Bach Stradivarius Model 182 built in the Eastlake, Ohio plant
During the strike at the Vincent Bach plant in Elkhart, Indiana, in April 2006, the UMI/Conn-Selmer (King/Benge) plant in Eastlake, Ohio, offered to take over the manufacturing of the company’s flagship Bach Stradivarius model 37 trumpet line to keep up with demand during the strike with the stipulation that it couldn’t be identical to the classic Bach Stradivarius 180 series.
The details below were shared by a fellow Bach loyalist, as well as his experience and interview with a former Eastlake plant employee.
Model 182
Also referred to by Bach players as the “Strike Horn” or “Eastlake Strad.”
Identical to the 180 models (same standard weight, #37 one-piece bell, #25 leadpipe, ML 0.459 bore, traditional valves, etc..…) BUT with the following differences:
- Different model #
- Serial number system starting with 000001. Future versions had a serial 174xxx.
- A lightweight body
- 3rd valve slide stop-screw (instead of double post/threaded stop-rod/double nut design)
- Bell stamped “Handcrafted in the USA” (instead of “Eastlake OH”)
- Only offered/available with the standard 37 bell and with bright silver plating finish
- The engineering of the 182 was finished in 2006 (blueprints for parts are dated August 2006)
- The 2007 introductory price was reported to be the same as an LT180 price.
- Bach 182S-37 Retail = $3010, MAP Price = $1979
This was $300 less than the regular Bach Stradivarius 180 in 2007. - According to the official Conn-Selmer press release, the 182 was formally introduced at the 2007 International Music Fair in Frankfurt, Germany.
- Discontinued in 2010.
On November 5, 2015, I visited the Buckeye Brass and Winds instrument shop in Plain City, Ohio (the old location) to catch up with owner/technician/friend Rob Phillips, and while trying out the different trumpets on the wall when I was told, “Hold on, I have something to show you…” and was presented with Bach trumpet cases housing 2007 Bach Strad model 182 “strike horns” – all with very low serial numbers (something like 1, 2, 4, 14) in new/pristine condition (all of which have been long since sold).
From 1996 to May 2007, Rob was with UMI/Conn-Selmer at the Eastlake, Ohio facility (in brass instrument manufacturing and development) as a product developer, tool room manager, production manager, engineering manager, and systems integration leader… and was on the team that designed and produced the Bach 182 at Eastlake during the Elkhart strike.
Rob did tell me that they were “Prototypes” or “Test Instruments” and also shared that at the plant, the day this first finished 182 was off the line, the plant manager, at a workers meeting, held it up while giving a big motivational speech about the historical significance of the facility making the flagship 37S.
After picking up my jaw off the floor, I did a play-tested (blind) and liked the #000001 the best (dodging the bullet of missing out on the first made for a better horn for me).
- “Blows free, rings, and has a gorgeous tone.”
- “Blows open, solid intonation, really rich, nice tone quality”
- “Warm focus but brilliant sound, very responsive, good flexible horn.”
- “The plating is exceptional. It’s very, very user friendly, offering a nice fatness as well as being bright.”
- “Lightweight body to aid in attacks and the standard 37 bells to increase focus, sound core, and projection.”
- “Felt effortless to play, had that gorgeous Bach sound and intonation, and rang like crazy in the upper register, too!”
- “Not too free blowing [standard leadpipe configuration], very responsive [lightweight body], and holds together when pushed [standard weight 37 bells]”
- “Compared to the inconsistencies of pre-strike horns (i.e., solder blobs plated over, bent bells, 3rd slide out of alignment)… these Eastlake Strads look better and play at least as well.”
- “This unique configuration [light weight body, standard weight bell, and traditional lead pipe/tuning slide] makes it a cross between the standard 180 and the LR models (an LR 37 with a regular mouthpipe).”
- “It’s a perfect trumpet; many guys, particularly lead players, have been picking these up over the years. I think it’s a great horn, particularly for lead trumpet stuff, rings real nice, and feels very comfortable to play in the upper register.”
source: special thanks to David Miller for sharing this story
and details of the Bach Stradivarius Model #182 (Eastlake Strad.)
