- Martin Trombone Serial Numbers
- Martin Guitar Product Dating & Value FAQs | C.F. Martin & Co.
- Martin Elkhart Trombone Serial Numbers
- Getzen Trombone Serial Numbers
- Olds Ambassador Trombone Serial Number
There is really little to add against the already established lists. The most common serial list would be from Horn-u-copia which you can check out for a full list , or the Rob Stewart list. (Both are credited for the below information).
The Martin Band Instrument Company was a musical instrument manufacturer in Elkhart, Indiana.The firm produced band instruments, including trumpets, cornets, fluegelhorns, trombones, and saxophones from 1908 through the 1960s.
- Going by the published serial numbers, this places it's age somewhere between 1893 and 1915 (helpful.) However, on the same website there is an announcement that the 'King C-Melody was introduced around 1916-1920' - in fact probably closer to 1920 Hrmmmmm. Date Serial Number 1893-1915 1-50,000.
- Addenda: Martin Chicago – A theory of what JH Martin was really doing there. It is clear from fact-checking the stories of the Martin company, both those repeated among trumpet players and those actually published by the company, that a great deal of mis-information was spread at one time about the true past of the firm and family.
- Full Serial Number Chart; Martin Serial Number Ranges By Model. Model: Start # End # Stencils: unknown: unknown: Handcraft: 1 (1905) 95,000 (1929) Handcraft Master.
Both seem to be close in comparison with each other. Note - Martin Indiana Trumpets do not follow this established list. If you have a lacquered instrument with a Chieftan Head and a diagonal wave design from my research these start at around 1958. To make matters more confusing there is the IBICO (Indiana Band Instrument Company) instruments which also do not follow this list and started in the 1930's. It is common for people to think their horn is much earlier than it is in fact.
The list below is a revised edition that deals with a smaller range with my own comments and additions. (They do not have the Indiana serials on their either)
People commonly ask - what's the best year for Martins?
I would offer an opinion that there are very few 'bad' years prior to 1959. All the horns I have played or owned have their own unique characteristics. If I had to narrow the range down some of the best horns I have seen and played sit between 125,000 and 145,000 which is the Martin Handcraft Imperial/Handcraft Committee cross-over period and also includes the Martin Handcraft Standard US models.
Hornucopia List 1930 to 1964
Martin Handcraft Symphony, Troubadour, Dansant and Standard models
- 1930 95500
- 1931 100400
- 1932 105400
- 1933 107600
Martin Handcraft Imperials start around the 109,XXX to 110,XXX range
- 1934 110000
- 1935 113000
- 1936 117200
- 1937 119400
Martin Handcraft Imperial - Art Deco Style
- 1938 125400
- 1939 129500
Martin Handcraft Committees (Late 1939 into 1940)
(This is debatable - does anyone have an earlier HC Serial number?? Mr. Botti's horns are 1939 (his newer one) and his original is actually 1940's according to both lists in case anyone wanted to bring that up. The earliest serial I have seen is 131,XXX which is 1939/40)
- 1940 132900
- 1941 136500
- 1942 140200
Martin Handcraft Standard US Models - Handcraft Committees phased out somewhere around 1943
- 1943-44 142100
- 1945 143600
Martin Committee & Deluxe Committees come in around 1945
- 1946 154300
- 1947 161500
- 1948 165300
Au plugins for mac. Martin Imperial Trumpets and Indiana's start somewhere around here
- 1949 170400
- 1950 172200
- 1951 175100
- 1952 179300
- 1953 183100
- 1954 187600
- 1955 193700
- 1956 194200
- 1957 201800
- 1958 203900
Au plugins for mac. Martin Imperial Trumpets and Indiana's start somewhere around here
- 1949 170400
- 1950 172200
- 1951 175100
- 1952 179300
- 1953 183100
- 1954 187600
- 1955 193700
- 1956 194200
- 1957 201800
- 1958 203900
Martin Custom Committees start to show up around this date
- 1959 205400
- 1960 209100
- 1961 211700
- 1962 214000
- 1963 218800
- 1964 700000
Rob Stewart in Arcadia, CA List 1930 to 1964
Of the two lists I think this one seems more accurate in my opinion. Please refer to the above for comments on models etc.
1930 98324
1931 101622
1932 105096
1933 106546
1934 108301
1935 111253
1936 116551
1937 118038
1938 126998
1939 132070
1940 136040
1941 140199
1942 144455
1943 145322
1944 000000
1945 145352
1946 154289
1947 161520
1948 165326
1949 170395
1950 172215
1951 175140
1952 179317
1953 183125
1954 187614
1955 193747
1956 194213
1957 201809
1958 203917
1959 205377
1960 209089
1961 211675
1962 213999
1963 218855
1964 700000
| BUESCHER | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 5000 | 1905 |
| 11250 | 1910 |
| 25103 | 1915 |
| 61255 | 1920 |
| 175275 | 1925 |
| 255250 | 1930 |
| 269000 | 1935 |
| 291000 | 1940 |
| 303000 | 1945 |
| 332000 | 1950 |
| 350000 | 1955 |
| 360000 | 1960 |
| 381000 | 1963 |
| Bought out by Selmer | |
| 408818 | 1965 |
| 520000 | 1970 |
| 630000 | 1975 |
| 785000 | 1980 |
| 875000 | 1983 |
| SELMER (PARIS) | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 10000 | 1929 |
| 12000 | 1930 |
| Cigar Cutter | |
| 14000 | 1931 |
| 17000 | 1932 |
| 18000 | 1933 |
| 19000 | 1934 |
| 20000 | 1935 |
| Balanced Action | |
| 22000 | 1936 |
| 24000 | 1937 |
| 25000 | 1938 |
| 27000 | 1939 |
| 30000 | 1940 |
| 33000 | 1947 |
| Super Balanced Action | |
| 35000 | 1948 |
| 37000 | 1949 |
| 40000 | 1950 |
| 43000 | 1951 |
| Low A Baritone | |
| 46000 | 1952 |
| 50000 | 1953 |
| 52000 | 1954 |
| Mark VI | |
| 57000 | 1955 |
| 62000 | 1956 |
| 66000 | 1957 |
| 71000 | 1958 |
| 76000 | 1959 |
| 81000 | 1960 |
| 90000 | 1961 |
| 94000 | 1962 |
| 103000 | 1963 |
| 110000 | 1964 |
| 120000 | 1965 |
| 129000 | 1966 |
| 137000 | 1967 |
| 149000 | 1968 |
| 160000 | 1969 |
| 171000 | 1970 |
| 182000 | 1971 |
| 192000 | 1972 |
| 204000 | 1973 |
| 218000 | 1974 |
| 231000 | 1975 |
| Mark VII | |
| 243000 | 1976 |
| 256000 | 1977 |
| 272000 | 1978 |
| 282000 | 1979 |
| 300000 | 1980 |
| 327300 | 1981 |
| Super Action 80 | |
| 340200 | 1982 |
| 353800 | 1983 |
| 366400 | 1984 |
| 378800 | 1985 |
| 391000 | 1986 |
| Super Action 80 II | |
| 406000 | 1987 |
| CONN | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 9600 | 1905 |
| 10800 | 1906 |
| 12000 | 1907 |
| 13000 | 1908 |
| 15400 | 1909 |
| 17800 | 1910 |
| 21200 | 1911 |
| 22500 | 1912 |
| 25000 | 1913 |
| 30000 | 1914 |
| 35000 | 1916 |
| 40000 | 1917 |
| 50000 | 1919 |
| 58000 | 1920 |
| 64000 | 1921 |
| 83000 | 1922 |
| 101775 | 1923 |
| 124600 | 1924 |
| 145400 | 1925 |
| 167900 | 1926 |
| 193450 | 1927 |
| 209250 | 1928 |
| 224600 | 1929 |
| 237800 | 1930 |
| 244700 | 1931 |
| 249230 | 1932 |
| 256501 | 1933 |
| 260000 | 1934 |
| 263500 | 1935 |
| 271000 | 1936 |
| 278000 | 1937 |
| 284000 | 1938 |
| 285000 | 1939 |
| 288300 | 1940 |
| 295250 | 1941 |
| 304500 | 1942 |
| 309250 | 1943 |
| 309300 | 1944 |
| 310200 | 1945 |
| 314000 | 1946 |
| 320000 | 1947 |
| 327150 | 1948 |
| 332150 | 1949 |
| 337250 | 1950 |
| 341850 | 1951 |
| 341851 | 1952 |
| 354742 | 1953 |
| 359251 | 1954 |
| 500001 | 1955 |
| 571750 | 1956 |
| 652002 | 1957 |
| 718626 | 1958 |
| 779657 | 1959 |
| 834200 | 1960 |
| 898556 | 1961 |
| 949465 | 1962 |
| C00501 | 1963 |
| C73854 | 1964 |
| E54106 | 1965 |
| H31247 | 1966 |
| K35274 | 1967 |
| L20454 | 1968 |
Martin Trombone Serial Numbers
| BUFFET | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 2925 | 1952 |
| 3115 | 1953 |
| 3390 | 1954 |
| 3763 | 1955 |
| 4226 | 1956 |
| 4817 | 1957 |
| 5392 | 1958 |
| 6172 | 1959 |
| 6808 | 1960 |
| 7416 | 1961 |
| 8656 | 1962 |
| 9669 | 1963 |
| 10064 | 1964 |
| 11749 | 1965 |
| 12778 | 1966 |
| 13766 | 1967 |
| 14487 | 1968 |
| 15347 | 1969 |
| 16323 | 1970 |
| 17319 | 1971 |
| 18445 | 1972 |
| 19787 | 1973 |
| 21441 | 1974 |
| 22687 | 1975 |
| 24417 | 1976 |
| 26151 | 1977 |
| 27280 | 1978 |
| 28733 | 1979 |
| 30190 | 1980 |
| 31539 | 1981 |
| 32961 | 1982 |
| 33924 | 1983 |
| 34664 | 1984 |
| 35733 | 1985 |
| KING | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 5000 | 1915 |
| 78000 | 1925 |
| 126000 | 1930 |
| 161000 | 1935 |
| 220000 | 1940 |
| 275000 | 1945 |
| 305000 | 1950 |
| 340000 | 1955 |
| 370000 | 1960 |
| 406500 | 1965 |
| 457600 | 1970 |
| 511750 | 1975 |
| MARTIN | ||
| Serial# | Year | |
| 17221 | 1919 | |
| 19482 | 1920 | |
| 19933 | 1921 | |
| 23781 | 1921 | |
| 29942 | 1922 | |
| 34838 | 1923 | |
| 40644 | 1924 | |
| 48489 | 152342 | 1925 |
| 54853 | ||
| 67852 | 162852 | 1926 |
| 172051 | ||
| 79254 | 1927 | |
| 86687 | 1928 | |
| *192536 | 1027 | 1929 |
| *first digit dropped on most serial numbers | ||
| 98324 | 2982 | 1930 |
| 101622 | 7119 | 1931 |
| 105096 | 1932 | |
| 106546 | 1933 | |
| 108301 | 1934 | |
| 10758 | 111253 | 1935 |
| 14526 | 116551 | 1936 |
| 15396 | 118038 | 1937 |
| 18861 | 126998 | 1938 |
| 20563 | 132070 | 1939 |
| 23231 | 136040 | 1940 |
| 24572 | 140199 | 1941 |
| 26643 | 144455 | 1942 |
| 145322 | 1943 | |
| 1944 | ||
| 145352 | 1945 | |
| 154289 | 1946 | |
| 161520 | 1947 | |
| 165326 | 1948 | |
| 170395 | 1949 | |
| 172215 | 1950 | |
| 172449 first Imperial | ||
| 175140 | 1951 | |
| 41693 | 179317 | 1952 |
| 45824 Indiana | 183125 | 1953 |
| 49586 Indiana | 187614 | 1954 |
| 193747 | 1955 | |
| 56162 | 196213 | 1956 |
| 66719 | 203809 | 1957 |
| 66727 | 201917 | 1958 |
| 70988 | 205377 | 1959 |
| 76224 | 209089 | 1960 |
| 81885 | 211675 | 1961 |
| 87850 | 213999 | 1962 |
| 218855 | 1963 |
Martin Guitar Product Dating & Value FAQs | C.F. Martin & Co.
| HOLTON | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 1 | 1901 |
| 254 | 1902 |
| 476 | 1903 |
| 526 | 1904 |
| 1151 | 1905 |
| 1872 | 1906 |
| 3345 | 1907 |
| 4630 | 1908 |
| 6071 | 1909 |
| 9474 | 1910 |
| 12,402 | 1911 |
| 15,950 | 1912 |
| 20,807 | 1913 |
| 21,100 | 1914 |
| 31,622 | 1915 |
| 33,671 | 1916 |
| 37,909 | 1917 |
| 41,070 – 43,972 | 1918 |
| 55,000 – 55,249 | 1918 |
| 43,973 – 47,600 | 1919 |
| 55,250 – 57,040 | 1919 |
| 47,601 – 49,817 | 1920 |
| 57,041 – 58,499 | 1920 |
| 70,000 – 70,549 | 1920 |
| 49,818 – 54,999 | 1921 |
| 58,500 – 59,499 | 1921 |
| 70,550 – 73,199 | 1921 |
| 59,500 – 60,599 | 1922 |
| 73,200 – 76,099 | 1922 |
| 60,600 – 61,649 | 1923 |
| 76,100 – 81,000 | 1923 |
| 61,650 – 62,199 | 1924 |
| 81,001 – 85,600 | 1924 |
| 62,200 – 62,899 | 1925 |
| 85,900 – 89,849 | 1925 |
| 62,900 – 63,149 | 1926 |
| 89,850 – 92,799 | 1926 |
| 63,150 – 63,299 | 1927 |
| 92,800 – 97,199 | 1927 |
| 63,300 – 63,549 | 1928 |
| 97,200 – 101,399 | 1928 |
| 63,550 – 63,849 | 1929 |
| 101,400 – 105,199 | 1929 |
| 63,850 – 64,049 | 1930 |
| 105,200 – 108,399 | 1930 |
| 64,050 – 64,149 | 1931 |
| 108,400 – 111,049 | 1931 |
| 111,099 – 113,899 | 1932 |
| 113,990 – 114,999 | 1933 |
| 115,000 – 117,299 | 1934 |
| 117,300 – 118,599 | 1935 |
| 118,600 – 120,599 | 1936 |
| 120,600 – 122,899 | 1937 |
| 122,900 – 125,849 | 1938 |
| 125,850 – 132,799 | 1939 |
| 132,800 – 140,099 | 1940 |
| 140,100 – 151,299 | 1941 |
| 151,300 – 154,199 | 1942 |
| 154,200 – 154,699 | 1943 |
| 154,700 – 154,899 | 1944 |
| 154,900 – 156,099 | 1945 |
| 156,100 – 165,599 | 1946 |
| 165,600 – 181,999 | 1947 |
| 182,000 – 198,299 | 1948 |
| 198,399 – 210,299 | 1949 |
| 210,300 – 220,499 | 1950 |
| 220,500 – 232,599 | 1951 |
| 232,600 – 243,349 | 1952 |
| 243,350 – 254,099 | 1953 |
| 254,100 – 268,999 | 1954 |
| 269,000 – 281,399 | 1955 |
| 281,400 – 293,699 | 1956 |
| 293,700 – 307,399 | 1957 |
| 307,400 – 315,699 | 1958 |
| 315,700 – 326,099 | 1959 |
| 326,100 – 337,599 | 1960 |
| 337,600 – 348,399 | 1961 |
| 348,400 – 358,499 | 1962 |
| 358,500 – 373,699 | 1963 |
| 373,700 – 388,949 | 1964 |
| 388,950 – 403,350 | 1965 |
| 403,351 – 435,999 | 1966 |
| 536,600 – 455,749 | 1967 |
| 455,750 – 467,099 | 1968 |
| 467,100 – 483,099 | 1969 |
| 483,100 – 496,799 | 1970 |
| 496,800 – 504,200 | 1971 |
| 504,201 – 519,299 | 1972 |
| 519,300 – 524,599 | 1973 |
| 524,600 – 529,899 | 1974 |
| 529,900 – 535,199 | 1975 |
| 535,200 – 541,999 | 1976 |
| 542,000 – 548,429 | 1977 |
Martin Elkhart Trombone Serial Numbers
| CLEVELAND | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 1 | 1925 |
| 10,000 | 1930 |
| 30,000 | 1935 |
| 40,000 | 1940 |
| 45,000 | 1945 |
| 50,000 | 1950 |
| 56,000 | 1955 |
| 100,000 | 1960 |
| 160,000 | 1965 |
| 420,000 | 1970 |
| 600,000 | 1975 |
Getzen Trombone Serial Numbers
| YANIGASAWASAXOPHONES |
| During the 1970′s, the 3rd and 4th digit of the serial number indicate the year of manufacture.1972 – 12729030 1973 – 12731254 1974 – 12745400 1975 – 12753382 1976 – 12764553 1977 – 12775790 1978 – 12781317 1979 – 12791801 1980 – 00102143 1981 – 00106981 1982 – 00111892 1983 – 00117142 1984 – 00122663 1985 – 00128485 1986 – 00134903 1987 – 00141658 1988 – 00148774 1989 – 00156006 1990 – 00162968 1991 – 00170073 1992 – 00177116 1993 – 00184318 1994 – 00189050 1995 – 00197400 1996 – 00205400 1997 – 00213000 1998 – 00219500 1999 – 00228250 2000 – 00235000 |
Olds Ambassador Trombone Serial Number
| SML SAXOPHONES | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 1? – 3000 | 1934 to 1940 |
| 3000 – 5500 | 1940 to 1945 |
| 5500 – 8000 | 1945 to 1950 |
| 8000 – 12000 | 1950 to 1955 |
| 12000 – 16000 | 1955 to 1960 |
| 16000 – 19000 | 1960 to 1965 |
| 19000 – 22000 | 1965 to 1970 |
| 22000 – 24000 | 1970 to 1975 |
| 24000 – 26000 | 1975 to 1980 |
| 26000 – >27000 | 1980 to 1982 |
