Chicago Benge
Resource Site

Elden Benge was Principal Trumpet of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from
1928 to 1933; he then succeeded Edward Llewellyn as Principal Trumpet
of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He held this position from 1933 to 1939.
During his time in Chicago he started to experiment with the manufacturing of his
own trumpets. The earliest trumpet that is known to have been sold was #500, which
was made while Benge was living at 2634 W. Berwyn Avenue on the northwest side
of Chicago. He subsequently moved to 2511 N. Major, which was also in the city,
but further south and west. In 1942 he moved to 1945 W. Morse on the far
north side of Chicago. The bulk of the Chicago Benges were made at the Morse
location, where Benge lived until moving to Burbank, California
in August 1953. Click here to see pictures of the three locations.

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Latest additions/updates to the spreadsheets:
Chicago Benges
#903 (Rick Schell; the 1000th Chicago/Burbank/LA Benge on the list!); #1588 (Lucy Weinman)
#554 (Rachel Bierma; formerly owned by Don Lindley (see Benge Ads and below))
#3209 (Howard Katz); #3156 (Manuel Suarez); #1683 (R.E. Grant); #2055 (Ralph Pillar, Jr.)
#2781 (David Browne/Wayne Wright); #2133 (Walt Wadenius); #3332 (John M. Connelly)

Burbank Benges
#3391 (Jeff Martin); #4354 & #8018 (Charles Couch's cornet and D/Eb); #3840 (Arto Hoornweg)
#4874 (Bob Radcliffe); #8199 (Aaron Gayman); #7007 (Bob Bowser); #5670 (Phil Landsberg)
#5320 (Vern Horn); #7296 (William AuMiller); #5714 (Laurin Tidwell); #5157 (Jeff Ader)
#6806 (Tim Surency); #3763 (Hollon Kinney); #4258 (John Walsh)

Los Angeles Benges
#13961 (Mike Smith); #9831, #18320, #21821 (Glen Ferguson); #11880 (Boudewijn Schokker's 1C)
#33070 (Ron Meza); #35797 (Craig McKennon's 8Z); #11635 (Brian Belcher); #11438 (Bill Redgate)
#28815 & #38733 (Curtis Murdock's flugel & CG); #13920 (Doug Shomette); #36415 (Jeff Mullis)
#14270 (Kathy Villemure)

#01958 is a bit of a mystery. It is the only piccolo trumpet without a model number stamped
on the bell, and the number sequence is strange. Los Angeles is stamped on the bell,
so there's no question that it's not a Burbank. Two theories (please shoot them down!):
1) it was a special order for a special person, or, 2) the Benge Company had stopped
numbering large bores in the old sequence @#1860. That left the 1900s open for use.
Input definitely welcome!

Post-LA Benges
As I've gathered information about instruments numbered over 10000, a few interesting
patterns have shown up, similar to what was found with the earlier Benges. It was previously
thought that there was a cutoff point around #43000 between the LA Benges and the move to
Eastlake, Ohio in 1983. However, it seems that the valve sections for some specialty horns
(piccolo, Eb, etc.) were numbered in LA, but the bells were not stamped until an order
was placed. Hence, although Bb #42993 has LA stamped on the bell, D/Eb #43xxx,
piccolo #42377 and flugel #42270 have a USA stamp on the bell. I have not yet found
a five-digit Benge USA Bb trumpet; the earliest yet is #106047.

Since December 2005 I've been receiving emails and phone calls from
people eager to share information about their beloved Benges. I am grateful to
all of you, and I look forward to the continuing evolution of this project.

Features

Here is a linked list of featured pages, with the date of the most recent update at the end:

1. When was my Benge made? Click here and you'll be able to get an idea!
The list has been expanded to include all Los Angeles Benges. (6/29/09)

2. The "First of Everything" list! Example: What is the earliest Benge C trumpet?
The most recent change to this list is LA #32121, the earliest LA 2C so far.
More input is definitely welcomed! (2/27/09)

3. Click here to go to the "Questions and Theories" page. (4/8/08)

4. Thanks to Leroy Duncan, there is now a clear picture of a Burbank Benge
with a staff logo on the "Interesting Pictures" page. (4/12/07)

5. Click here to see a scan of a letter from Elden Benge to Eldon Engle, dated
June 4, 1953. The letter was written in Chicago, and apologizes for the lateness in
sending Engle a trumpet, "...due to several circumstances, one of which is making
preparations for moving my trumpet shop to California around August 1st....
My shop will be located in Burbank- a suburb of Los Angeles ."

6. #500: the Sibley Benge. The first Benge trumpet ever sold?

7. Click here to see the receipt for the Caselli trumpet (#2015).

8. Click here to see the "famous" letter from Herbert L. Clarke to Elden Benge.

9. Click here to see the receipt for the Ficek trumpet (#747).

10. A 1952 letter to Charles Gouse. Bells, prices; fascinating!

11. Chicago Benge #526: A long-standing mystery solved! Thanks to current owner
Ron Turner, photos have recently been added to this page. Check it out!

12. Consumer Reports review of musical instruments (Nov. 1951)

13. For the rundown of pieces, instruments and performers from my
Benge Lecture/Recital on February 28, 2007, click here.
To see pictures of what pianist Dr. Kay Kim dubbed the recital's
"petting zoo" (the table full of instruments) click here.

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Design Characteristics of Chicago Benge Trumpets

The Bell Hallmark

(#2)
Staff Logo
HAND-TEMPERED
BELL
MADE BY
ELDEN
BENGE
CHICAGO
ILL.

(#3)
Staff Logo
Resno-Tempered
Bell
CUSTOM BUILT
BY
E•BENGE
CHICAGO
ILLINOIS

Earliest: #579
Latest: #3350

The "Staff Logo" consists of an arrangement of notes and graphics that spell out the name "E.E. Benge." First, there is a treble clef followed by a time signature of 3/2. The notes commence with two dotted half note E's (for E.E.), and then a bar line to separate the initials from the surname. Benge is spelled out in an inventive manner (as there is no "N" pitch):
B: a quarter note on the third line
E: an eighth note on the first line
N: the beaming of the E and G form an "N"
G: an eighth note on top of the staff
E: a whole note on the fourth space

The design is said to have been done by the daughter of one of his CSO colleagues (Frank Holz, owner #527); she was a graphic designer.

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The Benge Logo

There are at least four versions on the logo stamped on the bottom of the bell side of the second valve casing. The "eye" logo is the
name BENGE in the shape of an eye.
It is also known as the "Benge Bug."

(#1)
ELDEN
BENGE
Earliest: #513
Latest: #583

(#1)
#560 (Al Feldner)

(#2)
The "eye" logo
CHICAGO
Earliest: #592
Latest: #667

(#3)
The "eye" logo
(no CHICAGO)
Earliest: #681
Latest: #1075

(#4)
BENGE
Earliest: #1208 (large bore #1501)
Latest: #3350 (large bore #1682)

(#2)
#622 (Steve Dillard)


(#3)
#728 (Ryan Zoghlin)


(#4)
#2008 (Russ DiGate)

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The Serial Numbers

About those mysterious serial numbers:
think of them as three seperate numbering
sequences. The first, from #500 until
about #1075; is a nice, logical system.
Then, in 1946 Benge started making large
bores for the first time. He started a new
sequence with #1500, and that carried into
the Burbank years, with the transition from
Chicago to Burbank happening between
#1682 (a Chicago) and #1705 (a Burbank).
When Benge started the 1500 series, he
simultaneously started to number the
non-large bores at #2000. Thus, for example,
#1705 was made years later than #2008.
Other than #1208, a special-made trumpet,
there are no 1100s, 1200s, 1300s or 1400s.

(#1)
Horizontal

Earliest: #500
(large bore #1515)

Latest: #1032
(also cornet #1050)
(large bore #1515)




#728 (Ryan Zoghlin)

(#2)
Vertical

Earliest: #1034
(large bore #1501)

Latest: #3350
(large bore #1682)



#2008 (Russ DiGate)

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(#1) Chicago Benge #534 (David Stangarone)


(#2) Chicago Benge #560 (Steve Ward)

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(#4)
the "Benge" brace
Similar in heft to the original rod
brace, it's a flat piece of metal with
BENGE stamped on it. It is reminscent
of the French Besson brace. This design
continued through the Los Angeles era
and beyond, going at least as far as
#178668. Again, there is no brace
between the tubes of the first slide.
Earliest: #2575 (large bore #1588)
Latest: #3350 (large bore #1682)
(#1208 & #2472 also have this design)

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The Rings (Beads) on the Tubes

On the end of most every leadpipe
(except for reverse leadpipes), of any
brand, there is a ring (also known as
a bead). Although the earliest horns do
not have them, for many years (and on
all cornets, as far as I can tell) Elden
Benge also put rings on the ends of
the slide tubes. The examples on the
right are third valve slides, both with
and without the rings. #1208 seems
to have been put together later on
especially for Frank Lisanti; it does
not have rings. Strangely enough,
#526 has a ring on the 2nd slide!

#2334 (Burt Tobias)
Earliest: #554
(large bore #1501)
Latest: #2403
(large bore #1537)

#3165 (Joe Lill)
Earliest: #2429
(large bore #1543)
Latest: #3350
(large bore #1682)

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The Receiver
Benge used at least four different designs
for his receivers (the part in which the
mouthpiece is inserted). Other than #520,
which seems to have a plain receiver,
here are the designs:

(#1) a single engraved line
This is also the design that appears
on the receivers of Burbank Benges
after #3539. The latest Burbank with
double lines (to date) is #3520.

(#2) double rings
All Chicago Benge cornets and, interestingly, even early Burbank
cornets seem to have this feature, with
#7166 being the earliest Benge cornet
to have a single ring. The latest Burbank
with rings (so far) is cornet #4354.

(#3) double engraved lines
When Benge started the sequence
of specific numbering for large
bore trumpets (#1500-#1700 or so)
he used the double line version of
the receiver. He continued to use
the double rings for the 2000-series
trumpets until #2090 or so. I would
guess that he used up the remaining
double-ring receivers before
switching to the double lines.
This design carried into the
Burbank period.

The earliest/latest numbers used on
the right refer to M and ML trumpets.

(#1)
#546 (Ryan Zoghlin)
Earliest: #500
Latest: #546

Many other early Benges
have single-line receivers;
it is not known how many
are replacements.

__________


(#3)
#2429 (Mike Lill)
Earliest: #2090
(also #1068 & 1208!)
Latest: #3338

All large bore Chicago
trumpets have this
type of receiver.

Latest Burbank with
double lines: #3520
Earliest Burbank with
single line: #3481

(#2)
#560 (Steve Ward)
Earliest: #554
Latest: #2062

(#2606 also has rings;
it is not known whether
it was the original
receiver or a
replacement.)

All known Chicago
cornets have this
type of receiver.

An example:



Cornet #2711
(Ryan Zoghlin)

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The Bell Flange

Also known as a "diamond flange." The
large brace (flange) between the leadpipe
and the bell came in two basic sizes: the early
version was 3/4" from top to bottom; later, he
made them larger: 1 1/8" from top to bottom.
The larger brace is similar to the French
Besson design.The heights of the Burbank
braces tended to be between the two
Chicago sizes; the standard height was 7/8",
with heights ranging from @5/8" to 1".

3/4"
#2334 (Burt Tobias)
Earliest: #520
(large bore #1501)
Latest: #2614
(large bore #1581)

1 1/8"
#3165 (Joe Lill)
Earliest: #2201
(also #807 & 947!)
(large bore #1599)
Latest: #3338
(large bore #1630)

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The Finger Hook

Once Elden Benge was capable
of making the entire horns himself,
somewhere between #534 and
#546, Chicago Benges had one
of two styles of finger hooks.

The older style had a 90 degree
turn upward at the end, and
is just larger than a semi-circle.

The newer style has a gentler
upward turn and doesn't quite
make a full semi-circle.

 

Old Style Finger Hook
#610 (Ryan Zoghlin)

Earliest: #546
(large bore #1515)
Latest: #2285
(large bore #1515)
(*cornet #1581 also
has this hook)

New Style Finger Hook
#3165 (Joe Lill)

Earliest: #2319
(large bore #1519)

This style continued through
the rest of the Chicago era.

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The Inner Slide Tubes

Although the very earliest trumpets were
made with brass inner slide tubes, Benge
soon started making the tubes out of nickel.
At some point he switched back to brass
and, as far as I can tell, never again used
nickel. All trumpets in the large bore
sequence (#1500 and on) have brass
inner slides. My theory is that World
War II affected the availability of nickel
in some way, but that's just speculation.


(1)
Earliest: (brass) #500
Latest: (brass) #546

(2)
Earliest: (nickel) #554
Latest: (nickel) #1036

(3)
Earliest: (brass) #1052
(also #954!)
Latest: (brass) #3321

Valve slide comparison
Top: (brass tubes) #2499 (Michael Lill)
Bottom: (nickel tubes) #610 (Ryan Zoghlin)

For another interesting aspect, look at the
ferrules (the ring that joins the two pieces).
Earlier Chicagos have more rounded ferrules,
as can be seen in the above photo.

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For more photos, check out the "Interesting Pictures" page!
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Wish list?
(in no particular order)

1) Tracking down every Benge numbered below #45000 in order
to better discern the changes in design characteristics. This now
includes all Burbank, Los Angeles and early Eastlake Benges.

2) Corresponding with people who knew Elden Benge,
as an expansion of the biography contained in the paper is desired.

3) Nailing down the serial number sequence for the large bore trumpets.
I'm getting closer to knowing where the switch from large-bore
Chicagos and large-bore Burbanks occurred, as it's between
#1682 and #1705. As Jim Donaldson has noted on his website
(www.dallasmusic.org/gearhead/Bengedata.html), Benge started numbering
large bores at #1500. This sequence continued into the Burbank era, ending
somewhere in the 1900s, as duplication would result once he hit #2000.

4) Where are the 1100's, 1200's, 1300's and 1400's?
They don't exist, with one notable exception: #1208, a Bb trumpet given to
Frank Lisanti by Elden Benge. Schilke saw the trumpet and told Frank's son
Paul that it looked like a "put-together" horn; made out of some parts that
were laying around. It's possible that there was some significance to the
number, but there's no way of knowing it at this point. Frank was a student
of Benge's in Chicago, and he also worked on some horns and did some
bookkeeping for the company (see the Caselli receipt for Lisanti's signature).

For further discussion of these topics, go to the "Questions & Theories" page!