Early Benge C Trumpet
This Chicago Benge C trumpet, now in Boyde Hood's
collection, had belonged to Bernard Adelstein, although I
don't know if he was the original owner or how extensively
he played it. We do know that Adelstein also had a Benge
Bb that he used professionally. With serial number 2459, it
was made in the late 1940s and is the earliest in a batch of
about ten valve sections made for C trumpets at that time.
Only two Benge C trumpets are known to have predated
this one and the first appears to have been made by Benge
with a modified Bb valve section. Elden Benge designed
his "French bell" for C trumpets very similar to the Besson
and Courtois equivalents. These all have a very bright,
clear sound favored in the French symphony. Benge also
offered C trumpets with larger "Orchestra" bells, more like
the larger Bach C trumpets that were becoming more
popular in US orchestras. The final flare of this is very
similar to the 2X Bb bell, but is smaller through most of the
taper. This trumpet almost certainly started life with a
French bell, but was rebuilt with the orchestra bell after
Benge moved to Burbank. The stamp on the bell is the
same as we see on most Benge trumpets made in Burbank.
The overall length is 18 1/4" and the rim diameter is 4 5/8".
The bore measures .460".
For more Benge history and facts, see Joe Lill's Chicago
Benge Resource Site.
At this time I want to make a selfish plea for an original
Chicago Benge C trumpet bell. A number of the French
bells were replaced with larger bells and I'm hoping that
they weren't all discarded. I own another early Benge C
trumpet (#2610) that I know originally had a French bell
that was discarded in the 1990s in favor of a 3X bell and I
would love to rebuild it to its original configuration.
collection, had belonged to Bernard Adelstein, although I
don't know if he was the original owner or how extensively
he played it. We do know that Adelstein also had a Benge
Bb that he used professionally. With serial number 2459, it
was made in the late 1940s and is the earliest in a batch of
about ten valve sections made for C trumpets at that time.
Only two Benge C trumpets are known to have predated
this one and the first appears to have been made by Benge
with a modified Bb valve section. Elden Benge designed
his "French bell" for C trumpets very similar to the Besson
and Courtois equivalents. These all have a very bright,
clear sound favored in the French symphony. Benge also
offered C trumpets with larger "Orchestra" bells, more like
the larger Bach C trumpets that were becoming more
popular in US orchestras. The final flare of this is very
similar to the 2X Bb bell, but is smaller through most of the
taper. This trumpet almost certainly started life with a
French bell, but was rebuilt with the orchestra bell after
Benge moved to Burbank. The stamp on the bell is the
same as we see on most Benge trumpets made in Burbank.
The overall length is 18 1/4" and the rim diameter is 4 5/8".
The bore measures .460".
For more Benge history and facts, see Joe Lill's Chicago
Benge Resource Site.
At this time I want to make a selfish plea for an original
Chicago Benge C trumpet bell. A number of the French
bells were replaced with larger bells and I'm hoping that
they weren't all discarded. I own another early Benge C
trumpet (#2610) that I know originally had a French bell
that was discarded in the 1990s in favor of a 3X bell and I
would love to rebuild it to its original configuration.
Click on images for larger views.