Bach Trumpet Serial Number List
This serial number list is the complete summary of vintage Vincent Bach trumpets and modern professional Bach Stradivarius trumpets and the approximate year of manufacture. We combined them into a single timeline reference to better understand the instrument serial numbers and the company’s status and location.
It is important to note that throughout the New York/Mt. Vernon era of Vincent Bach Corporation instruments does not always follow a sequential order of serial numbers and manufacturing year. On some early Bach trumpets, instruments were taken back, sometimes modified, and sold again to a new owner. Because of this, we focus on the original manufacturing date of each trumpet in the serial number list below.
IMPORTANT NOTE
This serial number list applies to BACH trumpets and trombones mfg. in the New York / Mt. Vernon era, and Bach Stradivarius models in the Elkhart era. If your serial number begins with a letter, it is a student/intermediate-level Bach instrument, and does NOT follow this serial number list.
Serial Number | Year | Major Historical Event |
|---|---|---|
1890 | Vincenz Heinrich Schrottenbach born in Baden bei Wein, Austria | |
1916 | Vincent Bach starts mouthpiece modifications | |
1916 | Vincent Bach publishes his 1st cornet solos | |
1918 | Vincent Bach mouthpiece mfg. / Selmer NYC | |
1919 | Vincent Bach opens own mfg. across from "Musical Mutual Protective Union" bldg. | |
1922 | Vincent Bach Corporation, Inc. incorporated in New York City Index#: 7517; 8/18/1922 - 10 employees | |
1922 | Vincent Bach Corporation (1922-1928) | |
1924 | 1st Bach trumpet designed | |
1 | 1925 | First 'Stradivarius' trumpet sold; 5/1/1925 Later changed to serial #14 |
200 | 1925 | 1st Bach Apollo trumpet |
105 | 1926 | |
706 | 1926 | Bach NY Rotary trumpet |
355 | 1927 | |
573 | 1927 | 1st Bach Mercedes trumpet |
1928 | Vincent Bach Corporation (1928 - 1953) | |
251 | 1928 | 1st Bach Mercury trumpet |
900 | 1928 | |
1929 | ||
1600 | 1930 | |
1707 | 1931 | |
1002 | 1932 | 1st Bach flügelhorn |
1903 | 1932 | |
2009 | 1933 | |
2344 | 1934 | |
2752 | 1935 | |
1936 | ||
4117 | 1937 | |
1938 | ||
4611 | 1939 | |
1940 | ||
1941 | ||
5791 | 1942 | |
6389 | 1943 | |
1944 | ||
6500 | 1945 | |
1946 | ||
7626 | 1947 | |
1948 | ||
1949 | ||
9100 | 1950 | |
1951 | ||
1952 | ||
12576 | 1953 | Last known New York trumpet |
1953 | Vincent Bach Corporation (1953-1965) | |
12607 | 1953 | First known Mt. Vernon trumpet (Sept. 15, 1953) |
1954 | ||
13600 | 1955 | |
30100 - 30345 110900 - 111549 | 1955 - 1956 | Bach Mercury trumpets & cornets built with Frank valve blocks |
14892 | 1956 | |
17718 | 1957 | |
2722 | 1958 | 1st Bach Minerva trumpet |
1959 | ||
19500 | 1960 | |
21000 | 1961 | |
1961 | Vincent Bach Corporation sold to H. & A. Selmer, Inc.; 9/25/1961 | |
1962 | Bach mouthpieces shipped from H. & A. Selmer Elkhart; Jan. 1962 | |
22384 | 1962 | Earliest known Bach 180 series |
25042 | 1963 | |
1963 | H. & A. Selmer purchases Buescher instrument factory | |
30000 | 1964/5 | Elkhart serial numbers begin |
30017 | 1964/5 | Mt. Vernon bell example |
30220 | 1965 | First known Elkhart-bell trumpet example |
30800 | 1965 | Last known Mt. Vernon-bell trumpet example |
1964 - 1965 | Bach instrument mfg. begins at former Buescher factory | |
34036 | 1966 | |
41905 | 1970 | Sold 11/2/1970 |
42929 | 1968 | |
50293 | 1970 | |
1970 | H. & A. Selmer purchases Conn instrument factory | |
1970 - 1974 | Bach instrument mfg. begins at former Conn factory | |
56831 | 1971 | |
68199 | 1973 | |
78823 | 1974 | |
84778 | 1974 | |
~90000 | 1975 | |
97231 | 1975 | 180S-72*, Sept. 1975 Sales Receipt |
96133 | 1976 | |
1976 | Vincent Bach death - 1/8/1976 | |
~ 175000 | 1980 | |
275712 | 1983 | |
1985 | ||
~ 336000 | 1990 | |
1995 | ||
~ 500000 | 1999 | |
2000 | ||
2001 | ||
~ 525000 | 2002 | Merger of United Musical Instruments (UMI) & Selmer Co. into Conn-Selmer, Inc. |
2003 | ||
615995 | 2004 | |
2005 | ||
2006 | Union Strike (2006-2009) at Elkhart factory | |
646013 | 2007 | "True Bach" campaign |
177353 1-14 | 2007 | Model 182 mfg. in Eastlake, Ohio (note: different serial # range) |
666822 | 2009 | |
2010 | 1st Bach Artisan trumpets (AB190 model) | |
700000 | 2012 | mfg. on 5/23/2012 |
2012 | ||
752574 | 2015 | 50th anniversary 190 series |
758619 | 2018 | mfg. on 9/27/2018 |
2020 | ||
777878 | 2021 | mfg. on 2/25/2021 |
800000 | 2023 | Updated 190 series starts with 800,000 180 series continues with current numbering |
Artisan Trumpet Models - Serial Numbers
Introduced in 2010, Bach Artisan Stradivarius trumpets began with the letter “A” prior to a serial number. The first known Bach Stradivarius Artisan model had a serial number “A2010”.
Serial Number | Year (Mfg.) | Artisan Model | Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
A2010 | 2010 | AB190 | |
A2942 | 2010 | AB190 | Silver Plated |
A3186 | 2011 | AB190 | |
2012 | |||
A6160 | 2013 | AB190 | |
A7019 | 2014 | AB190 | |
2015 | |||
A5925 | 2016 | AC190 | |
A9432 | 2016 | AP190 | |
2017 | |||
2018 | |||
2019 | |||
2020 | |||
A10720 | 2021 | AP190 | |
A12507 | 2022 | AB190 | Gold Brass Bell Silver Plated |
A12137 | 2023 | AC190 | Gold Brass Bell Silver Plated |
2025 |
source: various references including shop cards, catalogs, etc.
