Other trumpets with hexagonal valve casings

Below is an overview of other trumpets with hexagonal valve casings, a continuation of the articleS about the Arigra and the Exakta.

Eugen Schuster, Markneukirchen

The University of Edinburgh has a Eugen Schuster Aristrocrat trumpet with a hexagonal valve block. Eugen Schuster was a trader in Markneukirchen, trading instruments under his trade mark Majestic Aristocrat and also Buescher and Selmer instruments. He built saxophones, between ca 1937-1951, but no brass instruments.

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  Full picture, coll: Univ. of Edinburgh

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  Majestic Aristocrat, source: Markneukirchen Museum Forum, coll.: Lucius

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This Majestic Aristocrat engraved trumpet also has a rimless bell. It has serial number 476 and a small anchor below the serial number indicating Bohland & Fuchs as maker of at least the valve block. The number 476 is also found on the upper and bottom valve caps, the hexagonal valve casings are numbered 1,2,3. Under spring valves, octagonal valve caps and hexagonal valve buttons. The pinky ring and spin are resembling the Arigra. HUC features an Eugen Schuster Majestic Aristocrat with a different brace, stating that Schuster was a dealer from 1928-1932. The New Langwill Index lists Schuster as being active between 1925 and 1932.

source: Horn-u-copia

The Majestic Aristocrat also came in a version with fluted casings, like the above mentioned Bohland & Fuchs instruments. This B&F instrument has serial number 491.

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  Eugen Schuster Majestic Aristocrat source Ebay.de 2015

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And this Schuster Majestic Aristocrat has fluted casings, serial 780 but no B&F anchor

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  coll: Peter Ros

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Boosey and Hawkes New Century

 source Ebay.co.uk

A trumpet with hexagonal valves, valve caps and bottoms, an edgy pinky ring and lightning flash braces. The engraving says New Century Boosey & Hawkes Ltd 295 Regent Street, London W 1. Probably made in the 1930's (in any case after the merger of Boosey and Hawkes in 1930). It does not have the normal, and well documented B&H serial number. Nor are the valves numbered (with the serial) as they normally are on instruments from this company. In 2012 a British seller of a New Century has contacted Bradley Strauchen, a curator at the Horniman Museum where they keep all the B&H records, they have been unable to find any direct reference to the instrument at all and no trace of its manufacture. They both felt that it looked similar to models being produced in Czechoslovakia in the early thirties. Conn in the US had also brought out a tight wrap trumpet at this time so it was a bit of a fashion thing. They also felt that the date of manufacture is almost certainly the 1930's.

Conn Vocabell

Then there's one other famous art deco trumpet from the thirties that has to be mentioned, the Conn 40b Vocabell, produced between 1932 and 1941 by Conn in Elkhart, USA. Octagonal valve casings, and many of them have a fine art deco engraving.

Conn 40B Vocabell, 1932 sr.nr. 287706

King Silvertone

Another trumpet known for it's art deco engraving is the King Silvertone. Here's one from the early thirties.

    engraving close up

King Silvertone sr.nr.: 157.xxx ca 1933