Bach Stradivarius Model 43 Solid Sterling Silver Trumpet

Here is a very rare and special trumpet. I haven’t seen one of these for sale before. A Bach 43 Stradivarius with a factory sheet SOLID Sterling Silver bell from the year 1992! Before they switched to sterling silver plus bells via electroplate, they made a small number out of sheets of actual sterling silver. This process proved to be very difficult and a lot of attempted bells were scrapped during the process. They quickly found another way to more easily manufacture silver bells and switched to the plus bells. The earlier silver bells are supposedly lighter and more responsive, and it’s true. This horn has a beautifully clear, bright sound with tons of overtones. There’s a shimmer and a sparkle that I’ve never heard from any other horn, and it projects and rips in the upper register like no other. Super special. 

A valve replating was done by Jim Becker, along with a precision valve alignment and blueprinting, which included mechanical optimization, bell bow rounding, slide tube and water key hole deburring, and mouthpiece receiver gap adjustment. Also, it was just ultrasonically cleaned!

This trumpet plays better than any Bach I’ve ever played. I had a friend blind listen test it against a brand new 190 43 and it won every time. Amazing intonation, even scale, and a gorgeous “3D” sound. A previous owner of the horn played it in the premier Air Force band in DC for 20 years, including in the White House on more than one occasion! I have a photo of him playing it in 2001 and at the ITG conference in 2016 which I’ll show the buyer.