Swiss trumpet – extraordinary “Jackson Super “-
compact fitted original case, mute, music stand, and Vega mouthpiece
Superb engraving has both matt and smooth finish –
From the style it could be from the mid 1930s to the early 1950s, but there is no serial number.
This trumpet – which would be at home in a decorative arts museum – came from a professional trumpet player in Switzerland, who after describing it as an incredibly beautiful vintage trumpet, [ he thought it looked like a Buescher or a vintage Conn, and he attributed the region of manufacture as United States] said –
“The cosmetic condition is amazing! No dents, no dings, no scratches, no signs of wear at all!! It looks as if the trumpet has never been used and slept quietly in its case for the last almost hundred years!! Look at the beautiful engraving, look at the perfect silky silver plating and all the charming details at the valve-casing as well the decorations on the slides. The valves are working perfectly and all slides are free and easy to move……”
and
“The horn has the brilliant sound of the small-bore-horns of the early 20th century. It also has great intonation as well as a full range of sound from lowest whispering to highest screaming! A real collectors item!”
All of these comments are absolutely right, except that there are two micro-dings on the bell bow.
However when you take into account that this is engraved –
“Jackson Super
Deposed
[and further down – just above the rim]
Kofmann Geneve
12 Tour Maitresse”
it is not open to treat this as an American instrument.
The word “Deposed” is perhaps an anglicised version of déposé – registered
The case has an enamel badge –
“Kofmann & Engel
Modern Music S.A.
12 Rue Tour Maitresse Geneve”
There has been some trumpet group discussion about this instrument, and its perceived similarity to Victory trumpets, which included speculation that it was Czech / German made by F.X. Huller [predecessor to Modl/EMO] or Huttl. One contributor – from Victoria Australia – made the comment –
“As to the “Jackson”, I suspect it is a copy of something (what I don’t know), rather than a stencil. My cynical mind made me think it looked too good to be true ..”
For no better reason than the fact that the engraving is extremely reminiscent of a trumpet previously in my possession which was made by Meister Otto Meinel of Klingenthal, I think it may be a Meinel. I’ve searched far and wide [internet, New Langwill Index, etc] for more clarity, and I’d love to hear from anyone who knows more or knows better.
An Australian trumpet fancier wrote –
“I searched digitalised Swiss newspapers and could find only a few advertisements for the company in Geneva, (Modern Music SA) from 1944 and 1945 – nothing apart from that. There was an advertisement in 1948, however, offering for sale a second-hand trumpet, brand-name Jackson (this was in French, in the newspaper La Liberte.) Given that sort of date, I would think that either Harold Jackson or Jack Jackson would be about the only candidates for the name Jackson – and of course, it could actually be both. There were radio broadcasts of Jack Jackson and his band to Switzerland in the late 1930s, and Harold Jackson was a well-known cornettist and trumpeter (solo cornet for the Black Dyke Mills Band in the 1930s “
He also suggests that this might possibly be an Eggers trumpet, pointing out . –
Adolf Egger established his firm in 1940 in Switzerland and made trumpets and other brass instruments – so could this be an Adolf Egger trumpet? (Nowadays he is better known for baroque trumpets, but he also produced modern trumpets.
My best guess as to the maker remains Meister Otto Meinel, but the provenance remains elusive. But on all the tangible tests of vintage trumpets, this masterpiece is absolutely sensational as a looker and as a player.
