Schilke B4L-b c. 1980

The Schilke B4 is a medium bore model with Schilke’s #3 bell.According to the Schilke loyalist site, the #3 bell was a copy of a French Besson bell, and is used on the B2 (ML bore), B3 (L bore), B4 (M bore), and S43HD models. This is one of Schilke’s brighter bells, and the medium bore configuration of this model would have most closely resembled a pre-WWII Besson Fabrication, but with Schilke’s signature step bore configuration, tunable bell, and reverse leadpipe. The bell is a “beryllium” model, meaning it is made from lightweight copper. At one point in time, these bells were made with a beryllium-copper alloy, but that material was quickly phased out in favor of pure copper, but the name stuck.

This trumpet was previously owned and played by a member of the Chicago Lyric Opera and shows a number of repairs. The leadpipe and bell both appear to have had extensive dent work around the connection to the valve block, with light hammer marks visible along with evidence of resoldering of the braces. There are repairs around the bell flare, a small ding in the bell bow, and a split in the bell rim. The 2nd slide is missing one of its nibs, and the original lever water key was replaced with an amado at some point. The valves have good compression and reliable action, and the horn plays with a bright and compact tone and easy upper register.