1993 MARTIN (LEBLANC) “COMMITTEE” MODEL T3461B MEDIUM LARGE BORE PROFESSIONAL Bb TRUMPET WITH A BLUE LACQUER FINISH AND GOLD PLATED SLIDES & TRIM IN NEAR MINT PLUS CONDITION. I have been playing horns for 64 years… Collecting and restoring vintage trumpets and cornets, producing custom finishes, and building custom horns for 53 years. Over the decades I amassed a vast trumpet/ cornet collection. During the past few years I have thinned out the herd and continue to do so. All my horns are gig ready… They have been completely disassembled, cleaned, valves are hand lapped and precision adjusted & aligned with new corks & felts when necessary, all slide tubes are hand lapped and polished, and then the horn is re-assembled and play tested. PLEASE LOOK AT THE OTHER HORNS I HAVE LISTED. For your consideration, here is a spectacular like new example of a 27 year old “Kind of Blue” lacquered Committee that is in need of a new owner. It is straight without dents, dings, pings nor repairs of any nature, and comes with a top-of-the-line “Torpedo” brand professional case, and a gold plated copy of a Bach Megatone 3C mouthpiece. After Miles Davis put down the Vega Power Model trumpet which he had played and endorsed, he switched to playing Martin Committee trumpets, and no others: his selection, complete approval, and lasting musical marriage to the Committee trumpet was notorious and remains compelling, coming as it did from a multiple Downbeat poll winner who was Juillard trained. The production of this iteration of the Committee – the T3460 – was by Larry Ramirez, a jazz trumpeter himself: Miles had requested a set of three of these trumpets – one red, one blue, and one black, each decorated with a gilt moon and stars – and Ramirez hand delivered the first two personally to Davis in the summer of 1981 in Denver. The Christies website relates the nerves Ramirez felt when Miles handed back one of the horns with the invitation You play don’t you? The three original lacquer colors that Miles ordered back in 1981 with the addition of a fourth… Purple were reintroduced in 1993. According to discussions I held with some of the factory workers during my visit, suggested that this trumpet’s serial number was one of the first off the production line. I noticed the lacquer was a bit thin on the topside of the bell and lead pipe (see photos #7 & 8) which allowed some of the brass beneath to change the color from blue to a greenish teal color. The finish supervisor said they were having a bit of difficulty applying the new lacquer colors. I personally thought the look of the two slightly different colors was unique, so the horn came home with me. Torpedo brand case has been its home ever since. The trumpet has seen almost no use as I owned a few other Committees that were regularly played, so this one pretty much remained a display piece. The trumpet is stamped T3460 as it is a. 460 bore Committee, but the official model designations were T3461B (blue), R (red), P (purple), and K… I think for black. They all came with gold plated slides and trim. These first issue models had a simple bell engraving etched through the lacquer to expose the brass beneath, but later production models had stunning full floral bell engravings. I like this simple, original engraving better (not so flashy). This Committee is a medium/ heavy weight 2 lb. 8.6 oz. Trumpet that will accommodate virtually any music style and acoustic venue, but was primarily built as a dark jazz horn. The trumpet has a clear and resonant tone that is easily controlled… Its sound is big, bold, rather round, centered and focused with an incredible core. It is a free and open blowing horn with a rich, syrupy dark tone that produces a sophisticated edge when pushed, and loves to be piloted in the stratosphere. This horn has excellent intonation… The low register is not flat, and is very resonant. The 5th harmonic is great, and so is the upper register intonation. Responsive and flexible, the Committee makes a great jazz horn, but will perform well playing commercial, classical styles, and even performs well in studio sessions. Mechanically, the trumpet is in like new condition both outside an inside with lightning fast valves that are bright and shiny, without staining nor pitting, and have factory spec compression. The valves are so new that they will require an additional break in period. All slides operate with buttery smoothness. Cosmetically, the trumpet exhibits only one minor blemish that prevented me from listing it in “collector grade” condition: 1. The lead pipe sustained a chip in the lacquer many years ago (see photo #9). I was able to locate a bottle of nail polish that was as close to a match as I could find, and applied it to cover the chip… Better than raw brass! Otherwise there is nothing else to report. I tend to be overly critical and as accurate as possible when describing my horns, so that no one receives any “surprises”. Finish – Original “Kind of Blue” lacquer with gold plated slides and trim. Serial # – 908XXX. Features – One-piece 4-7/8 yellow brass bell; reversed lead pipe; reversed 3rd slide w/ adjustable ring and stop screw; gold plated slides, valve caps, valve stems, and key buttons. “Torpedo” brand professional case, and a brand new gold plated copy of a Bach Megatone 3C mouthpiece. International Buyers – Please Note. I do my very best to be as accurate as humanly possible in my descriptions. Just a musician and collector. The item “1993 MARTIN COMMITTEE MODEL T3461BKIND OF BLUE LACQUER with GOLD TRIMNEAR MINT” is in sale since Thursday, May 21, 2020. This item is in the category “Musical Instruments & Gear\Brass\Trumpets”. The seller is “alucard49″ and is located in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Key: Bb
- Model: T3461B
- Valve Material: Monel
- Bell Material: Yellow Brass
- Color: Blue
- MPN: 908XXX
- Finish: Blue lacquer with gold plated trim
- Trumpet Type: Jazz/ Commercial/ Legit
- Country of Manufacture: United States
- Finish Material: Gold
- Bore Size: .460″
- Brand: Martin Committee
- Skill Level: Professional
- Leadpipe Material: Brass
