There have been many pleasant surprises in this short period of time; this one
is near the top of the list. I'd purchased a copy of the Dundas book (Twentieth
Century Brass Musical Instruments in the United States) from Richard
Wakefield of Lancaster, PA. He included a copy of this letter, which, at the very
least, would have been a thoughtful inclusion. However, there are a number of
valuable bits of information contained within this letter.
First, it helps with the timeline. If Elden Benge was planning to move to California he gives
no hint of it within this note. He certainly expected to be in Chicago in October of 1952.
Subsequent information has proven that he moved to Burbank in the late summer of 1953.
Even more important, he discusses the differing bells used on the C trumpets.
Here is a comparison of the two bells, as Ryan Zoghlin's #2614 is a C trumpet
with a French bell. Note the flare. In hand, the trumpet is amazingly light, especially
when compared with Michael Lill's silver plated #2429, which has a standard bell.
Top: #2429 (Orchestra style C trumpet bell) (Michael Lill)
Bottom: #2614 (French style C trumpet bell) (Ryan Zoghlin)
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