Rare Bach Stradivarius Limited Edition 198 Model 6 trumpet!
We are pleased to offer for sale this hard-to-find Bach Stradivarius 198 Limited Edition Model 6 Bb silver trumpet! Modeled after the revered New York (pre Mt. Vernon) Strads of the 1920’s-1930’s, it uses a #6 leadpipe and bell, ML bore, wider bracing, hex pull knobs, and a longer receiver. To eliminate the brightness of the bell flare, it has a gold brass bell which maintains the warmth and sweetness of the tone. Beautiful art deco style engraving, gold trim, gold wash bell, abalone finger buttons. Takes a minute to get used to if you’re used to the more open 37/25, but has an amazing, even, responsive tone, and is stunning to look at! See the description below from Bach’s website.
This one is in excellent condition: a couple of VERY tiny dings along the bell wire, and a small dent at the second-valve tuning slide as seen in the photos. No other dents, plating wear, or sign of repairs. It could use an internal cleaning, which I would have done already, but my local shops only do chem cleans, and I prefer ultrasonic. That should also take care of the little bit of remaining tarnish. Valves are fast and quiet with little apparent use. All tuning slides free including the third-valve tuning crook. Limited edition hard case has minor external wear.
This is serial #0105 of an estimated 1,000 made. Dates from 2000-2001, roughly. Hard to find and highly sought after. If you love NY Strads, you will love this!
The limited edition Vintage Bach Stradivarius Model 6 trumpet actually dates back to the first quarter of the 20th century. During his lifetime, the noted musician and engineer Vincent Bach (1890-1976) researched and developed countless instrument designs. After much experimentation he built his first trumpet in 1924. While today the Bach model 180S37, based on the #37 bell flare and #25 lead pipe, stands as the world’s most popular trumpet, such was not the case during Vincent’s lifetime. In the period 1927-1930 Bach trumpets based on a #6 bell flare and #6 leadpipe were all the rage. Famous musicians such as Harry Glantz, George Mager, F.E. Olds, Elden Benge, and mouthpiece maker Frank Zottola at one time owned one of these Bach models. The Selmer Company pays tribute to this popular model by using it as the basis for its limited edition Vintage Bach Stradivarius trumpet. In recreating the 1930’s look, the Vintage will incorporate hex-style slide pull knobs and wider bracing than found on today’s standard models. A longer mouthpiece receiver embraces the Bach Mt. Vernon look. A handsome silver-plated finish with gold-plated trim and distinctive engraving will protect and adorn the instrument. Like all Bach Stradivarius trumpets the Vintage will feature on-piece bell construction. Hand hammering converts sheets of special brass into trumpet bells. Several times throughout the manufacturing process the bells are annealed in high temperature ovens to soften the metal and relieve stress. During the spinning state a piece of wire is place din to the bell rim. Lead soldering of the bell rim wire adds clarity to and solidifies the sound. Although a #6 bell might sound slightly brighter than a #37 due to the shape of the flare, use of a gold brass bell in the Vintage eliminates that edge. Gold brass contains a higher copper content than standard yellow brass, making the bell softer and dampening vibrations for a warmer tone quality. Based on the popular .459″ medium-large bore, the Vintage will be comfortable to play and focus. Incorporation the #6 lead pipe, which generally feels slightly more restrictive than the standard #25 lead pipe that most of today’s musicians are used to, recreates the sound and feel of a popular 1930-era Bach trumpet. Utilizing a lightweight body and bell enhances the instrument’s quick response.