Vincent Bach Holton Mouthpieces
Vincent Bach started modifying trumpet and cornet mouthpieces for fellow musicians while in the US Army in Camp Upton from 1917 to early 1918. He played and endorsed Frank Holton instruments (1915 – 1916/7) and began playing a Holton trumpet in the Boston Symphony Orchestra around 1915. Vincent would endorse different brands through his performing artist career.
Frank Holton + BACH mouthpieces began to appear during this relationship with the Frank Holton Company. These examples appear to be Vincent Bach’s mouthpiece designs co-branded as Frank Holton and Bach.
The Chicago example below (pre-1918) resembles a Vincent Bach mouthpiece from 1919 but is labeled as Frank Holton Chicago BACH (pre-1918). Frank Holton mouthpieces from that era (Chicago) do NOT resemble these examples.
” We’re not sure which was the first.
- Did Holton manufacture Vincent Bach’s design?
- Did Vincent copy a Holton design?
- Did Vincent modify Holton mouthpieces?
What is known is that a “BACH” stamp was consistent across all Holton-Bach examples we’ve seen.
Frank Holton & Company moved to Elkhorn, WI in April 1918 from Chicago. These examples would have been very early examples of a Vincent Bach mouthpiece design.
Chicago Example | Frank Holton Chicago + BACH
- FRANK HOLTON CHICAGO BACH
- Sans Serif typeface
- ” BACH ” model
- ~ 1916 – 1917
Chicago Example | Frank Holton Chicago + BACH
- FRANK HOLTON CHICAGO BACH
- Sans Serif typeface
- ” BACH ” model
- ~ 1918 (Very similar cup design to Vincent’s early BACH mouthpieces)
Elkhorn Example | Frank Holton ELKHORN + BACH
- FRANK HOLTON ELKHORN BACH
- Sans Serif typeface
- ” BACH ” model
- ~ 1918 – early 1919
source: Magne Remmen (Chicago example)
source: from the Bach Loyalist collection
source: J. Landress Brass collection
