Welcome to the new era of Bach Stradivarius. An era of which we believe Vincent Bach himself would enthusiastically approve.

“My recent visit to your Bach plant surprised me. I did not expect it to be so well organized and expertly managed. You have an excellent staff and competent artisans who appear to be very capable and intensely interested in their work. They are very successfully interpreting my drawings and eager to continue the Bach Tradition."

Wishing you and your staff continued success, I am yours cordially,
Vincent Bach”

This December 3, 1965 letter from Vincent Bach was testimony to the commitment to deliver Mr. Bach’s vision with every Bach instrument produced. To his passing in 1976, Mr. Bach kept continued keen interest and involvement in the design and production of Bach instruments. Now, thirty years after his death, Conn-Selmer has had the unique opportunity to examine the entire process of Bach instrument production as if looking through the eyes of the man himself, by revisiting his drawings and plans.

We found that, while Bach Stradivarius instruments were of very high quality and true to Bach’s designs, the methods by which these instruments were made had many additional steps and repeated processes. It was easy to see that, by returning to the types of processes Mr. Bach recommended, we could create instruments that were precisely what Mr. Bach envisioned. Our production supervisors spent the majority of the 2006 year reviewing every activity related to the crafting of Bach Stradivarius instruments. These supervisors are the most skilled workers in our facilities and have the ability to perform all activities at a very high level. By comparing every step of the production process to the original plans drawn by Mr. Bach, they were able to better define each step and correct areas of waste and inefficiencies as well.

By mid-2006, we had embarked on a new way – or rather an old, better way to craft professional instruments. This corrected method includes individual responsibility, small groups of craftsmen working together to build complete assemblies, correct equipment arranged for best possible flow, and dedication to producing an instrument of quality, each and every time.

Our goal is to meet customer demand – and exceed customer expectations. We will produce enough quality instruments to meet daily demand – one at a time. We measure and evaluate every assembly group for quality, capacity and output. We have supervisors and trainers that have documented the correct methods for crafting Bach Stradivarius instruments and have put in place a group devoted to Stradivarius quality led by long-time Bach heir, Tedd Waggoner. We have a full workforce dedicated to producing these instruments carefully and efficiently. We have also welcomed back a group of workers who have provided important continuity as well as minds open to improvements. By tapping our engineering and manufacturing capabilities at our other brass plants, we have enhanced our Bach instrument production capacity. We believe that, today, we are in a better position to meet Vincent Bach’s vision than in decades.

Currently, demand for some Bach Stradivarius instruments is outpacing supply, but it’s not the first time that players have had to wait for Bach Stradivarius instruments. The most popular models are available at most dealer locations and new orders for 180S37 trumpets and 42BO trombones with standard, Thayer and Hagmann valves are just a few weeks away from delivery. Current production includes Bb trumpets in a variety of configurations and C trumpets, including the new “Chicago C”. Many dealers have continued to place regularly scheduled orders so that regular shipments are received as soon as possible.

Bach Stradivarius continues to be, by far, the world’s choice in professional brass. We appreciate our position and responsibility to craft Bach instruments to the very highest standards, true to Vincent Bach’s expectations. We appreciate your patience as we continue our efforts to fill the demand, and we look forward to the new era of Bach Stradivarius – an era of which we believe Vincent Bach himself would enthusiastically approve.

Thank you for your support.

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While trying to track consecutive serial numbers through production can be risky, we have identified this particular Bach Stradivarius model 180S37 as one of the first ‘True Bach” instruments.

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