TromboneChat

I stumbled upon an old trombone today that I couldn't identify. The engraving on the bell says "Abbott N.Y." with some flowers, branches and leaves. The counterweight has a three-leaf clover on one side but no text. The mouthpiece with it is stamped "Herco" in a script font. The two halves press together with a friction fit rather than screw together. It does have a slide lock. I didn't have something to measure, but the bell was on the smaller side, maybe 7 to 7.5" and it's definitely a small bore instrument. The inner slides appears to be brass rather than chrome plated. The transition from the inner to the stockings is fairly square rather than a smooth transition. It's complete except the slide brace connecting the inners has failed and was duct-taped together. It could be turned back into a player, but it would take a good tech and some patience. It would most likely just look good on the wall. The case has an old Olds "Ambassador" tag that looks 1940'ish to me, but I doubt it's an original case.
I've spent a half hour searching through Google and haven't found anything. Do any of you have any ideas? Thanks in advance!

Neat to figure out the history.

Some crumbs here:
Herco mouthpiece: https://www.brasshistory.net/Herco%20History.pdf

Abbott on corn-u-copia lists two importers, Abbott Mfg, Co and Buegeleisen & Jacobson who appeared to merge.
https://www.horn-u-copia.net/Reference/ ... srec=%2019

But their logo styles look different, script in earlier years and printed but either with unusual A or squared O on trumpets to not look like a match:
https://www.horn-u-copia.net/show.php?s ... Abbott+%22
https://www.reddit.com/r/Trombone/comme ... his_brand/

Perhaps the shamrock counterweight will be a clue, unique or a commonly made part of the day suggesting a mashup. The hand print style logo suggests small lot.

Abbott was an importer in NY about 1920-1940

But to me that looks like it was made in the US, maybe one of the smaller companies in Elkhart.

Look closely around the slide to bell connection to see if there are any other stamps or engraving.

true2bsu wrote: ↑Tue Aug 13, 2024 6:48 pmThe inner slides appears to be brass rather than chrome plated. The transition from the inner to the stockings is fairly square rather than a smooth transition.

Sounds like soldered-on stockings. Not uncommon on pre-WWII instruments. Are the stockings also brass? I've seen a few trombones with brass inners and soldered-on nickel stockings.

JohnL wrote: ↑Wed Aug 14, 2024 12:12 am Sounds like soldered-on stockings. Not uncommon on pre-WWII instruments. Are the stockings also brass? I've seen a few trombones with brass inners and soldered-on nickel stockings.

The stockings also appear to be brass and I think you're right that they are soldered on.

true2bsu wrote: ↑Wed Aug 14, 2024 9:24 amThe stockings also appear to be brass and I think you're right that they are soldered on.

That tends to make me think that it's an import, possibly from what was then Czechoslovakia.

Most likely "decorator grade".

"Decorator grade" Love it!

Same horn is on eBay, but with "American Leader" stencil. I would also guess Czech import.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/204890809822

Horns that were imported around that time usually have BOHEMIA stamped somewhere. Look for it.