imjazd1

Hi everyone--I have a question for all you Bach experts out there! I just bought a Mt. Vernon Bb serial number 19xxx and am wondering exactly what it is.

The bell says "model" just like you'd expect, but there's no number after it and I'm wondering if this was standard practice for a certain bell number? The bell seems quite light and thin compared to others (both Mt. Vernon and more recent that I've seen) and it has a fairly bright sound.

Also, it looks as if the stamp that says Vincent Bach corporation didn't entirely set or something. Part of the Bach signature is missing and there are a couple of letters missing from corporation. It's never been replated and because of where the missing letters are and how small of an area they are in it doesn't look like it could have been caused by someone buffing too hard in one spot. Was this also a common occurrance?

Incidentally, it's a great horn and I'm very happy with it, but I was just curious and would appreciate any light you can shed.

Thanks,
Julie

Tootsall

I wonder how you can tell that it has never been replated. Is it possible that the "replating" (if any such was ever done), maybe wasn't of as high a quality as the original and it too has worn away giving the appearance that it might have been "original"? Usually, worn stamps or engraving is, as you allude, indicative of overbuffing.

I'm not trying to argue with your statement that it was original, just raising a point that might be a possible explanation for what you have noticed.

imjazd1

>>I wonder how you can tell that it has never been replated. Is it possible that the "replating" (if any such was ever done), maybe wasn't of as high a quality as the original and it too has worn away giving the appearance that it might have been "original"? Usually, worn stamps or engraving is, as you allude, indicative of overbuffing.


I suppose that could be, but the rest of the finish really does appear to be original and all the finish matches. The part of the bell where the stamp is missing doesn't look worn, it really looks like it was never stamped--perfectly smooth. The last owner bought it from the original owner and has said that it has never been replated--whether he's right I can't be sure, but I did find him to be well informed. Unfortunately I can't contact him now to see if he knows anymore!

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Tootsall

Hopefully someone will know and respond as to whether Bach was engraving, hand stamping, or machine stamping their bells when that s/n was built. That should pretty much settle the question...if it was hand work then it is probably a good bet that the horn has been buffed out sometime in it's life. If machine stamped, as the song goes "Anything Goes".