Bach Stradivarius 37 1965

The Bach Stradivarius has been heralded as one of the finest professional trumpets for roughly 100 years. Vincent Bach combined his talents as an engineer and as a trumpet virtuoso to improve historic trumpet designs and create innovative instruments that had an unmatched sound and excellent intonation. Bach's trumpets have been played by some of the best trumpet players of the past century, most notably the legendary Chicago Symphony Orchestra section led by Bud Herseth. The 37 bell originally appeared in the 1940's, and within a decade, had become the standard Bb trumpet bell for most Bach trumpets. Since then, the 37 bell has maintained its popularity and continues to be an excellent choice for nearly every musical situation. It is characterized by a rich, full sound that is neither too piercing nor too dark, and can blend with nearly any other trumpet.

This particular instrument dates to 1965, from what is considered to be the "early Elkhart" period. During this time, Vincent Bach was still overseeing production, and the instruments were quite similar to ones built in the Mt. Vernon facility, down to the metal valve guides and 2-piece valve casings with nickel-silver balusters. This trumpet's bell looks to have been replaced with a late 60's vintage 37 bell. The current bell does not have the "corporation" stamp that the original should have had, but it is under the same coat of lacquer as the rest of the instrument, so it's likely the bell swap was done in the late 60's or early 70's. 

This trumpet has recently received a full service refurbishment by Beverly Music, including an ultrasonic cleaning, valve alignment, new leadpipe with proper venturi and gap specs, minor dent removal, and installation of two low-profile patches. Our goal when working on vintage trumpets is to preserve as much of the original metal as possible, so there may be some minor imperfections visible, but we have done our best to preserve the structural integrity of the instrument and alter the original playing characteristics as little as possible. 

The valves are in excellent condition, and are in original condition. Compression is quite good for the age of the trumpet, and slide action is fast and smooth. This trumpet plays with a rich, broad sound, but still has the ease and versatility that Bachs are known for. This trumpet would be equally at home in a symphonic band as a recording studio or big band. Vintage Bachs like this one are simply incredible, so if you're looking for an excellent all-around trumpet, look no further!