TromboneChat

I've just inherited a King Liberty model in silver with a gold wash bell, built in Cleveland, serial no. xxx452. Could anyone help me with the year and comparable newer model. I'll try to attach pics in a bit. It also came with a King M21 mouthpiece. Any help would be appreciated. Being primarily a bass trombonist, I'm rediscovering my tenor chops Easter.

Please edit your post to show the first three digits of the serial number rather than the last. That'll give us an approximate date of manufacture.

180452

What you appear to have inherited is a King SilverTone (silver-plated, gold-washed bell).
Comparable newer model is a King 2B SilverSonic.

The serial number will give you its manufacture year (~1936).

These are wonderful trombones if well-maintained.

Here's the information you need:

H. N. White Co. -- King Serial Numbers

Serial Number: Year Manufactured -- Serial Number: Year Manufactured
1 - 50,000: 1893 - 1915 ----------------- 287,001 - 296,500: 1947 - 1948
50,001 - 78,000: 1915 - 1925 ---------- 296,501 - 301,500: 1948 - 1949
78,001 - 126,000: 1925 - 1930 --------- 301,500 - 308,000: 1949 - 1950
126,001 - 161,000: 1930 - 1935 ------- 308,001 - 316,500: 1950 - 1951
176,000 - 186,000: 1935 - 1936 ------- 316,501 - 322,000: 1951 - 1952
186,001 - 200,000: 1936 - 1937 ------- 322,001 - 330,000: 1952 - 1953
200,001 -212,000: 1937 - 1938 -------- 330,001 - 337,000: 1953 - 1954
212,001 - 225,000: 1938 - 1939 ------- 337,001 - 340,000: 1954 - 1955
225,001 - 239,000: 1939 - 1940 ------- 340,001 - 370,000: 1955 - 1960
239,001 - 254,000: 1940 - 1941 ------- 370,001 - 406,500: 1960 - 1965
254,001 - 164,000: 1941 - 1942 ------- 406,501 - 457,600: 1965 - 1970
264,001 - 267,500: 1942 - 1943 ------- 457,601 - 511,750: 1970 - 1975
267,501 - 277,000: 1945 - 1946 ------- 511,751 - 850,975: 1975 - 1980
277,001 - 287,000: 1946 - 1947 ------- 850,976 - 906,859: 1981 - 1982
---------------------------------------------- 906,860 - 976,571: 1983 - 1984
---------------------------------------------- 976,572 - 999,999: 1985
-----------------------------------------------100,000 - 159,464: 1986

What you appear to have inherited is a King SilverTone (silver-plated, gold-washed bell).
Comparable newer model is a King 2B SilverSonic.

Maybe or maybe not. King offered silver plated brass as well as sterling silver (and sterling silver bell with silver plate everywhere else).

Liberty was the model name for what became the 2B, but some did not have dual bore slides. At the time of manufacture of this horn (1936) it will be marked "2B Liberty" if it is dual bore.

If it has a solid silver bell it will be called Silvertone (Silver Sonic before 1950 or so) and have a Sterling mark (looks like English pound sign with a line through it) on the bell stem. If there is no Sterling mark, the silver plate is over brass (and yes, they did offer them with gold wash inside the bell).

Regardless, it's a great pro horn and a "lead" horn (as in 1st trombone in Big Band). You may find you tend to overblow it if your main axe is a bass. Small bore horns take more finesse and less air than basses. I had the same learning curve going from bass to a 1947 2B Silvertone.