Louis Armstrong's 1948-Made Trumpet Heads to Auction (2024)

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Selmer Model 19 balanced action medium bore trumpet heads to Christie's auction on October 14th

One of Louis Armstrong’s trumpets, custom-made for the jazz legend in 1948 and given to a family friend five years later, will hit the auction block as part of Christie’s the Exceptional Sale.

The Selmer Model 19 balanced action medium bore trumpet, inscribed with “Louis ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong 7/10/53” on the gold-plated brass, is estimated to reach high bids between $60,000 and $80,000 when it goes on sale October 14th.

Louis Armstrong's 1948-Made Trumpet Heads to Auction (1)

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According to Christie’s, “In 1953 Louis presented the trumpet to his friends, Abe and Frances Donin’s oldest son, Duke. His habit was to use a horn for about five years and then give it away. The family friendship remained strong for decades, attested to by signed photos and programs in the family collection and many recorded conversations on Armstrong’s reel-to-reel tapes.”

To mark the instrument’s return to Armstrong’s birth state of New York — the jazz legend gave the trumpet to the Los Angeles-based Donin family — a pair of jazz musicians, James Zollar and Lessie Vonner, played the trumpet on the steps of the Louis Armstrong House Museum in Corona, New York, site of Armstrong’s one-time home.

“Something I will never, ever get tired of is holding a Louis Armstrong trumpet, inviting trumpet players over, seeing people well up with tears when they’re around these instruments that really changed the world,” the Louis Armstrong House Museum’s Director of Research Ricky Riccardi says in the video. “And to know that one of those trumpets is coming back here, coming back home, it’s quite a thrill.”

In addition to the trumpet, the lot is also accompanied by a cotton handkerchief signed in green ink: “To Joella/Louis Armstrong/Satchmo.”

Louis Armstrong's 1948-Made Trumpet Heads to Auction (2)

Louis Armstrong's 1948-Made Trumpet Heads to Auction (2024)

FAQs

Louis Armstrong's 1948-Made Trumpet Heads to Auction? ›

The Selmer Model 19 balanced action medium bore trumpet, inscribed with “Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong 7/10/53” on the gold-plated brass, is estimated to reach high bids between $60,000 and $80,000 when it goes on sale October 14th.

How much is a Armstrong trumpet worth? ›

The trumpet was used by Armstrong in the early 1950s, as is expected to fetch $60,000 – $80,000 when it hits the block in New York on October 14. The trumpet is one of only a handful engraved with Armstrong's name, and was later gifted to a close friend in 1953.

How much was Louis Armstrong's trumpet? ›

If you have a spare $60,000 - $80,000 loose change available you might have a shot at buying one of Louis Armstrong's trumpets from Christie's Auction House.

Did Louis Armstrong have a handmade trumpet? ›

This personally inscribed trumpet was made only for Armstrong and was not mass produced. A brass trumpet with mouthpiece and case. The trumpet has a Henri Selmer Paris inscription near the bell and valve case, and "Louis Armstrong" is engraved on the leadpipe.

Was Louis Armstrong buried with a trumpet? ›

Dozens of Louis Armstrong's closest friends, musical associates and his widow, Lucille, attended services in Flushing (Queens) Cemetery yesterday dedicating the jazz musician's gravestone, of polished black granite with a bronze reproduction of his trumpet on top.

What is the rarest type of trumpet? ›

The Firebird is a type of trumpet with the standard three valves and the addition of a trombone-style slide. It was invented by Maynard Ferguson and Larry Ramirez and remains an exceptionally rare, specialist instrument.

What brand of trumpet did Louis Armstrong use? ›

This 1946 Henri Selmer B-flat custom-made and inscribed trumpet belonged to Louis Armstrong. Armstrong had been playing an earlier version of a Selmer trumpet since 1932.

How did Louis Armstrong get his first trumpet? ›

Armstrong was born in New Orleans August 4, 1901—not July 4, 1900, as he often boasted—in a poor part of the city, the grandson of slaves. He tooted a tin horn working on a junk wagon, before earning enough money to play his first horn. “I kept that horn for a long time.

What is the highest sounding trumpet? ›

The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard B♭ or C trumpet.

Who is the best trumpet player alive today? ›

Top 50 Trumpeters
  • Avishai Cohen. [Chad] Melodically, trumpet-ly, so much tradition. ...
  • Ambrose Akinmusire. [Mike] With acrobatic technique and adventurous intervallic shapes, Ambrose explores a fresh and open harmonic approach. ...
  • Eddie Henderson. ...
  • Wynton Marsalis. ...
  • Dave Douglas. ...
  • John Swana. ...
  • Charles Tolliver. ...
  • Nicholas Payton.
Feb 5, 2015

What are the best trumpet brands? ›

Good Trumpet Brands for Professional Players

Look for models from Bach, Schilke, Yamaha and Adams if you're looking for incredible professional trumpets. You can also find affordable professional trumpets from Allora or you could shop for a used trumpet to ease the cost of a pro model.

What happened to Louis Armstrong at age 11? ›

While Armstrong wasn't the first to experiment with scat, he was early to use it in recordings. Nothing in his background set him up to become a world-class musician. Had he not been arrested at age 11 and placed in a home for juvenile delinquents, he might never have learned to play music.

How old was Louis Armstrong when she died? ›

Louis Armstrong: Life and Legacy

He died in New York City on July 6, 1971, a month short of his 70th birthday.

Why isn't Louis Armstrong buried in New Orleans? ›

And while Louis Armstrong had made it perfectly clear he did not want to be buried in his hometown because of the city's civil rights failings, those that called the city home now were going to open up the pearly gates for him and welcome his spirit safe passage no matter where he would be laid to rest.

How old was Louis Armstrong when he started playing the trumpet? ›

He got his first cornet at the age of 11, and by the time he was a teenager, he was playing in local jazz bands. 3. Armstrong got his big break in 1922 when he joined King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band in Chicago.

What is a good price for a trumpet? ›

Beginner trumpets frequently range in cost from $400 to $1,100. Intermediate, or step-up, trumpets often cost $1,500 to $2,500 and performer trumpets around $2,500 and up.

What are trumpets worth? ›

There are many many (even more) variables, but generally the range of values for used Burbank Benge trumpets is around $600 to around $1200, depending on: finish (silver, though rare, increases the value by around $200 or so);

How can you tell how old a trumpet is? ›

Type in the serial number printed on the outside of your second valve. They have serial number counters that know what year the trumpet is made.

Which is the best trumpet in the world? ›

Overall, the Bach Stradivarius 180S37 is undoubtedly the best professional trumpet. Investing in this professional trumpet is investing in a journey: its warm sound, impeccable intonation, and versatility make it a top choice among professional musicians.

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