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easyleopard New Member
Joined: 07 May 2021 Posts: 2 Location: New York
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2022 5:21 am Post subject: 'ThE Martin' trumpet: What is it? |
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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. _________________ Have a vintage instrument for sale? Please contact me.
Last edited by easyleopard on Wed May 11, 2022 10:15 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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X200 Regular Member
Joined: 28 Mar 2022 Posts: 49
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AndyDavids Veteran Member
Joined: 08 Jun 2020 Posts: 176
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2022 6:41 am Post subject: |
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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!! |
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OldSchoolEuph Heavyweight Member
Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 2441
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huntman10 Heavyweight Member
Joined: 30 Aug 2017 Posts: 692 Location: Texas South Plains
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2022 7:50 am Post subject: |
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Does it have anything stamped on the mouthpiece receiver?? _________________ 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. |
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Andy Cooper Heavyweight Member
Joined: 15 Nov 2001 Posts: 1830 Location: Terre Haute, IN USA
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2022 9:19 am Post subject: |
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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. |
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kehaulani Heavyweight Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Posts: 9028 Location: Hawai`i - Texas
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2022 9:57 am Post subject: |
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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. _________________ "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 |
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Leeway Veteran Member
Joined: 06 Sep 2019 Posts: 141
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2022 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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"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 |
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