Antoine Courtois GS213 Bb Trumpet

This pre-owned French-made Courtois came to us from a local collector. It is a single owner horn and has many interesting details, including detailed engraving and 1st and 3rd valve triggers. It has a .464" bore and 5" bell flare. We believe this instrument was manufactured in the early 1980's, due to the serial number. Antoine Courtois continues to manufactures trombones, flugelhorns, and saxhorns in France, but they discontinued manufacturing of trumpets in 2012. Courtois are known to have outstanding response, and resonance. This instrument has gone through our repair shop for a complete check by a technician; it has been sonically cleaned, freed of any dents, greased, and oiled. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions! We're here to help and look forward to working with you!

Courtois history

The first manufacture of brass winds in France, was created by the Courtois family in 1789 Rue Mazarine in Paris. Of the instruments manufactured at that time, one cavalry trumpet, marked "Courtois Rue Mazarine", is still exhibited in the Museum of the National Conservatory of Paris. This instrument belonged to aid of the officer sent by Napoléon to discuss terms with the besieged inhabitants of Saint-Jean-d'Acre in 1799.

In 1803, Antoine Courtois (1770-1855), one of the founder's sons, settled the present firm. Among several instruments, dating from this period we found a half-moon-shaped trumpet with a similar sonority as of a French horn, an infantry-bugle adopted by the French Ministry of War in 1823, a slide-trombone and the first cornets, key flugelhorns, french horns and ophicleids.

In 1844, Antoine Courtois Junior, invented the famous cornet "Arban system", known all over the world. He died in 1880 leaving no heir. Since we owe his colleagues and successors important inventions, musical and mechanical improvements. A unique prize-list of distinctions in international exhibitions and fairs proves the constant success and the universal fame of Antoine Courtois' name.

In 1956, Mr Paul Gaudet decided to build a factory in Amboise (Indre-et-Loire), which expanded rapidly. Mr Jacques Gaudet, his son, perpetuated the tradition of quality and technical perfection thanks to a continuous research and modernisation of the manufacturing processes and a fruitful collaboration with the most renowned international artists. In 1994, the company integrated a well-known European group, JA Musik. In 2006, the company Antoine Courtois Paris comes back to its French origins and enters the group Courtois Crampon, another prestigious brand of woodwind instruments created in Paris in 1825. The artists from the world all agree that an instrument signed Antoine Courtois Paris is a guarantee of technical and high workmanship.

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