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.