Antique Musical Instruments/Elkhart Trumpet

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Expert: - 6/23/2011


Question
I saw your answer to a previous question - The Indiana Company was started in 1938 by the Martin Company but allowed them to operate independently until 1942.

I have a 1937 Martin Imperial Handcraft Elkhart, Ind - s/n 117600. Is this the last of the trumpets made by Martin? or first made under the Indiana Company? I just started to do some research on the instrument so not sure of the origin and history. Really nice scroll work on the bell and has a good tone still after 74 years.

Answer
I'm a bit confused by your question.  It sounds like you have a Martin trumpet, not an Indiana trumpet.  Martin was the parent company and Indiana was a sister company that later became a student line of instruments under Martin.  Martin continued as an independent company until it was purchased in the 1960s by Wurlitzer.  

Before all of that, the Elkhart company was started in 1912 and merged with Martin in 1917.  

Antique Musical Instruments

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Kenton Scott

Expertise

Please note: My area is BRASS instruments, not other wind, string or percussion instruments. I will provide information on antique, obscure and out of production BRASS instruments. 1) Please don't ask for evaluations, I'll not provide them on this site. 2) I am often asked very similar questions, so I'd invite you to first check on Horn-u-Copia.net. Much of the information I have garnered about this topic, I have posted on this WEB site.

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I perform in several historical bands, have informally researched the area, repair brass instruments, and operate a Forum dedicated to the topic at http://horn-u-copia.net

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B.S. Ed, M.S.

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