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
- 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.)
- Based on THE MARTIN with silver keys
- No adjustable right thumbrest
- No heart shaped left thumbrest