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The earlier post regarding the stolen tuba made me think about the security of my own horn.

I play a PT1 stencil horn, and last year I had the receiver switched out. This is not usually a big deal, but the horn’s original serial number was engraved onto the old receiver. So, now there is no serial number on the horn.

I do have a record of the original serial number and I am going to reapply the number, somewhere. My first inclination is to re-engrave the number to the inside of the bell, below the lacquer line.

Any thoughts on the most appropriate place to apply the number? Does the original number add any value to the horn (ability to track the manufacturer) or would any unique number do?

Your thoughts?

Talk with someone that manages and keeps track of inventories for a living. Like at a school. I would imagine that if any horns are likely to walk off, its there.

Definately mark the horn. My own thoughts: Why not put both numbers on. Although for future use, the originality has been lost, anyway, with the leadpipe swap, but having the number it came with is a good indication of when it was made, and what it was made with. Likewise, a unique identifier somewhere out of the way would go a long way if you ever needed to positively identify THAT horn. And, as many gun owners have found out, serial numbers can be erased.

It would seem to me that if the serial number is applied somewhere other than where the manufaturer put it (e.g. the thought of putting it inside the bell), the credibility of the s/n is considerably diminished. The best thing to do would be to save the original receiver (hope you did). This, of course, primarily applies to resale purposes.

If you're thinking primarily in terms of recovery after theft, it's probably actually *better* to put the s/n in a non-mfr spot -- that REALLY identifies the horn as yours, since you're the only person who would know why it's in the oddball location. And, if you have the original receiver, your credibility is even more increased.