A RARE VINTAGE TRUMPET FROM THE H.N.WHITE "KING" MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COMPANY,MADE IN CLEVELAND IN 1960.
 
This one’s also quite special…. We acquired it last year from the second owner who acquired it more than 40 years ago.
 
Long story... In the late fifties, Harry James and his band played a couple of nights in Wichita.  I was there, heard him place twice, was quite impressed.  I've got to admit that I wasn't close enough to tell which trumpet he was playing, but I am certain it was a King Super 20...You can easily identify by the way the first valve slide is constructed....wider radius than on any other brand.
 
And he sounded great!  Loud player, as I recall, typical James "Big Band" tone.  "Trig Ballroom" on east Kellogg street. I'll never forget it.  
 
Our Silver-sonic's come to us in "9.9 out of ten" condition. There's an almost-invisible trace of a burnisher work on the flare, but it's otherwise mint.  No dents, no thin spots, 99% original lacquer.
 
But King, by the sixties  was spraying lacquer (Nikolas 2100 silver-lac) on the entire trumpet...brass valve cluster and also the solid-silver sterling bells.  And as we all know, lacquer works better on brass than it does on silver. That means the lacquered bell is not perfect....but very close.
 
The gold-plate "wash" to the inside of the bell flare is also lacquered and about 98% original and clean.
 
Very important….the original pistons are perfect…dead perfect.  As tight as when they were new and better than the pistons on ANY modern trumpet. 
 
Bottom line…superb player, all original, very tight valves. Not mint, but an honest and fine example.  
 
Serial #374,343 DB.  But you can see the numbers from my photos.
 
More questions?  Write me!  I type fast, am always delighted in corresponding with interesting folks!
 
GR / Wichita Band Instrument Co.
 
HG