Need help with late 60s Bach Stradivarius "Elkhartino" ML 37 trumpet
Hello trumpeters. As a guitarist(!) I cannot help but feel I have ventured into the dark woods of brass here. But I humbly come to ask for your help :-)
I need your help valuating a vintage Bach Strad. This is my story: My late grandfather owned an old (and honestly somewhat beat up) trumpet. He didn't play, but he liked the look of it (Chet Baker fan... your get the picture).
Years passed and eventually the trumpet was passed on to me. In my house the horn has been gathering dust on a shelf. But recently I looked at it and started wondering actually what horn it was. This is when things got interesting...
Here are the facts: Bach Stradivarius model 37 "Elkhart, ino"/"Elkhartino?!", serial no ML 31119 (that puts it somewhere around the late 60s as far as I can read).
From what I understand this is not just any other 'peashooter' - it's an actual horn that - in the right hands - can bring joy. I'd like to pass it on to said hands. However, I need help valuating the instrument.
Facts:
- all valves run smooth
- first and second slide run, (but third slide seems somewhat stuck)
- bell has some dents
- there's a rather large dent/bend in pipe running from the bell
All in all this is a piece for someone willing to invest some time and energy in restoring this instrument.
Heres my question to you: What's a reasonable price for the trumpet in this condition?
I thank you all in advance for your kind help. It means the world to a guitarist in uncharted territory
Posted Nov 10, 2025, 12:07 PM UTC