When did Martin stop making tubas?

[tofu]

When did Martin stop making tubas? Did they become part of someone else or did they just dissolve the business?

[Dan Schultz]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Ban ... nt_Company

According to Wikipedia... Martin stopped producing music instruments in 1971. LeBlanc used the Martin name until 2007.

At least that's what Wikipedia says.

[Paul Scott]

Martin ceased to be an independent company in 1961 when it became part of the Richards Music Corporation, which merged Blessing, Reynolds and Martin, (the "Roundtable of Musical Craftsmen"-these instruments are marked RMC). In 1964 Wurlitzer bought up all the rights to Martin; they sold to Leblanc in 1971. I seem to recall that Holton was bought up by Leblanc at the same time.

It may be that the Martin name was not used on tubas after 1961. The only reason I say that is that I don't recall ever seeing a Martin tuba that was made that late in the game-not sure about the fiberglass variety, however. I'm sure there are those on the board that could clarify this. Some Martin serial number lists are incorrect because they used two series of numbers over the years...very confusing.

I feel that their best tubas were made prior to World War II. I have no idea what changed after that (the designs were basically the same), but something did because there is a real difference between pre and post-war Martin tubas, IMHO.

I think the last instruments to bear the Martin name were the Urbie Green trombone and the Committee trumpet. Apparently Leblanc used the Martin name to sell Yanigsawa-built saxes for a time, (according to Edwin van Druten who has a neat Martin saxophone website).

[imperialbari]

I feel that their best tubas were made prior to World War II. I have no idea what changed after that (the designs were basically the same), but something did because there is a real difference between pre and post-war Martin tubas, IMHO.

I cannot speak for Martin tubas, only from my Conn sousaphone experiences.

I bought my very heavy Conn 26K Eb in 1990. In 1994 I met a young guy carrying a large Conn BBb sousaphone for his father before a wedding jam. I tried it on my shoulder, and it was much lighter than my formally smaller 26K. The BBb was a post-WWII version, And I happen to think the war being the reason for teh change.

Metals were in shortage like during all wars. I think technology was developed to harden brass in new ways, so that brass instruments could be made from thinner sheets of metal after the war.

Klaus

[Paul Scott]

I agree that there must have been some change in either the metal or in how the metal was formed (or both). Your Conn experience is interesting to me Klaus, because I've seen the opposite situation in Martins. A former student of mine has a BBb Martin nearly identical to mine. Both are side-action fours, but mine is from 1940 while his is from the late 50s. The most striking difference is in weight: his 50's model feels nearly twice as heavy as mine! We still laugh about it because it really is an unmistakable difference.

I had wondered if they had switched to a heavier gauge metal out of due to a change in production method. In one Martin catalogue from the 'teens they boasted about using yellow brass even though it was harder to form than other formulas such as low brass. Could it be that the gauge had to be a bit thinner when the horns were made with less machine forming? I've also noticed that many (but not all) of the older Yorks are actually quite lightweight.

It's almost a certainty that the Martin plant was converted to some type of war production in 1944 when instrument production stopped, (a late date for such a conversion, in fact). It would make sense for new technology to have been introduced when instrument production resumed after the war.

If anyone out there knows more information I'd be interested to hear more.

[Rick Denney]

I have a fiberglass Martin that was listed in a 1962 brochure that included several tubas. I'm not where I can consult it, but I seem to recall tubas and sousaphones being listed.

And, yes, Leblanc bought Holton in 1964.

Rick "who particularly admires the post-1959 fiberglass" Denney

[Dan Schultz]

Martin's 'claim to fame' was a higher copper content. Brass is basically copper and zinc. Maybe they used less zinc and more copper.