[TPIN] Harry B. Jay trumpet/cornet?

[Thomas E. Meacham]

Steve,

Louis Armstrong played a Harry B. Jay "Columbia" cornet with the  
interchangeable trumpet mouthpiece receiver when he joined the King  
Oliver Band, on his first gig outside New Orleans.  It is thought that  
his tone and projection on this horn essentially killed the cornet as  
a jazz band instrument, and ushered in the era of the trumpet.

You will note that one of the removable mouthpiece receivers fits a  
cornet mpc, and the other a trumpet mpc.

It sounds like you got a complete Jay cornet/trumpet outfit.  It is  
fairly early, around 1913-1914, by the serial number.  The extra  
tuning slide may be an A slide, or it may be a high-pitch tuning  
slide.  That little bell-tuning slide on the left side can be removed,  
and an echo bell and operating valve inserted.  I have seen one with  
this accessory in the Utley Collection -- very rare, but a neat idea.

H. B. Jay Columbia cornets come up on eBay now and then.  For people  
wanting a complete collection of the trumpet models that Louis  
Armstrong played, they are a cornerstone item.

Best wishes,

Tom Meacham
Anchorage, Alaska

++

On Jan 31, 2008, at 6:36 PM, Steve Wright wrote:

> Greetings,
>
> I've come across an interesting trumpet (looks somewhat like a  
> cornet) that was made by the Henry B. Jay Co.
>
> On the rather ornately engraved bell (silver with gold wash inner  
> bell) it says:
>
> Columbia
> Patented
> Henry B. Jay Co.
> Chicago
>
> In the middle of the bell is:
>
> Union
> Label
> Between the two words is a "crest" in very small letters:
> MPBP
> B&SW
>
> Serial # is: 1831 (on right hand side of valve section along with  
> valve numbers)
>
> It's a trumpet with reverse leadpipe; a tuning bit (extra "A" set of  
> slides and longer mouthpiece bit); and a small tuning slide on the  
> left side of the valve section... 3 ways to tune!  It seems to be a  
> medium bore.
>
> Considering the fact that it could use a valve job (quite sloppy),  
> it plays quite well.
>
> Anyone know anything about this horn???  I'll take some pictures &  
> will do some other searching online, as well.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Steve
>