Conn 30H - “Wide Slide”

[ericrich]

Hi all,

I have a thing for vintage Conns and just picked up a silver 30H. It’s a dual bore Burkle model with a .494/.507 rather narrow slide. I really dig the sound, but as a long time sufferer of TMS (Trombonist Melonhead Syndrome), I don’t know if I can get a comfortable placement on my chops with this narrow of a slide.

Has anyone ever successfully modified a 30H with a wider crook and slide grip? I do understand that the narrow slide is a significant design choice, so tweaking this may yield unpredictable results on the sound of the horn.

Any thoughts would be welcome.

TIA,
Eric

[Posaunus]

I vote for leaving this fascinating (and rather successful) design as originally fabricated.

I really like the 30H as is!

There aren't very many of them around - and they are valued for their authenticity.

[BGuttman]

I have a 1925 Olds #2 (the TIS one). Similar problem to you. I wound up opening the dihedral angle of the slide (much wider than normal) and managed to be able to play it.

[baileyman]

If I recall the slide crook is actually tapered for that one. I gave mine away as it became irrelevant for me.

[harrisonreed]

By all means, modify to your heart's content if it gets you what you want, but you can't really say you have a thing for vintage horns if your next statement is how they don't work for you and you want to hack em up.

Well... Maybe you could, in a Hannibal Lector sort of way.

You might get a horn that is even better than the original if you do it, or better for you, but it won't play like the original. The slide crook is a critical component.

[hyperbolica]

I feel exactly the same way as OP. I prefer the 32h over the 30h, but I love the sound and the vibe of those instruments. The narrow slides are what made me sell mine off.

I did put a wide crook on a 10h once. It changed the sound a little bit, but the horn's personality was intact. You don't Trash any parts in the process so it's a reversible mod. Plus 30h aren't that rare, and nobody wants them when they do come up, so they are pretty cheap.

The bigger question is what crook do you put on it?

[Mamaposaune]

Has anyone tried modifying the neckpipe on a horn with a narrow slide, adding a slight curve? Yeah, I realize it will add a bit of length, but is seems as if the playing characteristics would be less affected then widening the crook.

[ericrich]

Given that the dual bore slide dimensions are close to the Bach 16, I thought a 16 crook and slide grip might work?
ER

[hyperbolica]

A Bach 16 crook would add about 3 mm ~ 1/8" to the width. That's not much for all the expense.You can probably reuse the existing brace, since it's not one piece. They can probably unsolder it and extend the tube inside as necessary.

[Posaunus]

Given that the dual bore slide dimensions are close to the Bach 16, I thought a 16 crook and slide grip might work?
ER

And then you end up with what? A non-vintage, no-longer-authentic, not-quite-a-Conn 30H with a very slightly wider slide and a non-Conn slide crook which may change the instrument's response due to the differently-tapered crook. Yet another artifact removed from the vintage Conn collector's pool.

[Thrawn22]

As stated above, the "Burkle" Conns have tapered slide crooks, whereas most traditional crooks have one bore diameter.

If you really want a wider slide but want to maintain the sound of the horn you might have to have a crook custom made.

[Matt K]

Is the receiver the same as other Conns? You might be able to find another slide for it that has a wider profile. I'm not as opposed as many others to making mods on older horns, especially for something that is reversible. Cutting it up? Maybe not so much. Risky leadpipe removal... same. Crook swap? Label it and keep it in the parts drawer. But you'll need a slide alignment afterwards so if you're going to to through the trouble of sourcing a part and whatnot... sourcing a different slide to experiment on possibly wouldn't add that much to the cost of the project.

I hear that some wide glide crooks are going to be made in the not too distant future by... someone here? That might be worth waiting for too.

[Posaunus]

Is the receiver the same as other Conns?

No, 30H tenons / receivers are different from other Conns (e.g., 6H).

And, for some reason the mouthpiece receiver on my 1936 30H only comfortably accommodates Conn mouthpieces (e.g., Conn 3 or Conn 2). Other standard small-shank mouthpieces wobble a bit. Perhaps my leadpipe was damaged at some point in its 85-year lifetime?

[Matt K]

Ah, shame about the receiver. I think the leadpipe makes sense, but my knowledge of much older Conns is limited.