screamingmorris

Approximately what year did Holton switch from fixed 3rd slide finger rings to adjustable 3rd slide finger rings?
(for example, when I see a fixed ring on a Conn I know that the Conn is mid-50's or earlier, so I hope a similar technique can be used in dating Holton trumpets)

Also, did Holton ever start re-using serial numbers the way that Conn did in the last 10 years?
Or would a serial number of 200xxx definitely be a vintage Holton rather than a modern Holton?

MFfan

Hi Morris, from the Kirmser list, It looks like Holton had significant serial shifts in the 20's up to 31, then consistently upwards to 1980. I would say it is pretty safe to say 200xxx is from 1949. I have a Collegiate cornet dating to 53. Don't know about the ring question. I don't have one at all on my cornet. Maybe Todd who runs the Holtonloyalist site may know , or there is info there.