History of King Trumpets
King Instruments has been a successful company since 1893. By using superb quality and innovative design, King has been able to attract many famous players to its trumpet brand.
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Beginnings
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Henderson N. White lived in Cleveland, Ohio, where he ran an instrument repair shop. In his work, he met a solo trombonist for the Lyceum Theatre Orchestra named Thomas King in 1893. Both saw the need for an improved trombone and together they designed an advanced instrument that had a great tone as well as better slide action. They named the trombone the King trombone after Thomas. The trombone became a success and White began to design other brass instruments, including the trumpet.
Improvements
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The King trumpet became one of the brand's most successful products. King carried a high quality control standard that made the company credible. White even hired a full band to play his instruments in his factory so he could always observe the tone and critique it. King pioneered the use of Sterling silver in trumpets. The Sterling silver gave King trumpets a better tone, which highlighted overtones and had great sustain.
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After White
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Henderson White died in 1940, but his legacy carried on as his wife Edna took control of the company. In 1964, the King company built a new factory in Eastlake, Ohio. King began to produce symphony trumpets. At the factory, King manufactured the Tempo trumpet, which was nickel-plated. This model was designed for a full and dark sound for use in chamber settings. King also made the popular 1501 model at the factory. The new factory increased production and King instruments became popular with students and professors. King continued to manufacture high quality trumpets. Mrs. White retired in 1965 and sold the company to a group of investors.
Modern Era
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In 1966, the company merged with the Seeburg Corporation, an electronic entertainment company. After the merger the company became King Musical Instruments. As of 2010, King trumpets are manufactured and distributed by Conn-Selmer Inc. The professional model trumpet of King today is the 2055T. King also produces a student model called the model 601.
Artists
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Many famous artists use King trumpets. The King brand appealed mainly to jazz artists. This includes Tommy Dorsey, Mel Davis, William Bell, Nat Adderley, Cannonball Adderley and Vaughn Monroe. These heavyweights helped promote the brand. Jazz musicians appreciated the projection quality that King trumpets carried.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Trumpet 3 image by Chad Perry from Fotolia.com
