blowit

Hi

I'm a new member from the UK. I've just purchased a King Silver Flair and really love it. I'd like to find out as much as I can about it. There's a number stamped on the middle valve case which is 41 392086. I've looked at a couple of sites and I think this probably means it was manufactured between 1960 to 1965. These sites only refer to the last 6 digits of the number. I haven't found anything that tells me what the 41 means. I'd appreciate any information anyone can offer.

Sturmbill

Welcome to TM! You'll find a lot of knowledgeable folks here to help you.

As to your Silver Flair, I would suspect that it was actually made in 1991. The rule seems to be that you add 50 to the first number (in your case 41), and that will give you the manufacture year. It is something that UMI apparently did to all of its brands for a while. This would be an even stronger supposition if your Flair has two braces in the tuning slide crook area. The originals only had one. My '67 has one brace and a serial # of 442XXX. Check out this site:
silverflair

Good luck with your Flair!

Bill

blowit

Thanks Bill. What you say does seem to fit. The Flair does have two braces.

Ray

DaveH

The Silver Flairs with only six digit serial numbers and no prefix of any kind are pre UMI horns made pursuant to the original design and specifications of the original King Silver Flair.

UMI(United Musical Instruments) bought out King Musical Instruments about 1985. That company also no longer independently exists and instruments having the King name are made by Conn/Selmer, which may now be a division of Steinway. Instruments with a prefix such as you mention before the six digit number are horns made in the UMI period - 1985 - or later.

The Silver Flair made its debut in 1964 in Cleveland Ohio in the H.N. White Company. That company became King Musical Instruments in 1965 and remained so until UMI bought it in 1985.

blowit

Thanks also to you Dave for such a fulsome reply. What an excellent forum this is.

Ray