Paul AyickVintage Brass

Trumpets, Cornets, Brass, Misc Other Winds...

I buy, sell, and trade vintage trumpets, cornets, and other brass and wind instruments as they become available. Some of my satisfied customers include players from the Chicago Symphony and Boston Pops orchestras. More and more, players seem to be discovering the joy of playing and owning some of these wonderful vintage instruments. The workmanship, detailing, and tone can be astounding.

On the bell, it has 'Besson' in big letters over an eighth note. Inside the note is 'Stratford', and underneath that in smaller print is 'Made in England'. The serial number is 341XXX. I've checked a couple sites to try and find the year that it was made, but I can't find anything. In 1981 Boosey & Hawkes purchased Buffet Crampon, Inc. They are now the exclusive distributor of Buffet woodwinds. In that same year they purchased Schreiber Bassoon Co. In addition to these instruments, they distribute Besson Brass, F. Besson trumpets, Keilwerth Saxophones, Paesold Bows, Schroetter Orchestral Instruments, and Denis Wick. Third Character (number) indicates year of decade, reading directly. Fourth Character (number) indicates group as follows: 1 - Cornet 2 - Trumpet 3 - Alto 4 - French Horn 5 - Mellophonium 6 - Valve Trombone 7 - Slide Trombone 8 - Baritone - Euphonium 9 - Tuba 10 - Sousapone The remaining four numbers constitute the serial number on a monthly basis. Besson (Boosey and Hawkes) Serial Number List 1974-2002 This chart is primarily intended to help with the identification of Sovereign Cornets but will help with Identifying other Boosey and Hawkes made brass instruments. Serial numbers are in the format 928-817061. Again, by serial numbers the authenticate Besson Mehas start at 92,000. The most valued Mehas are number from 92,000 to 100,000.

Besson Euphonium Serial Numbers

MY COLLECTION

I currently am offering some really nice horns check them out in this section as well as mouthpieces , other instruments and musical items!!! If something on my site you see interests you e-mail me at: bulos@earthlink.net

I will sell just about any of the instruments for the right price.

(if you see a mouthpiece on the list that interests you e-mail me for images and price)

French Besson Trumpet Serial Numbers

Once you go to any particular directory it is a simple matter to view all the images therein as thumbnail sized images.. To accomplish this merely click on thefileman.htm file and wait for the thumbnails to load.

(bulos@earthlink.net)

I strive for accuracy in the descriptions of each horn I sell, and all horns are shipped securely packaged, fully insured and sent promptly. If you are someone who just discovered 'Uncle Harry's' old horn in the attic, well then, you are just the kind of person I would like to hear from! I work entirely from my home in South Florida where I also work as a trumpet player. I enjoy hearing from anyone with a question, comment, or just to say hello, I always have time to 'talk trumpet', however I am not a free appraisal service so please don't e-mail me asking what your horn is worth; I can provide this service however.

Here are some shots of some of the horns in my collection. To see all the photos and all the horns pick the appropriate horn from the 'my collection' area above. Lots of horns to see!

A Few Of The Horns In My Collection

Bach NY #1387 14 1929

An all original 1929 NY Bach. It had some small tears in the leadpipe but rather than replace it I opted to keep it all original by adding 2 small patches to it. This horn plays great.

Besson Brevete Circa 1908

W.C.Handy and his Conn 2B!

Conn 2B Gold Plated Bb Trumpet

Another late 20's gold plated 2B Conn This one plays a bit darker and more open than the one above but I like them both, these 2B's are one of the best designs Coinn ever produced in my opinion. Check out the great engravings.

English Besson Trumpet Serial Numbers Pdf

Rare French Besson 'Fabrication' Bb Trumpet Circa 1935

This French Besson trumpet was made sometime in the mid 30's probably and rather then me bore you with opinion I will post what I learned from noted authority Niles Eldredge: 'Two concerns were importing Besson trumpets to NY in the 1930s---- both without the Besson name, as it was ilegal to import Bessons from France then (because the English branch kept anglophone export rights when they bought out the French family in 1895-1896).Both said only 'Fabrication Francaise Perfectionée'; Later, there was the diamond Meha stamp added. One was the Leisch boys (Oscar, predominantly)--- who brought in what would have been a normal 'Grands Prix' trumpet (i.e. with the medals), --set up with third slide tuning--with the throw ring below and the stop rod on top; this is the ax that Bach copied (but with the ring on top--the stop rod on the bottom) (Besson thought you shouldn't have your left hand in contact with the bell--so they set it up lower).The other was Joseph Rapuano--who brought in a model we have never seen for sale in Europe--but which is a throw back to their earliest days (I have a 1888 'Rapuano): long third valve slide, no tuning; first valve tuning (again underneath--). '...........Thanks to Niles.. This one is a Rapuano that I was able to restore recently. .445 bore but surprisingly free and powerful.

Besson Cornet Serial Numbers

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After:

I am trying to decide how, or even if, to refinish this horn ; it looks kind of nice like this what do you think?

Rare French Besson 'Brevete' Bb Trumpet Circa 1935

The standard by which all other trumpets are judged is the orignal French Besson trumpet. Bach, Benge, Schilke, Olds, Conn, King, etc; they all studied and tried to copy the designs of these great old horns. Besson had a few different models; the 'Fabrication' , the 'Meha' (named after one of the Besson family daughters) , and the 'Brevete', (which actually just means patented), like the one pictured here from my collection is a .464' bore. Information on these old pre-Boosey & Hawkes (pre- WW II) Bessons is hard to come by, but, noted vintage brass expert and master technician Robb Stewart told me this; 'The large bore (.468') MEHA didn't appear until after WWII. The Rapuana versions are usually medium bore, but this one (a pre- WWII Meha he has) is ML (.460'). I don't believe that there was a .464' bore.' Anything Robb tells me I take as fact, he is the man, along with Niles Elderedge who has compiled the best Besson dating chart I know of. The Benge MLP, long a favorite of lead players, is a direct copy of these old Besson 'Brevettes.' A truly sensational trumpet to play.

Very Rare Conn'Rosebrook' Bb Trumpet Circa 1923

This is the only Conn trumpet from this time period that I have ever seen with the forward facing 2nd valve crook and hanging 3rd valve slide ring. Both of these features are specific to the old French Bessons; perhaps Conn was copying them? I have never seen this horn listed in any of the old Conn catalogs either. If anyone has any information I'd love to hear about it. This is a .458 bore finished in satin and burnished gold.

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