Bach Trumpet Design Evolution
This table highlights some of the significant design changes in Bach Stradivarius trumpets, presented in chronological order. Some of the dates are not precise, but are examples we have found.
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Design Evolution - Summary Table
We are confident that this table is not 100% accurate, but rather a starting point for gathering some of the key design changes made to Bach Stradivarius trumpets over the past century. Contact us through the footer of you have new details we should add to this table, or provide examples below.
Serial # | ~ Year | System | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
1925 | *** 1st Generation Stradivarius Design | ||
#100+ | 1925 | Bell | "Faciebat Anno" added to bell stamping |
1926 | Slides | 1st slide brace added | |
1928 | Slides | 3rd slide stop rod added | |
1930/1931 | Bell | "Faciebat Anno" removed from bell stamping | |
1932 | *** 2nd Generation Stradivarius Design | ||
1940 | Slides | Transition from Hex to Round pull knobs, etc. | |
#4592 | 1940 | - | 1940 model (marked on shop card) |
1940s | Slides | Wider Wrap, Tuning slide 90 deg. entry to 3rd valve | |
1947 | *** 3rd Generation Stradivarius Design | ||
1955 | - | 1955 model (marked on shop card) | |
1956 | *** 4th Generation Stradivarius Design | ||
~ 15,xxx | 1956 | Receiver | Shorter Receiver |
~ 15, xxx | 1956 | Slides | Wide wrap tuning slide / Shorter leadpipe. |
~ 19,xxx | 1959 | Valve | Finger button serial number - Stopped |
~ 500,xxx | 1970 | Bell | Roll stamp to Mechanical Engraving (180-series) |
1970 | Valve | Serial # stamped on valve - Stopped | |
1973 | Bell | Hydro-formed "flower" bell blanks begins | |
1977 | Valve | 2-piece valve balusters (180-series) | |
800,000 | 2023 | Bell | Laser Engraving (190 series, 2023) |
Design Evolution - Bach Stradivarius Trumpets
In the early 1940s, Vincent “widened” the wrap height to allow the tuning slide to enter the 3rd valve perpendicularly.
In the early 1940s, Vincent simplified his hexagonal pull knobs and slide bracing to a circular design. This simplified the machining of these parts that were used on the 1st/2nd slides, and 3rd stop rod assembly.
In the late 1950s, in the Mt. Vernon era, Vincent Bach shortened the length of the mouthpiece receiver.
Around 1955, Vincent Bach changed the design (1955 model) for a “wider wrap” / shorter leadpipe of his Mt. Vernon design. There is no clear transition serial number, but this occurred somewhere around serial #15, xxx.
Bach finger buttons would have the serial number stamped on the finger buttons, until this practice stopped around serial number ~19,000, in 1959.
Bach valves had the serial number stamped on the valve itself until approximately 1970, around the serial number 50,500.
In approximately 1977, the Elkhart factory transitioned to a single-piece baluster valve casing, as the CNC machining capbilty was repeatably able to manufacture this valve casing in a single piece.
In approximately 1973, the Elkhart factory transitioned to a single-piece valve casing.
