Martin Western 1927 - Brass with burnished gold

1927 Western Martin Trombone

with a Vincent Bach mouthpiece that was made in New York    $1200

My father acquired this trombone in 1928 when he was 12 years old. He went on to play it in the Michigan State College Marching Band [now MSU] in the 1930s. He taught me, his youngest daughter, to play it in the 1960s. I continued to play it into the 1970s but it has not seen much use since then. In spite of that, the slide is smooth and fast. The trombone is in very good condition, with only three very small dents in the bell, but none anywhere else. No modifications have been made.

This trombone is brass with a burnished gold finish. It was built in January, 1927 in Elkhart, Indiana and shipped to The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company of Detroit, but was never registered. It was displayed at a few places in the 1990s in Michigan, including at MSU. It returned to me with a second mouthpiece which is labeled ‘Trombone’.

I have an acknowledgement of a requested maintenance on August 5, 1939, and the bill regarding the service dated 9/1/1939, as well as two original letters from The Martin Band            Instrument Company – dated July 27,1939 and August 7, 1939, a Retail Price List for Martin Trombones dated March 1, 1939, and a fold out pamphlet about a committee of top trombonists designing a new Martin Trombone.

It also comes with the original case which has a partial MSC sticker still on it. I’m also including a small original [half full] Martin Oil bottle, a small metal bottle to apply the oil to the slide,  a lyre, the second mouthpiece, a mute, and a paper megaphone with a 1939 MSC football schedule on it.

I have chosen to leave the patina on to testify to its nearly 100-year life. It is my desire to see this rare instrument go to a good home where it will be played again and enjoyed for years to come.