It used valves with dual windways to act as a compensating system for intonation. The company patented the 'système equitonique' (compensating valve system) in France and a year later in England. Gautrot was employing 700 workers and by 1867, four plants were producing approximately 47,000 musical instruments a year (24,000 of them valved brass instruments)! Producing extremely desirable instruments, the company exported 70% of its instruments in 1860. The company had a band consisting of thirty-six workers in 1857 (many companies had such bands in the 19th century) by then had a workshop producing string instruments in Mirecourt and one producing woodwind instruments in La Couture Boussey. Gautrot had a plant in Château-Thierry as well, employed over 300 workers in Paris, and was producing 20,000 band and stringed instruments annually. He had depots in London and by 1856 also in Madrid, Naples, and New York. Gautrot took advantage of the industrial revolution and added steam power to his plant. He was the first European manufacturer to use mass production techniques for instruments. In the same year the company patented improvements to the horn, trumpet, and brass valves. The firm employed 208 workers (over 40% of the brass instrument workforce in Paris).

The company of over 200 employees claimed to be the most important manufacturer of musical instruments in Europe. Gautrot was involved in the 1845 litigation against Adolphe Sax. He had been already working for Guichard as his associate beginning in 1835. Pierre Louis Gautrot (Mirecourt 1882) became proprietor of GUICHARD. I wish I could attribute it to the source I found it from, but can't give the reference: The company still exists, but very different from the manufacturer it used to be - Īnd now the bit you can ignore if you like.

The stylised initials in your engraving are likely to be GT - Gautrot- Triebert This is the number in the circle at the bottom of the engraving of the bell. The number in the 'Grenade' often referred to as the pineapple is generally thought to be the year of manufacture.

Couesnon trumpet serial numbers