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The Martin Indiana

1The Indiana is one of [Martin's] student/intermediate line horns which would also be indicated by the gold-lacquer body and Nickel keywork. Though people keep telling me that the earlier ones deserve to be called more then that.

Funny thing is though that the nickel keywork was a feature of their deluxe models.

One can assume that they were made by the company that was known as "The Indiana Band Instrument Company"2. The company that Martin got controlling interest in around 1928. The name of that company was changed to Martin in 1942.

Story goes that it has good tone. A dutch owner of an earlier Indiana (gold-laquer keys) wrote me his Indiana Alto has a nice full tone, and it sounds very well. Also the members of the saxontheweb.net forum and saxforum.nl \ speak highly of them.

The Indiana tenor of a neighbour was very comparable with my The Martin Tenor. Maybe a little thinner, but hardly noticable.

People claim there are at least 3 stages of Indianas:

Phase 1
  • Based on CommitteeI or II
  • Heart shaped left thumb rest
  • Nickel keys
  • Adjustable right thumb rest
Phase 2
  • Based on THE MARTIN with gold color keys
  • At least some of them have adjustable right thumbrests
  • No heart shaped left thumbrest (not on the THE MARTINS either.)
Phase 3
  • Based on THE MARTIN with silver keys
  • No adjustable right thumbrest
  • No heart shaped left thumbrest

Footnotes & References

  1. http://themartinstory.net/version7/models-indiana.php
  2. In 1928, Martin acquired controlling interest in The Indiana Band Instrument Company (established by by the Martin Company president, Fred Holtz), which operated as a separate company until 1942, when it moved under the flag of Martin to become the producer of student line instruments, a strong growing market at that time. It is my belief that Indiana Band instruments produced all the Martin stencils.

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