Expert: Kenton Scott - 3/30/2007

Question
QUESTION: what year was my Martin Indiana B flat Alto Sax made?  The serial number is 74565, can you help me please as soon as possible, thank you
ANSWER: 1926

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I am selling my Martin Indiana on ebay, I received a nasty e-mail from a member telling me my sax is a E flat and was a 1960 because of left hand bell keys.  Is this correct? I gave you the correct serial #  and he is telling me on the martin story.net that Indiana models only use range 2 for the year made.  Please let me know as soon as possible.  Or maybe this guy just thinks he is an expert.  thanks again, Lori

Answer
I may have mis-understood your question.  

I interpreted it as asking the date for a Martin saxohphone.    The Martin engravings say Martin and below that "Indiana" for the state in which they were made.  You can see a listing of serial numbers at:  http://www.musictrader.com/martin.html.  

The list he is referring to is: at www.themartinstory.net, and it does indicate that the Indiana instruments were made at a separate factory and used a different serial number sequence.

The company was successively purchased by RMC in 1961, Wurlitzer in 1963, and Leblanc in 1971.  And by Conn-Selmer in 2004.  

I'm sorry if I mis-lead you.