Martin Committee Trombone Serial Numbers

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A vintage Martin “Committee” model trombone with its original hardshell case. This vintage trombone has a lacquered brass finish and serial number 187468. In addition to its case, a vintage stone-lined “Mic-A-Mute” by Humes & Berg and several leaflets of trombone sheet music and instruction are also included. Third Character (number) indicates year of decade, reading directly. Fourth Character (number) indicates group as follows: 1 - Cornet 2 - Trumpet 3 - Alto 4 - French Horn 5 - Mellophonium 6 - Valve Trombone 7 - Slide Trombone 8 - Baritone - Euphonium 9 - Tuba 10 - Sousapone The remaining four numbers constitute the serial number on a monthly basis. A vintage Martin “Committee” model trombone with its original hardshell case. This vintage trombone has a lacquered brass finish and serial number 187468. In addition to its case, a vintage stone-lined “Mic-A-Mute” by Humes & Berg and several leaflets of trombone sheet music and instruction are also included. The HOLY GRAIL of trumpets! The Large Bore Martin Committee. The #3 on top of the serial number means it is a extra large bore #3 (0.468). The serial number.


Discontinued Trombone Models

This is a list containing the specifications of non-custom trombone models from various manufacturers that have been discontinued. I hope to add to and continually update this list - please do let me know if you spot any errors or omissions.

Please take a few moments to read my copyright notice and disclaimer if you haven't done so already.

Discontinued Trombone Model Specifications

Manufacturer (Parent Company)ModelBore (in.)Bell (in.)Valve(s)Other information
Amati-Denak
Vincent Bach (Selmer)Vincent Bach began producing mouthpieces in New York in 1918 and trumpets in 1924. Trombone designs were finalised in 1928, the same year Vincent moved factories to the Bronx, New York. Hence, I don't think there were any trombones produced at the previous site (I haven't seen any evidence to suggest the opposite), but don't quote me on this! In 1953, Bach moved factories again, this time to Mount Vernon, New York where production continued until the early 1960s. Vincent Bach sold his company to the Selmer Corporation in 1961. Selmer had all the tooling and machinery moved to Elkhart, Indiana, and production resumed in 1965.

Mount Vernon-era instruments are highly-prized by collectors, particularly those rare examples that are in good condition. Elkart instruments have also been very good until the late 1980s. Sadly, the previously high standard of quality control declined in the 1990s - there have been complaints of instances of shoddy workmanship. Bach aficionados will generally keen to point out that most Bachs are good instruments, however. The trick, it seems, is to play test a few examples to make sure you're getting one of the good ones.

New! Gordon Cherry has very kindly given permission for his Bach trombone serial number list to be reproduced on this site. Click here here to view it.

Benge (UMI)
BlessingB-98.5629.5F/GbBass. Independent valves. Believed to be a clone of the Bach 50B3. Mixed reviews - some people believe it's great, others think it's a dud.
Boosey & Hawkes (Besson)Boosey & Hawkes has for many years been the sole large-scale producer of brass instruments in the UK. This company was formed from the merger of Boosey & Co. with Hawkes & Son in the 1930s. The former began life as a bookstore founded by Thomas Boosey in the 18th century. It only diversified into instrument manufacture about a century later. Hawkes & Son was originally founded in the 1860s by William Hawkes as an importer of muscial instruments, later venturing into music publishing and instrument manufacture. After WWII, the B&H group acquired the British arm of Besson, a company founded by the Frenchman Gustave Auguste Besson in the mid-19th century. The resulting profusion of brands and models have been rationalised over the years, and today, B&H brass instruments are principally produced under the Besson brand name. Strangely enough, despite the early diversity of brands and models, B&H apparently did not possess a large bore (ie 0.547) tenor in its range until around the mid-1950s. Early .547 instruments were apparently expensive and disappointing compared to American counterparts. B&H were apparently good at making F attachment linkages however - all the references I've seen consistently describe F attachment action as being favourable compared to that generally found on American instruments.

Note on serial numbers: If you're looking to date your Besson instrument by looking at serial number lists available on the internet, you should be aware that there are two different lists. One relates to Besson (London) instruments and the other to Besson (Paris) ones. Additionally, it seems that Kanstul and The Allied Company (I'm not familiar with the latter) in the USA produced Besson instruments for which serial numbers are not available (but which were similar to that used on instruments produced by B&H at their Edgware plant).

Gordon Cherry has very kindly given permission for his B&H trombone serial number list to be reproduced on this site. Click here here to view it.

New!Stewart Stunell has recently e-mailed me some information about the 10.10, Besson International, Besson Stratford, Besson New Standard, Besson Academy and Sessionaire ranges.

The 1.10 seriesStudent models, 1960s-1980s
The 10.10 series1960s-1980s. One source, Stewart Stunell, believes that the 10.10 series were top-line professional instruments designed for orchestral use (as opposed to B&H's traditional market, ie brass bands). He says they were regarded as being better than the Imperials: the 10.10 clarinets in particular are still highly prized, especially as a matched pair in Bb and A. In contrast, the brass range 'didn't quite take off'. This he attributes to the (then) fashion of using American trumpets and large bore trombones.
The 20.20 seriesIntermediate(?) instruments, 1960s-1980s
B&H 400 seriesStudent instruments, manufactured in Czechoslovakia. Some also contract-manufactured by Kanstul, USA.
B&H Emperor seriesIntermediate models, equivalent to Besson Concorde but differing in trim and fittings.
B&H Imperial seriesProfessional models. Superceded by B&H Sovereign range during early 1970s.
B&H Oxford Professional instruments.
B&H Regent seriesBeginners instruments, equivalent to Besson Westminster but differing in trim and fittings. Superceded in early 1990s by Besson 600 series.
B&H, later Besson, Sovereign seriesProfessional models. Replaced Imperial series. Current Sovereign range is also known as the Besson 900 series.
Besson Academy seriesAccording to Stewart Stunell, this was a complete family of professional trombones. Members ranged in size from 'Alto through medium/small Tenors, medium bore Tenors, medium/large Tenors to large bore Tenors and Bb/F Bass trombones'. Model numbers were 401 thru 409.
Besson Class A 'Class A' is a designation denoting professional-quality instruments. I believe this designation was only used pre-B&H era and am seeking to confirm this. Further details also being sought.
Besson Concorde seriesIntermediate models, equivalent to B&H Emperor but differing in trim and fittings. Evolved into current 700 series.
Besson International seriesSome contract-manufactured by Kanstul, USA. Stewart Stunell says that the Besson International range were professional models considered equivalent to the Sovereign Cornets and Imperial trombones (Bb/F tenor and Bb/F bass). Bells had distinctive engraving; available either lacquered or in burnished silver plate.
Besson New Standard seriesAccording to Stewart Stunell, these instruments were Brass Band professional instruments equivalent to the B&H Imperials.
Besson Stratford seriesAccording to Stewart Stunell, the Besson Stratford range was an intermediate one equivalent to the B&H Emperor.
Besson Westminster seriesStudent models, equivalent to B&H Regent but differing in trim and fittings. Now sold as 600 series.
Lafleur seriesStudent line. Evolved into 400 series.
Sessionaire A collection of top-line professional jazz trumpets and trombones, according to Stewart Stunell. He says they have 'a neat caliper tuning slide mechanism'. Stewart is the proud and happy owner of a Sessionaire trombone, medium/small bore (0.487in) with 8 inch bell, which 'sings like a dream'.
Blessing
CG Conn Charles Gerard Conn started manufacturing brass instruments in Elkhart, Indiana, during the 1870s, and his company proved to be a great success. On Conn�s retirement in 1915, the company was sold to Carl Diamond Greenleaf. Under Greenleaf�s direction, the firm prospered, expanding still further through both organic growth and purchase of other companies. During his stewardship also, many instrument models and various innovations were introduced some of which are still around today, eg the system of numbers and letters for designating instrument models, vocabells (rimless bells), the renown Conn 88H series (it is rumoured that Vincent Bach modelled his famous Stradivarius 42 trombones on the 88H). This period, the following one under the administration of Paul Gazlay (1949-1958) and a third led by Greenleaf�s son Leland, are today considered to have been the golden years of the Conn Corporation. Conn trombones of this fabled era have a legendary reputation amongst the classical musicians and instruments manufactured in the 1950s and 60s are particularly prized by collectors.

In 1969, the Greenleaf family sold the company to the MacMillan Company, a publisher of books. The years under MacMillan ownership were something of a disaster, a dark age for Conn. MacMillan relocated Conn�s headquarters in Illinois, deliberately destroying historical records in the process, leading to loss of a (now) priceless and irreplaceable treasure trove of information about older Conn instruments. A fine new instrument factory in Elkhart was sold to Selmer (Vincent Bach instruments are now produced there) while Conn�s own instrument manufacturing was largely moved to Abilene, Texas, to take advantage of lower labour costs. However, MacMillan failed to appreciate that instrument manufacture is a labour-intensive process requiring a skilled workforce not to be found in Abilene. The first few years in Abilene were essentially learning ones for the new staff, and hence quality of output was very variable. Generally, Abilene-produced instruments have a poor reputation, although it is possible to find examples of good quality.

In 1980, the former Conn employee Daniel Henkin purchased the Conn Corporation from MacMillan. Amongst his achievements were to bring the company back to Elkhart and the purchase of King Musical Instruments. Conn and King were sold in 1985 to Skane Gripen, a Swedish conglomerate, which formed a new parent company, United Musical Instruments (UMI), under whose umbrella Conn and King remain today. The Abilene plant was closed the following year and production of Conn-badged instruments moved to Eastlake, Ohio, where King instruments were being made. Both King and Conn instruments produced in the following decade are generally considered by enthusiasts to be ordinary in terms of quality and character. In the late 1990s, however, UMI has made great strides in improving its manufacture of instruments. The updated Conn 88H models (�Generation II? in particular have come in for considerable praise, being likened by some professionals to be every bit as good as (if not better than) their Elkhart counterparts (click here to read a review on the 88H Gen2 series). It also appears that Conn may be reintroducing or improving old Conn favourites, eg the 62H.

Note: Older Conn trombones had Remington-style leadpipes which will only accept mouthpieces with Remington shanks. Newer instruments and retrofitted older instruments have leadpipes with a (Bach-style) Morse taper and hence will accept modern mouthpieces with standard shanks.

New! Gordon Cherry has very kindly given permission for his Conn trombone serial number list to be reproduced on this site. Click here here to view it.

New! According to Don Bilger, Conn also manufactured trombones under the Pan American and Cavalier brand names. He wasn't sure of the dates for Cavaliers, but Pan American production apparently ran from around 1917 to 1954 and the Pan American serial numbers don't mesh with the Conn serial number list (no source that correlates Pan American serial numbers with production dates is known). The Pan Americans he saw were all small straight tenors with .485' bores and 7' bells. There was a basic model sometimes called a 64H, and a more deluxe model with nickel trim termed the 68H. Both were reportedly modelled on the 4H professional-grade trombone.

2HAccording to the Conn Loyalist trombone list, this was a #1 1/2 Bore Artists' Small Bore with 6.5' or 7' Bell (Wurlitzer Special). 1919-1927, discontinued 1929.
3HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #1 1/2 Bore Artists' Small Bore with 6.5' or 7' Bell (Wurlitzer Special). High and low pitch. 1919-1927, discontinued 1929.
4H.485Small-bore, favoured for jazz, often compared with King 2B. Historical notes: according to the Conn Loyalist list, this designation was used for a #2 1/2 Bore Artists' Medium Bore with 6.5' or 7' Bell (Wurlitzer Special) from 1919-1939. A #2 1/2 Bore Artist Special with Nickel Trim was introduced in 1936 and discontinued in 1941. A #2 1/2 Bore Medium Bore Artist with Light Weight Slides was introduced in 1940 and discontinued in 1954. A #2 1/2 Bore Medium Bore Artist Special with Light Weight Slides was introduced in 1940 and discontinued in 1941. A #2 1/2 Bore Victor was introduced in 1954 and discontinued in 1958. A #2 1/2 Bore Victor with Light Weight Slides was introduced in 1954 and discontinued in 1958.
5HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #2 1/2 Bore Artists' Medium Bore with 6.5' or 7' Bell (Wurlitzer Special). High & Low Pitch. High and low pitch. 1919-1932.
6H.500Small-bore, favoured for jazz, comparable to (but brighter than) King 3B. Historical notes: according to the Conn Loyalist list, this designation was used for a #3 Bore Bb Symphony Small Bore with 7.5' or 8' Bell introduced in 1918, discontinued 1928, and reinstated in 1937. Discontinued 1985(?).
7H.5258.5The 7H/78H series were possibly cloned subsequently by Blessing as their B-7 and B-78 models. The 'new' 78H model introduced in the 1970s (ie the model number reused) was essentially a 7H with F attachment. Information about the 7H was kindly provided by Don Bilger. Historical notes: according to the Conn Loyalist list, this designation was used for a #3 Bore Bb Symphony Small Bore with 7.5' or 8' Bell (high and low pitch) introduced in 1918, discontinued 1928.
8HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #4 1/4 Bore Large Symphony from 1919-1934, and a #4 1/2 Bore Artist Symphony with red brass bell from 1954 to approximately 1974.
9HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #? Large Bore Symphony from 1919-1934.
10HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #1 1/2 Small Bore from 1919-1930, and a #3 Bore Victor with Coprion Bell and Light Weight Slides from 1955 to 1963.
11HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #1 1/2 Small Bore from 1919-1930.
12HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #? Bore Bass with Piston Valve to F&E, 8 1/2' Bell and tuning in slide from 1919-1923, a #2 1/2 Bore Coprion from 1938-1955 and a #2 1/2 Bore Coprion with lightweight slides (available only on special order) from 1949 to 1955.
14HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #? Bore Bass with Piston Valve to F&E from 1919-1923, a #4 1/2 + #3 1/2 Bore Medium Bass with rotary valve to F & E with tuning in slide from 1927-1932 and a #2 1/2 Bore Bb Director from 1954 to 1974.
16HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #1 1/2 Bore Alto from 1919-1948.
17HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #1 1/2 Bore Alto (high & low pitch) from 1919-1948.
18HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #3 Bore (Tait Model Tuning Device and Slides?) from 1919-1924, a #3 Bore 'Frisco' Artist with 7', 7�' or 8' Bell from 1924-1931 and a #2 1/2 Bore Bb Director with Coprion bell from 1954 to 1974.
19HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #3 Bore (Tait Model Tuning Device and Slides?) in high and low pitch from 1919-1926.
20HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #? Bore Combination Slide and Valve trombone from 1919-1926, and a #2 1/2Bore Connquest from 1954-1955.
21HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #? Bore Combination Slide and Valve trombone from 1919-1926, and a #2 1/2Bore Connquest from 1954-1955.
22HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #? Bore Alloo Model from 1919-1924, and a #? Bore Alloo Model from 1928-1932.
23HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #? Bore Alloo Model (high and low pitch) from 1919-1924.
24HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #? Bore Large Symphony Model from 1919-1924, a #2 1/2 Bore Medium Bore Artist Ballroom Model with tuning slide in bell from 1928-1951, and a #2 1/2 Bore Bb Medium Bore Artist Ball-room Model with tuning slide in bell from 1958 to 1970's.
25HAccording to the Conn Loyalist list, this was a #? Bore Large Symphony Model from 1919-1924, and a #2 1/2 Bore Medium Bore Artist Ballroom Model with tuning slide in bell from 1928-1951.
Connqueror 44H.485Small-bore, vocabell.
Connstellation 48H.5008Small-bore, comparable to (but brighter than) King 3B. Lightweight slide, bell may be nickel-plated.
Director 50H.5258.5FMedium-bore, student model. This instrument was in continuous production from the Elkhart era throughout all the changes of company ownership, only being discontinued recently (one or two years ago) to make way for UMI's new 52H (a .525/.547 'basic pro' horn with an F-attachment and 8-1/2 inch bell). Information about the 50H was kindly provided by Don Bilger.
60H.5629.5FBass trombone. Tuning in the slide, rose brass bell. Highly regarded.
62H.5629.5F/EBass trombone. Closed wrap, dependent valves (possibly may be pulled to Eb/D, but I'm not sure about this), tuning in the slide, rose brass bell. Very highly-regarded. A number were converted to open wrap by the legendary Larry Minick.
70H9.5FBass trombone. Tuning in the slide. Very highly-regarded - favoured by the legendary George Roberts.
71H.5629.5FBass trombone. Yellow brass bell. Highly regarded.
72H.5629.5FBass trombone. Highly regarded.
73H.5629.5F/EBass trombone. Yellow brass bell, dependent valves. Highly regarded.
Connquest 77H.5228Medium-bore intermediate model, poor relation of 78H.
78H.5258.5Elkart era instrument was medium-bore, professional model, yellow brass bell. Discontinued shortly after Conn was purchased by CCM. In the 1970s, a new 78H model was introduced (ie the model number reused) which was essentially a 7H with F attachment. These were possibly cloned subsequently by Blessing as their B-7 and B-78 models. The 7H/78H series was discontinued around the time that Daniel Henkin bought the company from CCM. Information about the 78H was kindly provided by Don Bilger.
79H.5258.5FElkart era instrument was medium-bore, professional model, yellow brass bell. Discontinued shortly after Conn was purchased by CCM. Information about the 79H was kindly provided by Don Bilger.
98H.547/.5629FEssentially an 88H with a larger bell and dual bore slide, played by George Roberts in the later stages of his career.
111H.5629.5F/EbBass, rose brass bell, dependent valves.
A Courtois
Getzen Co
Holton (G Leblanc)Many years ago, Holton bass trombones were once regarded as amongst the very finest instruments you could buy and so were highly sought after. They were played by luminaries such as Edward Kleinhammer, Ray Premru, Frank Mathieson and Dave Taylor.

New! Gordon Cherry has very kindly given permission for his Holton trombone serial number list to be reproduced on this site. Click here here to view it.

TR169.562FBass, 9.5 (sometimes 10) inch red brass bell. Said to have been designed by the legendary Edward Kleinhammer, based on his Bach 50B. A very highly-revered instrument. Production ceased sometime in '60s.
TR269.562F/EBass, double-valved version of TR169.
TR180.56210F/DBass. Designed by Lewis van Haney. Well regarded, but nowhere nearly as highly as its predecessor, the TR169. Throat of bell, leadpipe and gooseneck are said to be tighter than that of the TR169. Customised version with different leadpipe played by George Roberts.
TR185.562FBass, 9.5 or 10 inch bell. Well-regarded.
Jupiter (KHS)
King Henderson N White ran an instrument repair shop in Cleveland, Ohio, in the late 19th century. He became friends with Thomas King, a leading trombonist, and the two men collaborated to produce a trombone with superior slide action and tone quality. White named the model 'King', and the instrument proved a great success. The HN White company continued to develop new trombone models and gained an outstanding reputation for quality and innovation. The company was reputed to have pioneered sterling silver bells. Instruments with these bells were initially named 'Silvertone', and later, 'SilverSonic' (scuttlebutt has it that the former name was owned by Sears, Roebuck & Company, and that White had either licensed the name for a period or infringed on it and hence had to stop using it in the mid-1900s). Today, King SilverSonic instruments continue to be highly sought after.

Henderson White passed away in 1940, and his wife took over the running of his company for the next 25 years. The company flourished under her direction, and in 1964, opened a new factory in Eastlake, Ohio. When Mrs White retired in 1965, the company was sold to a group of investors who sold it on to The Seeburg Corporation (then a major electronics manufacturer). At this point, the HN White Company was renamed King Musical Instruments. In 1985, King was sold to its current owners, UMI, who appear to be positioning the King marque as their jazz line (with Conn as their 'symphonic' line).

The 1930s to the 1960s are considered to be vintage years for King trombones. Consensus is that quality dipped between from the 1970s thru the late 1980s or early 1990s, although well-made examples from that era can be found. In recent years, the quality of King trombones have improved to the point that the most recent King 2Bs and 3Bs, like their 30s-60s counterparts, are once again being regarded by many as being premier jazz instruments. The Duo Gravis bass trombone was is also prized by collectors, albeit not for use in modern symphonic music. Many legendary trombonists (eg Tommy Dorsey, JJ Johnson, Kai Winding and Jiggs Whigham) used King trombones for a significant part - or even all - of their careers.

Some of the information below was obtained from scans of 1932 and 1939 King catalogues very kindly provided by Michael Shoshani.

1939 King regular bell finish options:

Finish II 'Silver Gold': Silver-plated, inside of bell gold-plated. Richly-engraved. Inside of bell, ferrules, engraving design, braces, points, cork rings and water key are hand-burnished.

Finish III 'Silver Gold Trimmed': Silver-plated. Inside of bell, engraving design, ferrules, points, water key are gold-plated and hand-burnished.

Finish IV 'Gold Satin Finish': Heavily gold plated, special engraving design. Inside of bell, ferrules, engraving design, points, cork rings and water key are hand-burnished.

Finish V 'Brass Highly Polished': Highly polished brass. Ferrules, points, trimmings, cork rings and hand-held parts of nickel-silver.

Finish V-G 'Brass Gold Lacquer Finish'.

Finish V-T 'Brass Transparent Lacquer Finish'.

Artist Special: Very heavily gold-plated, extremely richly engraved. Entire bell, handgrip, cork rings, ferrules and trimmings on slide burnished.

De Luxe: The most highly-decorated finish - heavily gold-plated, richly and intricately engraved. Bell, handgrip, ferrules, trimmings on slide and cork rings burnished.

1939 King sterling bell finish options: Finishes II, V (also V-G, V-T) and Artist Special, as for regular bells.

Note: UMI-produced Kings are not burnished. The process of burnishing, accomplished by rubbing metal with a burnishing stone, makes the metal smooth and shiny.

American Standard Model No. 210Old HN White line.
Cello-Tone Model No. 1407.481/.4917Old HN White line. Designed in conjunction with trombonist Gardell Simons. Three bore sizes were available: .480, .500, dual bore .460/.480.
Cleveland Model No. 6047Old HN White model, intermediate. Dual bore nickel-silver inner slide. Valve trombone version available.
ConcertLater renamed model 3B. The great JJ Johnson played 3Bs for a significant portion of his career.
C Trombone.4616.5Old HN White trombone pitched in C.
GladiatorOld HN White student line.
Liberty Model No. 1406.4817.25Old HN White line. Model No. 1456 (Silvertone) has sterling silver bell.
Liberty 2B Model No. 1407.481/.4917.25The classic trombone favoured by Tommy Dorsey. Model No. 1457 (Silvertone) has sterling silver bell. Nickel-silver inner and outer slides. End bow (crook) expanded to fit outer slide tubes - this eliminated need for connecting ferrules, reduced soldered joints from four to two and reduced weight at end of slide.
New Proportion Model No. 1400.461/.481Old HN White line, Artist Solo Model No. 1400 has 6.5 inch bell, No. 1401 has 7 inch bell, No. 1450 (Silver Tone) has sterling silver bell. Intended for solo work and lead playing in dance bands and small orchestras.
New Proportion Model No. 1405.481/.5087.25Old HN White line, Model No. 1455 (Silver Tone version) has sterling silver bell. Designed as a medium-large bore for use in orchestras or 'dance, ballroom, theatre or 2nd trombone in band'.
Symphony Model No. 1410 (1932 specs).5089Originally designed for use in symphony orchestras or third trombone in band. Gold brass bell and slide, with sterling silver funnel. Optional bell entirely of gold brass. Model No. 1460 (Silver Tone version) has sterling silver bell.
Symphony Model No. 1410 (1939 specs).546Some modifications made to 1932 specifications: bore size increased to .546, and two bell diameters made available: 8 or 9 inch. Model No. 1460 (Silver Tone version) has sterling silver bell.
Symphony Model No. 1480 (1932 specs).5089FThe No. 1480 is a No.140 with F attachment, flat (I think) wrap. Model No. 1485 (Silver Tone version) has sterling silver bell.
Symphony Model No. 1480 (1939 specs).5089FUnlike 1939 Model No. 1410, 8 inch bell not offered. Wrap design has been changed, now closed wrap. Model No. 1485 (Silver Tone version) has sterling silver bell.
TempoStudent line, later renamed model 606.
5B .5479FEssentially a 4B with larger bell and throat.
6B Duo GravisBass. Dependent valves. Legendary professional-quality instrument. Much-prized by admirers, considered too bright by detractors (hence used mainly in symphonic and jazz settings rather than in orchestras). Default side-by-side trigger setup may be difficult for some to operate.
7B (2107).5629.625F/GbBass. Independent valves. A legend making the rounds is that the (tighter and brighter) 7B and (more open) 8B leadpipes were accidentally switched in the prototype 7B and 8B instruments (designed for jazz and symphonic settings, respectively) and that henceforth, production versions of the 8B had 7B leadpipes and vice-versa. In spite of that, funnily enough, the 7B has a reputation for being very bright (overly-so for symphonic use).
8B (2108).562F/GbBass. Independent valves. A legend making the rounds is that the (tighter and brighter) 7B and (more open) 8B leadpipes were accidentally switched in the prototype 7B and 8B instruments (designed for jazz and symphonic settings, respectively) and that henceforth, production versions of the 8B had 7B leadpipes and vice-versa.
Martin (G Leblanc)The Martin Company was established in Chicago by the German emigrant John Martin (1835-1920) in the late 19th century. The company was destroyed in a fire and shortly afterwards, he moved to Elkhart, Indiana, to work for Conn. Circa 1906, the Martin Band Instrument company was formed in Elkhart, Indiana, by his sons. In 1928, they acquired the Indiana Band Instrument Company, but this company continued to operate independently until 1942, when it was integrated as Martin's student line. The Martin Band Instrument company was bought in 1964 by the Wurlitzer company, and sold on in 1971 to Leblanc.

The only Martin model currently in production is the fabulous Urbie Green tenor trombone. Previous Martin pro ranges included the Committee and Imperial. Indianas were all student models, to the best of my knowledge. Martin trombones have distinctive 'straight' (single diameter) bell braces.

FE OldsThe 'real' FE Olds shut up shop in 1979 or thereabouts. Vintage models like the Recording and Super manufactured in California during the heyday of the company remain highly-prized even today. Established circa 1915 in Los Angeles 1915, initial Olds trombone models all had in-slide tuning. Bell-tuning models were introduced in the 1920s. In 1953, Olds moved from Los Angeles to Fullerton. Circa 1961, Olds was sold to Norlin. Norlin concentrated on production of the Ambassador student model, but were eventually forced to concede the student trombone market to Yamaha, resulting in the liquidation of Olds circa 1977. The Olds name was bought and is currently being used by a New Jersey company. These newer instruments are not as highly thought of. The descriptions below refer to instruments of the older variety.

Early in the history of FE Olds, there were essentially two ranges: Standard and Military. Towards the middle of the century, the number of ranges proliferated. In ascending order of prestige (generally-speaking), they were the: Ambassador, Special, Studio, Super, Recording, Opera, Custom. Amongst the bass trombones, the Super and Custom were considered the superior lines, particularly the George Roberts model.

A significant amount of the information about Olds trombones below was very kindly provided by Eric Burger.

New! Gordon Cherry has very kindly given permission for his Olds trombone serial number list to be reproduced on this site. Click here here to view it.

Ambassador seriesExcellent quality student instruments, assuming manufactured in the 50s and early 60s or earlier. Quality suffered thereafter due to over-emphasis on fulfilling production quotas.
Ambassador A15.485/.5007.5Chrome-plated nickel-silver inner slide tubes. Silver finish available.
Ambassador A20.510/.525(?)8.5Student-quality bass trombone with flat-wrap F attachment. Chrome-plated nickel-silver inner slide tubes. Bore size smaller than would be considered 'bass bore' today.
Custom seriesTop notch professional instruments.
Custom P15.5008Thin-gauge bell, possibly yellow brass. Nickle-silver outer slide.
Custom P16.5007.5Heavy-weight bell, lightweight brass outer slide.
George Roberts P22.5659FProfessional bass instrument. Light yellow brass bell, .585 F attachment.
Custom P24.5659FProfessional bass instrument. 9 inch bell, .585 F attachment.
George Roberts P24G.5659F/GProfessional bass instrument. 9 inch bell, .585 bore independent attachments. G trigger on first finger.
Military6, 6.5, 7, 7.5 and 8 inch tenor bells with four bore sizes. Bass model has F attachment.
Military S6.4856
Military S6.5.4856.5
Military M7.485/.5007
Military LM7.495/.5107
Military LM7.5.495/.5107.5
Military L8.510/.5258F attachment available.
Opera seriesProfessional instruments.
Opera O15.5478.5Symphonic bore instrument. Nickel-silver thin-gauge bell.
Opera Fanfare O115.5478.5Symphonic bore instrument. Yellow brass bell.
Opera O23.5478.5FSymphonic bore instrument. Nickel-silver thin-gauge bell.
Symphony O25.5548.5FRed brass bell.
Valve O20.5007.5Valve trombone.
Marching O21.500
Radio
Radio R7.510/.5257.5Compact.
Radio R7.5.510/.5257.5Compact
Recording seriesPopular professional-quality instruments, with red brass or bronze bell. Dark and lively sound.
Recording R15.495/.510 7.5Medium bore jazz horn, comparable to King 3B. Dual bore nickel-silver outer slides, chrome-plated nickel-silver inner slide tubes, may be fluted. Red brass bell.
Recording R208.5Professional bass trombone with flat-wrap F attachment. Bore size smaller than would be considered 'bass bore' today.
Self-BalancingTenor bell sizes 7, 7 1/2 or 8 inches and three bore sizes.
Self-Balancing M7.485/.5007
Self-Balancing LM7.495/.5107.5
Self-Balancing LM7.5.495/.5107.5
Self-Balancing L8.510/.5258F attachment available.
Special seriesMarketed as intermediate instruments, but said by many to play very much like professional instruments. Developed from the Military series.
Special L15Dual bore, chrome-plated nickel-silver inner slide tubes, may be fluted.
StandardTenor bell sizes 6, 7, 7 1/2 or 8 inches and four bore sizes. Tuning in slide. Bass version has F attachment.
Standard M7.485/.500 7Tuning in slide.
Standard LM-7.495/.510 7
Standard LM7.495/.510 7.5
Standard L8.510/.525 8F attachment available.
Studio seriesProfessional instruments. Nickel-silver tuning slide and bell, yellow brass neck resulting in dark sound normally associated with heavy bells, but without the corresponding weight.
Studio T15.485/.500 7.5Brass outer slides, chrome-plated nickel-silver inner slide tubes, may be fluted. Nickel-silver tuning slide and bell.
Super seriesProfessional instruments. Pure bronze bell (very heavy) with tone control ring, rest of instrument nickel silver. Bell design results in a very dark and centred tone.
Super S15.485/.500 7.5Jazz horn. Dual bore, inner slide tubes fluted. Pure bronze bell with tone ring (or possibly heavy red brass bell according to Eric Burger), rest of instrument nickel silver. Click here to read a review on a 1930s Olds Super.
Super FW SF15.485/.500 7Jazz instrument. Dual bore, inner slide tubes fluted (although Steve Close, who has 'a completely original Featherweight', says his instrument 'uses standard inners with shorterned stockings'). Possibly a light red brass bell (according to Eric Burger), rest of instrument nickel silver; Steve Close says his example 'is all nickel with the exception of a red brass bell' and that 'Olds referred to this alloy as “Bell Bronze” and it is the same alloy used in the S15 Super'.
Super S20.547(?)9FProfessional bass trombone with flat-wrap F attachment. Pure bronze bell with tone ring (or possibly heavy red brass bell according to Eric Burger). Tuning in slide.
Super S22 George Roberts.5659FProfessional bass trombone designed by the legendary bass trombonist George Roberts. Tuning in slide.
Super S239/10F/EProfessional bass trombone with F attachment and dependent E valve. 9 or 10 inch bell. Tuning in slide.
Super S24G.5659F/G
Superstar series
Superstar V20.495/.5108.5FSilver-plated.
Superstar V25.56510FSilver-plated.
YamahaThe Yamaha company was established by Torakusu Yamaha as Nippon Gakki (Musical Instruments of Japan) in 1887. The first wind instrument to bear the Yamaha name appeared in 1965 following a joint development effort by Yamaha and the wind instrument company Nippon Kangakki (Musical Instruments of Japan). The latter was absorbed by Yamaha in 1970.

Early exports did not impress, but eventually, the firm gained a reputation for sterling quality control and cheap student trombones that represented excellent value-for-money. In the 1970s, Yamaha began producing clones of popular Western professional models. These instruments which were widely regarded as almost as good but significantly cheaper than their Western counterparts. By the mid-1980s, however, Yamaha had started to design (utilising advice from professional Western musicians employed as consultants) and introduce their own top-class instruments into the market. By all accounts, these have been very well received by trombonists all over the world.

YBL-321.5639.5 FBass. Introduced 1969, discontinued 1979. Replaced by YBL-421G.
YBL-322.5639.5 FBass. Introduced 1975, discontinued 1994. Replaced by YBL-421G.
YSL-352 .500 8 Introduced 1969, discontinued 1976. Replaced by YSL-354G.
YSL-356G.500/.5258 FIntroduced 1996, discontinued 1998. Replaced by YSL-446G.
YSL-356R .500 8 FIntroduced 1969, discontinued 1976. Replaced by YSL-446G.
YBL-611.56310F/EbBass. Introduced 1976, discontinued 1985. Replaced by YBL-612R.
YBL-612 .563 10 F/EbBass. Introduced 1976, discontinued 1992. Replaced by YBL-612-II.
YBL-613 .563 10 F/EbBass. Introduced 1982, discontinued 1994. Replaced by YBL-613H.
YBL-613G.56310F/EbBass. Introduced 1985, discontinued 1991. Replaced by YBL-613H.
YBL-613R .56310 F/EbBass. Introduced 1983, discontinued 1985. Replaced by YBL-613H.
YBL-621.563 9.5 FBass. Introduced 1978, discontinued 1985. Replaced by YBL-622.
YSL-641 .5478.5 Introduced 1969, discontinued 1976. Replaced by YSL-681G.
YSL-643 .547 8.5 F One-piece gold brass bell, Yamaha's version of the Conn 88H, professional model. Introduced 1972, discontinued 1992. Replaced by YSL-682G.
YSL-645 .525 8.5 One-piece yellow brass bell, nickel-silver outer slide, professional model. Introduced 1976, discontinued 1998.
YSL-646 .525 8.5 FOne-piece yellow brass bell, nickel-silver outer slide, closed wrap, professional model. Introduced 1976, discontinued 1998.
YSL-647.547 8.5 One-piece yellow brass bell, nickel-silver outer slide, professional model. Introduced 1976, discontinued 1985. Replaced by YSL-681G.
YSL-648 .547 8.5 FIntroduced 1976, discontinued 1984. Replaced by YSL-682G.
YSL-648R .547 8.5FOne-piece red brass bell, nickel-silver outer slide, closed wrap, professional model. Introduced 1993, discontinued 1998.
YSL-651.500 8F Introduced 1969, discontinued 1975. Replaced by YSL-691.
YSL-653.5008Introduced 1976, discontinued 1989. Replaced by YSL-691.
YSL-841 .551 8.5Introduced 1982, discontinued 1984.
YSL-842.551 8.5 F Introduced 1982, discontinued 1984.
YSL-843 .525 8.5 Introduced 1982, discontinued 1984.
YSL-844 .5258.5FIntroduced 1982, discontinued 1984.
YSL-851 .5008Introduced 1982, discontinued 1984.
YSL-852.5008FIntroduced 1982, discontinued 1984.
YSL-871 .470 7.35 Alto. Introduced 1982, discontinued 1985.

History
According to Richard Dundas in his book, Twentieth Century Brass Musical Instruments in the United States,
The 'Martin' label has always been associated with high quality and limited production, promoted by a devoted group of professional players honestly convinced that Martin instruments had characteristics unmatched by any other brand.
According to his great granddaughter, John Heinrich Martin was born on February 24, 1835 in Dresden Germany He learned to make instruments in Germany as an apprentice. In 1855 he emigrated to the United States, and, in 1865, he moved to Chicago. He founded the 'The Martin Company' that same year.
In 1871 his factory was destroyed by a fire in Chicago, sources are in conflict about whether it was The Great Chicago Fire, or not. His great grandaughter, Jane Hunter Parker, believes it was. He then moved to Elkhart, Indiana in 1876 and became the 6th employee of C.G. Conn Company, where he worked until his health forced him to retire in 1902. A second company called 'The Martin Band Instrument Company' was founded in 1904 (some sources claim 1906) by the John Heinrich (by now Henry) Martin and his five sons of John Martin. They opened a factory at 431-433 Baldwin Street in Elkhart. John Henry Martin died in 1910.
In 1912, Francis Compton became controlling partner by buying the company from the Martin family in 1912. From 1919 until 1931, O. P. Basset was the president of the company. Henry Charles Martin, John Henry's oldest son, continued to work for the company until 1923.
In 1928, Martin acquired controlling interest in The Indiana Band Instrument Company, which operated as a separate company until 1942, when it moved under the flag of Martin to become the producer of student line instruments, a strong and growing market at that time.
The Company was led by Fred Holtz from 1931 until 1948. It was in the late 30s that the famous Martin Committee was designed. Concerning the role of Renold Schilke in the design of the Committee, Wallace Roney says:
I met Mr. Schilke through John Faddis. Mr. Schilke was going to fix my Martin Magna. He stopped me and said, 'Let me see who made this horn.' Then he said 'ah yes, these are mine, the ones I made, not the other guys,' (meaning Leblanc). He said, 'Yes I will fix this horn.' He proceeded to show me step by step how he made the horn with a cornet leadpipe, tapered tuning slide, and a fast taper in the bell-tail to the flair. He also told me that he was the one who designed the Martin Committee in 1939, and proceeded with the horn, well into the 60's, up the point when Schilke started making his own horns, which I believe he started in 1956. He also believed his Schilke horns had improvements on the Committee design. Although he made special horns for special people that had these same improvements under the Martin Committee and Magna name. And believe me, in 1981, he was still extremely proud of those horns (the Martins from 1940-65).
From 1948 to 1960 Robert Stahl was the Company president.
It is generally believed that the quality of Martin products eroded after 1956 -- in an interview Chet Baker spoke about switching to a Connstellation at that time because a trip to the Martin factory did not yield a good horn.
In 1961, Paul Richards formed the Richards Music Corporation by purchasing and merging Martin, Blessing and Reynolds. During this period Martins carry an RMC marking, which officially stood for Roundtable of Musical Craftsmen, not Richards Music Corporation.
Dizzy Gillespie played Martins into the RMC era and it was in this period when a production model Dizzy style horn was available. The Smithsonian has a RMC Committee that Dizzy owned.
In 1963, Richards Music was dissolved and a year later, Wurlitzer, who apparently had financed RMC, ended up with the assets of Martin, including registered trademarks, copyrights, patents, engineering records and tooling and maintained production for a short time. At roughly that same time, the F.E. Olds & Son Co purchased the assets of Reynolds and moved manufacturing of those designs to Fullerton, California.
In 1971 Leblanc (the French woodwind company that had recently merged with Holton) took over the Martin assets, moving them to Kenosha, Wisconsin. After Leblanc bought the company, the Committee trumpet was discontinued for a time, however the company specially made Miles Davis, loyal throughout his life to the Committee, a supply of one -off Committees during this time..
During their early ownership LeBlanc primarily used the the Martin name to sell Yanigasawa Japanese built saxes. Subsequently the Committee trumpet was redesigned and introduced and medium large and large bore models were produced. They were available in silver plate, clear lacquer, and in various colored lacquers (blue, black, and red) with gold-plated slides, trim and deluxe engraving.
In October 2004, LeBlanc/Holton was purchased by Conn-Selmer, Inc., the musical conglomerate owned by Steinway, that now includes Bach, Selmer USA, King, Conn, Benge, LeBlanc, Holton and Martin. In 2008, Conn-Selmer discontinued the Martin name and the product line. Martin is no more.
Models
The earliest model I've been able to find is the Superlative Dansant, courtesy of Bill Adam in Dallas, with a serial manufacturing date of around 1912, He described his horn as follows
the most unusual feature of the horn is the tuning, which is by means of a flugelhorn-style tuning bit. This allows 2 9/16' tuning adjustment, minus 1/2' for the slot, which allows the tuning to be locked by means of a split collar and thumb screw device, like a typical flugelhorn or piccolo trumpet. The slide at the end of the leadpipe (the conventional tuning slide position) is actually the Quick-change to A, and uses a threaded split ring on the lower tubing as the stop. The threaded part of the ring is only 3/16', so that's all you have to tune the 'A'. Another cute feature is an adjustable pinkie ring for the right hand. It is a ring affixed to a movable split collar around the leadpipe, secured by another thumb screw. It moves thru about a half inch. You can't get it off due to bracing. The horn has an inside diameter at the 2d valve slide of .413'. It is satin silver with gold inside the bell, and other than wear at contact points, it is otherwise in good shape. It plays well, a bit bright, as was the style for trumpets in that day.
The Martin elkhart trombone serial numbersDansant was a popular model of the 1920s. With a medium bore, it has some playing characteristics of the later Martin models but has a little too much cylindrical tubing for modern taste. Some models had a rotary valve, common in the era, for Bb/A adjustment (for a photo of such a model, go here). There were also horns designed for playing in C/Bb/A but they require a separate set of crooks or hash marks (crooks set for C and pull out for Bb/A). In the 1920s Bunny Berrigan played a Martin Dansant before switching to Conn.
The Troubadour was a model of the 1930s. A 'pea-shooter' model, common for it's time, it has a smaller bore and a long narrow design. The valves were bottom sprung and has lots of great art-deco type design details. For some great pictures, go here.
I have also heard of pre-Committee models with names like Superlative Handcraft (from the 20s) andNew Symphony (1932), but have no other information. If you do, please let me know.
The Martin Handcraft Imperial was the top of the line until 1939. Upon the introduction of the Handcraft Committee at that time, the Imperial became a student grade horn.
There was also a Martin Standard model which coexisted with the Committee until 1945, when it was discontinued. For pictures, go here. Notice the similarities to the Committee.
Committee
In 1939, the Committee Handcraft, a company trade name at that time, was Introduced and became the top of the line. It was made with standard type water keys. These horns are identical to the later models except for the water keys, and play well, but are not as desirable because they lack the look of the more popular later horns. For pictures of Ted Carson's beautiful 1940 Handcraft Committee, go here.
Here is picture of the slightly later Committee, with the famous water keys (along with the rare first valve trigger).
From the 1938 Martin catalog, introducing the Handcraft Committee:
Designed and built for YOU--to enhance YOUR playing and permit YOU to do the fullest justice to your ability and talent. The Committee--composed of player artists of symphony, radio and recording studio orchestras, dance bands, military and concert bands--who in collaboration with Martin craftsmen designed this trumpet, thought of everything and overlooked nothing in order to insure perfection of the instrument. To appreciate it, you must actually play it in regular routine.
DON'T LOOK!!--LISTEN!!
Don't look for 'gadgets' because there are none. You will, however, find the traditional Martin craftsmanship incorporated in a trumpet of startling beauty. Listen for a tone of true trumpet character; resonant and bold (Ren Schilke with Chicago Symphony playing AIDA, etc.) Experience the flexibility which permits from this same instrument a quality as tender as a caress (Rafael Mendez playing DARK EYES, etc.) Listen to faultless intonation throughout all registers (Charlie Spivak, Kurt Schmeisser, Dana Garrett, Fred Berman, etc.) Test the response; the slightest attack produces tone but yet, you can give it all you've got and it will 'take it' (Bunny Berigan, Charlie Teagarden, etc.) Actually, everything you could possibly want is built right into the Committee Martin. Mechanically, it's equally satisfying; the valve action is the finest ever--light, positive, fast and dependable. Listen to Rafael Mendez play 'Flight of the Bumblebee'; no action but the very finest could keep pace with his technique. Pumps are made of a new alloy which will never discolor or corrode if a high grade oil is used as recommended.
EXCLUSIVE FEATURES
Martin built by the most skilled artist craftsmen in the band instrument industry! Designed to the specifications of top-notch players! Tested and retested during actual performances on the concert stage, in rehearsal halls, radio and recording studios, ballrooms, hotels and cafes! It's a trumpet built for sincere trumpet players who possess the ability to recognize and appreciate true musical and mechanical excellence.

The Committee came in the following bores:
  • a small bore, #1 (0.445)
  • medium bore #2 (0.451), sometimes designated with a star above the serial number
  • extra large bore #3 (0.468).
The most popular horns were the medium bore and the extra large bore. It is rumored that a medium large bore (0.460) horn was made, but they are very scarce, if they exist at all.
The Committee had solid nickel valves with hard nickel plating.
Instruments with serial numbers between 140,000 and 210,000 are apparently the most valued but good horns were produced later and earlier than those dates.
The bell engraving was very stylish.
A Dizzy Gillespie version with the upturned bell was also made and are currently worth double the standard bell configuration. For pictures of this, go here. Dizzy played Committees before he bent the bell. For pictures of one that might have been his (it has his named engraved on it), go here. I've never seen a trumpet as heaviliy engraved as that one.
A Deluxe version of the Committee was also made with nickel silver slides and parts. Some Committees also have extensive artistic engraving. For pictures of Bill Faust's beautiful gold plated 1949 Committee with amazingly ornate engraving, go here.
The Committee dominated the post war jazz world. Committees were played, at least at some point in their careers, by: Chet Baker (large bore, early in his career), Bill Chase, Miles Davis (whose loyalty to the horn is almost magical), Clifford Brown, Conte Candoli, Art Farmer, Maynard Ferguson (the MF Horn by Holton is thought to be based on the #3 bore Committee), Dizzy Gillespie, Al Hirt, Blue Mitchell, Lee Morgan, Red Rodney, and Clark Terry. The popularity of these older horns remain. Currently, light jazz player and Sting collaborator Chris Botti plays a 1939 large bore Handcraft Committee (his own website misidentifies the model) and Wallace Roney , as he explains below, plays both classic Committees and the modern versions.
Perry D´Andrea describes the features of the classic Committee and attempts to understand its popularity.
The old Committee has a warm-dark-amber-glow to the sound that no other horn can come close to duplicating. There's no other horn out there, new or old, that plays quite like a Committee. Some of the brand new pro horns of various makes have a 'fatter' sound, that new, fat, spread-out, big-bottom sound with a biting, projecting edge that bounces off the back wall, that almost ALL new pro horns have. It almost has a cliched commercial quality to it, it's become so rampant now. And it has less density. That sound is nothing like the much denser yet still rounded warm, pancakes on the griddle in the back room sound of the Committee.
As I understand it, the unique feature of the older Committees that was so much dug by the vintage jazz players was the fact that the Committees did NOT slot well. Rather than bite into a pitch, the Committees easily slid up and down on a pitch. I feel that about my 1949 Committee and use it for that effect. Players, like Miles, who loved to manipulate individual pitches, naturally gravitated to the Committee. Of course, that's the same feature that others describe as difficult intonation.
Wallace Roney describes a couple of Committees from Miles Davis' collection:
I have two of Miles Davis's horns of these vintages. One is an all copper Committee, black and copper color with a medium bore that progresses to a large bore. I also have a blue one that is a RMC Martin. It starts at . 342 in the leadpipe, at the end of the leadpipe, is . 453, the tuning slide, tapers to 460. The end of the tuning tube, is 462, and through the valves, it's 468 and the bell-tail is . 474. This is an amazing horn--it's all brass, but the inner slides are all nickel/silver. I've been trying to find another horn like that all my life, but can't seem to find one, because I do not take this horn out, although I've used it on some of my best recordings. Although both horns play magnificently, I've been trying to find one just like this particular Martin Committee. I've also seen a photo of Dizzy Gillespie playing this same vintage only with a solid silver bell, and no it wasn't his King trumpet.
Although primarily thought of as a jazz trumpet, there were a number of orchestral players and recitalists, including Armando Ghitalla, who also played the Committee, especially prior to the Bach C trumpet dominance of recent times.
The Martin Committees made by Holton/LeBlanc:
Dave Miller, who loves and knows as much about Committees as anybody, has this to say about the last version of the Committee:
The main difference is the leadpipe/crook configuration, particularly its bore. With the older Martin, the bore expands as it makes the curve of the main tuning slide. Now I see Callet and others using this design. With the new Martin, the bore remains the same. Leadpipe-to-bell bracing is pretty much the same. However, the brace within the two receivers of the #1 slide are gone. The back bell bow on the new Martin is not as round as the original Martin. The newer Martin bell is slightly larger too.
The location of the water key nipple is now located where most manufacturers position theirs. The original Martin's were more to the side (and higher), and resulted in a 'spitty' sound quicker than most horns, since the moisture could not collect in the nipple. You'll hear Miles 'get wet' quite often in his older recordings. By installing Amado water keys on my horn, I guess it comes closer to the original, at least as far as spittiness in sound is concerned.
And of course, the pistons are different. I prefer the monel of the new, but here's what gets me about Holton-made products--the blasted valve stems. The valve stems of the new Martin (as well as most Holtons) are nickel plated brass. The action would be so much quicker if Holton would tool some anodized aluminum valve stems for some of their products besides their student horns. Unfortunately, those particular stems will not fit on the Martin or MF horns. Bach stems will not fit either. The lighter weight of the aluminum stems could really make this horn take off, in my opinion. As it is now, valve action is 'weighty'. This is one thing I am still trying to get right on my newer Martin.
The real question should be 'How does the sound compare to the original?'. In my case, I really love the sound, and believe it or not, on some classical things, like the Charlier. The new Martin has several characteristics of the old. One is the slight distortion on the lower end. You can really hear this when slurring from low C to D. The vibrations set up in the horn interfere with the tone. This is a classic feature however. Listen to some Miles and you'll hear what I am talking about. I am of the belief that it is the light bracing of the bell that causes this distortion. It is also this light bracing that caused one famous trumpet player to end up playing an upswept bell Committee after someone tripped over his horn. Martin produced several of these horns for Dizzy and his band after the accident.
The pure tone of the new Martin is quite nice. Response is a bit different than the old ones, but in my opinion, it is more even.
The two things that I think would improve the newer Martin would be:
  • Go back to the original design and configuration of the leadpipe and tuning slide.
  • Give me a quicker valve action. Throw away all those tooled brass stems and go aluminum.
Renold Schilke, towards the end of his life, also noticed the differences in the then newly released Holton/LeBlanc version. As Wallace Roney tells the story,
Mr. Schilke met Larry Ramirez [the designer of the new Committee] at [Schilke's] last Brass Conference before he died [in 1982], and in his usual gruff way strolled over to the Martin booth, and said 'let me see what you all did with my trumpets! ' He looked at it, felt the outside of the horn and it's tubing, looked at Larry and said, 'Boy, you all really messed up my horn, you all don't know what you are doing over there.' Larry humbly said to him, 'Master Schilke, I humbly respect you, can you please tell me what I'm doing wrong?' Mr. Schilke smiled, and put his arm around him, took him in the back, and told him everything for hours.
The next day, Mr. Schilke would visit Larry's booth, and he stated 'you're going to be all right kid.' He told Larry that he also used to work for Holton, but the Martin Committee was his pride and joy until he started making his own horns.
LeBlanc/Holton announced in 2004 that they had recently measured the trumpet of 'smooth' jazzer Chris Botti, a vintage Committee, and they planned to introduce into production a copy of that early Martin Committee model. Perhaps the deficiencies of the current LeBlanc Committee model would have been the rectified. However, the disappearance of Martin from the Conn-Selmer product line in 2008 ends those hopes.
And finally, custom trumpet maker Roy Lawler has historically had a model based on the Committee in his catalog. He now has yet a new version called the Lawler Committee (model C7), which is certainly worth investigating if you are looking for a modern interpretation of the classic trumpet.

Martin Committee Trombone Serial Numbers Number


Interestingly, the Committee was also made in the key of C, though I can't imagine that there are many of them around. As few as there may be, however, here are pictures of one. I've been told that Amando Ghittala played one.
There were also Committee cornets (pictures here) and a Committee flugelhorn, a truly weird design, but not so weird that Miles Davis didn't play one on the classic big band recordings made with Gil Evans (pictures here).
Magna
The Magna was introduced in 1955 and shared top of the line honors with the Committee. There is little apparent difference between the Magna and the Committee except the Magna had a copper bell, a brace on the tuning slide, Bach-like third valve slide stop rod, and conventional water keys, like the Handcraft Committee above. In contrast, the Committee had those 'hip,' in Wallace Roney's words, S-braces, and the trombone like water keys.

Martin Committee Trombone Serial Numbers List

Kenny Dorham played a Magna from 1958 through 62. Mic Gillette of Tower of Power fame also played a Magna. Carl Dershem tells me that the Magna that Mic Gillette played was somewhere between the Committee and Magna. They made 48, of which 42 had a .470 bore, and the other 6 were .484. All had a 6' bell,and the brace between the tuning slide and bell was removed.
There was even, at least towards the end, a Magna C trumpet which was designed to be played in orchestras. it featured a rose brass bell and a first valve trigger.
Martin Mouthpieces: Martin also made a few unique mouthpieces. For pictures, go here.
Serial Number Lists
There seems to be some controversy about this, mostly because the most common list, found at Lars Kirsmer's Music Trader, seems to be so wrong.
The list found at Edwin van Druten's Martin sax site seems to be much much closer based on everything I've seen.

Martin Trumpet Serial Number List

The quick and dirty way, according to Dave Johnson, is to divide the serial number by 4000 and add that number to 1906 to get an approximate date of manufacture. It is pretty close.
There is also another list, provided me by Jon Lisbeth, assembled earlier by a group of Committee owners, that is apparently the state of the art, as far as it goes. This pretty much agrees with the Dutch sax guy's list.
  • 1919: 17200 (This is the earliest that can be verified according to LeBlanc)
  • 1921: 34100 - 40609
  • 1922: 40610 - 47118
  • 1923: 47119 - 53627
  • 1924: 53628 - 60136
  • 1925: 60137 - 66645
  • 1926: 66646 - 73154
  • 1927: 73155 - 79663
  • 1928: 79664 - 86172
  • 1929: 86173 - 92681
  • 1930: 92682 - 99190
  • 1931: 99191 - 105700 Calculated average: 1921 - 1931: 6509 horns/year
  • 1932: 105701 - 108724
  • 1933: 108725 - 111747
  • 1934: 111748 - 114770
  • 1935: 114771 - 117793
  • 1936: 117794 - 120816
  • 1937: 120817 - 123839
  • 1938: 123840 - 126862
  • 1939: 126863 - 129885
  • 1940: 129886 - 132908
  • 1941: 132909 - 135931
  • 1942: 135932 - 138954
  • 1943: 138955 - 141977
  • 1944: 141978 - 145000 calculated total: 1932 - 1944 = 3023 horns/year

There's another list from Rob Stewart in Arcadia, CA that's pretty close and adds about 19 years.

Martin Committee Trombone Serial Numbers


  • 1919 17221
  • 1920 19482
  • 1921 19933-23781
  • 1922 29942
  • 1923 34838
  • 1924 40644
  • 1925 48489-54853
  • 1926 62852-72051
  • 1927 79204
  • 1928 86687
  • 1929 92536
  • 1930 98324
  • 1931 101622
  • 1932 105096
  • 1933 106546
  • 1934 108301
  • 1935 111253
  • 1936 116551
  • 1937 118038
  • 1938 126998
  • 1939 132070
  • 1940 136040
  • 1941 140199
  • 1942 144455
  • 1943 145322
  • 1944 000000
  • 1945 145352
  • 1946 154289
  • 1947 161520
  • 1948 165326
  • 1949 170395
  • 1950 172215
  • 1951 175140
  • 1952 179317
  • 1953 183125
  • 1954 187614
  • 1955 193747
  • 1956 194213
  • 1957 201809
  • 1958 203917
  • 1959 205377
  • 1960 209089
  • 1961 211675
  • 1962 213999
  • 1963 218855
  • 1964 700000

Martin Committee Trombone Serial Numbers Pdf


I'm indebted to the following for their contributions and I'm exceedingly grateful for them: Bill Adam, David Brewer, Ted Carson, Carl Dershem, Jeff Helgeson, Douglas Kerr, Jon Lisbeth, Richard Mason, David Miller, Rich Moore, Jane Hunter Parker, Bob Pucci, Wallace Roney, Marek Skwarczynskii, Anna Smith, and Toby Wolpe.



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