Claude Gordon Benge SN# 11864 Manufactured around 1973 This horn features a light weight bell with a .464 choke at the bell stub. The bore size through the valve section is .468. This was the quenticential horn for commercial and lead trumpet players in the 70'. At this same time, Claude was working with Benge to develop his own signature model. Basically, the CG Benge was a Benge 6X Large Bore with the following modifications: bell tube, where it attaches to the stud off the first valve casing (this is often referred to as a "choke") Leadpipe that was an exact copy of Claude's preWW2 French Besson Meha on which he did all his studio playing Bell buffed down to be extremely thin so as to give the horn\'s sound a good "sizzle" (many of the players back then were having this done to their horns on a custom basis). Later when Zig Kanstul took over as manager for Benge he noticed that workers were spending many hours custom buffing down the metal on the CG Benge bells (overbuffing and losing a lot of them), so he made the intelligent decision to make the CG bells from a thinner gauge of brassmore consistent, quicker and cheaper. Thus, the Benge Claude Gordon model. This horn is excellent! It is a nice thin bell stamped CG at the bell ferule. Also stamped CG on the 2nd valve above the 2nd slide. This is probably one of the originals before ZIG used smaller guage brass. It has been cleaned/serviced and is ready to go. All slides/valves work great and compression is still tight. It does show some normal wear in some places to the silver and has some dings/dimples, but nothing really major. Excellent Player with like new compression. This Horn is of very early Zig Kanstul Vintage. OPENBLOW and free soaring HUGE sound. However, because of it’s unique design, it can also capture a very sensitive soft and lower register that focuses beautifully with a warm, centered sound. All this, without “falling into it”…..research CG Benges and you’ll know what I mean. You know THIS is a GREAT one!! Great for both Lead playing and softer more subtle symphonic playing. An amazingly versatile Horn! More pictures upon request