Trumpet, B-flat
Maker
Henri Selmer
Date1973
Place MadeParis, France, Europe
Model63
Serial No.55952
SignedStamped on bell: HENRI / SELMER / PARIS / Selmer / MADE IN FRANCE / ®MarkingsStamped on second valve casing: 55952
Stamped on valve stems, respectively: 1 / R, 2 / S, 3 / S
Stamped on valve casings, respectively: 4, 5, 6
DescriptionSilver-plated brass, mother-of-pearl finger buttons, single loop, main tuning slide at first bow, three Périnet valves (1, ½, 1½), first valve inclined towards the player, third valve inclined towards the bell, top-sprung, spring inside hollow stem, alignment by two unequal plastic lugs on spring anchor plate, nickel-silver pistons with brass passages, single water keys at main tuning slide and third valve slide, trigger with thumb hook at first valve and with adjustable pull-ring at third valve, windway 3-2-1.
The valve cases of this trumpet are not arranged parallel to each other but closer together at the bottom than at the top. This "Radial 2 degree model" was introduced in the Selmer factory in 1968 with input from Maurice André. At that point, this design was already over 30 years old. It had been protected by British Patent no. 485,347 (filed by Lew Davis on July 9, 1937) since May 18, 1938. The patent describes the design and its purpose as follows: According to this invention, the two outer valves and their pistons are inclined with respect to the middle valve and piston, the amount of such inclination being selected so that the axes of the pistons coincide with the natural direction of movement of the respective fingers when, whilst the fingers are resting on the keys, any finger is moved to depress its piston. Thus, the fingers in operating the pistons, do not exert any lateral thrust thereon, and consequently the pistons are more easily moved and the wear in the valves is minimized.
DimensionsHeight: 488 mm
Tube length: 1314 mm
Bore diameter (initial, minimum, tuning slide, valve slides): 11.1 mm, 9 mm, 11.74 mm, 11.74 mm
Bell diameter: 129 mm
ProvenancePurchased from Parker Music, Greenville, South Carolina, 1986.
Credit LineJoe R. and Joella F. Utley Collection, 1999
Object number06797
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