George McCracken 1931-2024

[boneagain]

George McCracken has passed away.

Many folks here on the forum remember George McCracken as the man who designed the Duo Gravis bass trombone for Alan Raph. Fewer folks remember George's work in lightening 2B and 3B slides, and debugging bending challenges from light slide tubing. Fewer still know of his efforts to provide George Szell's Cleveland trombone section with horns that matched the sound in Szell's head, or of the wavy line that went from Szell horns through Chuck Ward's excellent designs for Benge trombones to the Conn "K" (as in "Kofsky") bell.

Higher brass players also knew George. Alan Raph mentioned bringing George to Vanguard during development of the Duo Gravis. George was thrilled to meet those legendary players. Turns out the players were equally thrilled to meet George.

For all of that, George was far better known in the Horn world. He leveraged all his experience as a player, as well as lessons learned designing the Duo Gravis bell from first principles, and created the King Eroica, followed fairly quickly by the King Fidelio. After retiring from King George then proceded to create a huge number of custom Horns, many completely unique in the Horn world. George was also active in the Horn players guild, and managed some arranging, as with his 8-Horn adaptation of Bruckner's "Os Justi."

George was a consumate designer. He was neither intimidated by theory nor enslaved by it. He was comfortable working through a log table to calculate Duo Gravis bell mandrel specifications according to theoretical work that Art Benade discussed with him. He was also comfortable making empirical adjustments to the Eroica bell mandrel when the results of the theory did not play the way he wanted them to. And he couldn't help but invent things. He found ways to pair rotary valves to reduce discontinuities in the acoustic channel. He had an amazing ability to think and edit designs in three dimensions in his head while keeping track of complex passage routing. Within the last few weeks he continued work on refining a triple horn valve he invented that could rotate passages in opposite directions within the casing.

Despite all the recognition, George remained first of all a musician and family man. From early days in Winston Salem he participated in church and other choirs wherever he happened to be. In his "retirement" (he never really retired from horn design, building, and repair) near West Point Virginia he led the church choir and organized and conducted performances, like the Faure Requiem at a (large!) private residence in West point.

George McCracken passed away quietly, surrounded by family, on April 12, 2024.

[Doug Elliott]

Very sorry to hear that. I met George in his shop one time about 10 or more years ago. Amazing designer and instrument maker.

[Finetales]

In addition to the 6B, George also designed the 4B and (modern) 5B. Does anybody know if he designed the 7B or 8B as well?

The Eroica and Fidelio horns George designed are very overlooked by horn players, which is a real shame...I play an Eroica myself and it is a fabulous horn. Possibly the most free-blowing double horn ever made. George made aftermarket leadpipes for the Eroica/Fidelio in his shop, and I meant to order one for mine eventually. I won't have that chance now, but I'm glad he lived a long, full life.

[JohnL]

Does anybody know if he designed the 7B or 8B as well?

I believe that was Chuck Ward.

The Eroica is kind of a beast; if you're after that "Hollywood 8D" sound, it's got it - turned up to 11. My wife uses one as her daily driver.

[Finetales]

Exactly why I love mine!

[2bobone]

I never met the man himself but I credit him for what I consider to be one of the greatest bass trombones ever created, the King Duo Gravis SS. I owe him my thanks ! RIP

[boneagain]

In addition to the 6B, George also designed the 4B and (modern) 5B. Does anybody know if he designed the 7B or 8B as well?

The Eroica and Fidelio horns George designed are very overlooked by horn players, which is a real shame...I play an Eroica myself and it is a fabulous horn. Possibly the most free-blowing double horn ever made. George made aftermarket leadpipes for the Eroica/Fidelio in his shop, and I meant to order one for mine eventually. I won't have that chance now, but I'm glad he lived a long, full life.

Hopefully sometime after June I can post about getting leadpipes off the original McCracken mandrels.
PM me if you want an update when I learn more.

[boneagain]

Does anybody know if he designed the 7B or 8B as well?

I believe that was Chuck Ward.

The Eroica is kind of a beast; if you're after that "Hollywood 8D" sound, it's got it - turned up to 11. My wife uses one as her daily driver.

7B & 8B came right around the time George was retiring from King.
There was definitely some design overlap,
but the fairest thing is to credit Mr. Ward with those and the Benge 290 that came from them.

[pompatus]

George McCracken has passed away.

…quietly, surrounded by family, on April 12, 2024.

This is most unfortunate news. Especially, relatively, on the heels of the news of Mr. Raph’s passing not too long ago. The collaborators on the King Duo Gravis will leave a vacuum that will be poignant for some time.

Mr. McCracken shall be missed. I hope his family and friends celebrate his time and accomplishments.

[chromebone]

George started the design work on the 7B and the 8B and Chuck finished it to get them to market after George left King, but Chuck said most of the design was George’s. Chuck did the later revisions to the 7B when the cross brace was moved back and the trigger tubing was squared off to accommodate that.

[baileyman]

Is trombone player Nancy Woodell McCracken related?

[Kingfan]

I was lucky enough to have met George around 1972. My trombone teacher (Jim DeSano, who I talked to a few weeks ago just to catch up with) was in the Cleveland Orchestra and did consulting for King on trombones. When I was ready to step up from my student horn he arranged for me to go to the factory in Eastlake and meet George. George had pulled several bells and slides off the assembly line and let me pick my choice combo. He was very nice to this pimply faced 14 year old. He sent my combo through final assembly and I picked it up the next week. It was a 4B-F, which I still have and will be the last horn I will go to the grave with.