horns with the bell ie: model 26-59)
So after all that does anyone have info on Bach's 26 bell or would like to share any experience with their own New York Bach.
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Shires Destino III
1971 Bach Vindabona
1947 Martin Committee (Large Bore)
1935 NY Bach 26-59 silver plate

[TheBrassBandMajor]

The Bronx era of Bach was a real 'experimental' stage for Bach. Just entering the trumpet manufacturing industry, he experimented with a variety of bells in the NY era. So it isn't surprising to see a rather rare bell.

I have never heard about a 26 bell before.
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Vincent Bach Mt Vernon Mercedes
B&S Challenger 3137/I
Hermann Ganter G7aN
A.Windisch Silber-Deluxe, Dresden
Couesnon 'Triebert Moderne' piccolo
Conn 'Connstellation' 28A
SO many more trumpets.....

[adagiotrumpet]

It is my understanding that Bach's bell numbers reference the order in which the bells were designed. That would mean that the 26 bell was designed immediate after the 25 bell. The 25 bell, which is currently still available, is the standard large bore bell. It has a tight throat and a focused sound. I am just speculating, but I wonder if Bach was trying to produce a similar sound quality for a smaller bore horn with the 26 bell.

[rockford]

[Matt White]

I have a M bore (7 pipe and 38 bell) from 1940 that I've been playing on for about 10 years. I really love the core of sound on that setup and how efficient it feels. Great on a microphone, but it was always a little more work in a really loud live setting.

About 3 years ago I bough a L Bore from 1935 with a 25 bell and 6 pipe. I usually don't like L bore trumpets as I prefer some resistance, but I really like that combination. Something about the resistance of the 6 pipe on the front end really helps and I feel like I can color the sound a little more on that setup. It's also way more open on the top end.

I'm playing that horn now almost exclusively except some small group settings I'll still use the M Bore.

I've never played or seen a 26 bell. It's really fascinating how many options and configurations are on those early horns before the stock setups we're set in stone. I think there is something to that early tighter wrap too...
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Matt White
Associate Professor of Music
Coastal Carolina University
http://mattwhitejazz.com
@mattwhitejazz (twitter/instagram)
Bach Trumpet Performing Artist
Patrick Mouthpieces

[adagiotrumpet]

[rockford]

[GarryOwen2008]

I also own a New York with a 26 bell. Mine is a 0.459 bore with a 6 leadpipe. One interesting thing about my horn is that it's the only New York I've seen with the double braces that you find on later 37s. It has a much tighter wrap than later horns (similar to a Martin Committee), and also has an amazing dark tone, though it can certainly light up! It is also extremely easy to play pedal tones on it -- not sure why.
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1935 New York Bach Strad
Adams A9 Trumpet
1970 Bach 37 Cornet
1954 LA Olds Ambassador
Carol Brass "Blackhawk" Flugelhorn

[pc2001197]

I own a 26-59 from 1933 with a 6 leadpipe. I was at the Bach Fest this year and Ted Wagoner was there and had all the old Bach books and designs for anyone to flip through (but no photos). I checked out the 26 bell and Bach indicated that it is a French American crossover sound. He also noted that it has great sound but only OK intonation. I guess that's why it never gone into huge production. Nevertheless I really like mine even though the bell is cracked and pistons are loose. The sound is big and warm.

[dcjway]

Mine has a tight wrap also, and the info from the Bach Fest is interesting. Maybe that's why my little horn reminds me of the medium bore Martin Committees I have had, it does sound nice playing Summertime.
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Shires Destino III
1971 Bach Vindabona
1947 Martin Committee (Large Bore)
1935 NY Bach 26-59 silver plate