TromboneChat

What do you guys feel is the best trombone you've ever played? I'm not going to do anything based on the responses, but I'd love to know.

Quote from: AlexJKaseta190 on Dec 18, 2017, 06:09PMWhat do you guys feel is the best trombone you've ever played? I'm not going to do anything based on the responses, but I'd love to know.
My old King 4BF (gone now) but vying in runner up positions are my (slightly) newer King 4B, my new XO1236RL-T and my XO1632RGL-LT.

79h

My Holton TR 180.  Perhaps a Conn 60h I used to own.  Very close would be a Shires Gabe Langfur helped me put together when he was still there.  It was put together based on another Holton TR 180.

...Or perhaps a Courtois AC550...gosh, too many good bones out there!

I`m at a very happy place horn-wise right now
Lt16MG - Best horn I`ve ever played
42BO - best playing large bore horn
all my other horns are exactly where I need them   I`ve purged the horns that I don`t like

So far for me, it's my current main ax; a Shires with a BII German style bell with Krantz ring, BGB tuning slide, independent Olsen "Infinity" axial valves, B62NLWC slide (this is the "Chicago" tenor slide: .562 bore but with a large tenor end crook), and a B2 leadpipe.

A pretty unique rig.

My former teachers' 42T. Basically perfect in every way.

Of course, he bought it for $650 

T-396A from Edwards. 

Not much competition for me, Until recently, I'd only ever played a Besson Sovereign.
I'm now playing a near new Shires Custom Bass Trom.

My favorite horn was a Courtois 420BHII that I stupidly traded away for a Getzen 3047.

I miss that horn every day.

Quote from: Zandit75 on Dec 18, 2017, 07:31PMNot much competition for me, Until recently, I'd only ever played a Besson Sovereign.
I'm now playing a near new Shires Custom Bass Trom.

Would say the same although I've played a good number of horns from pro, intermediate down to the cheapest of the Chinese.
My school had a single trigger 50B bass. that thing was AMAZING... 

Tenor - Unknown one my host family borrowed for me when I was in Germany as an exchange student 10 years ago. Straight .547 American-style horn.

Bass - Yamaha YBL-830, which is my main horn and my only self-owned horn.

That is from the pool of only ~10 horns, more than half of those are half-beaten-up school-owned horns.

That's like asking which is your favorite child!  I love my 2B, 3B-F, 4B-F, and TR180 equally well.

Quote from: harrison.t.reed on Dec 18, 2017, 07:18PMT-396A from Edwards. 

The best I ever played was the t396 prototype at Edwards. Amazing.

The best since is my current horn: Edwards t350 HB, 321 Bell, TBCN, Alessi T2 leadpipe.

Interesting question.  There are certain horns at certain moments that have struck me as amazing. 

Once I tried an 88h with a rose brass bell and felt like it was just the right horn and I had grown up looking up to the 88h as a horn.  I didn't buy that one and never found another 88h that gave me the same feeling.  I somewhat regret that it wasn't the right moment for me to buy that horn.  But perhaps as my playing progressed it went in a different direction.

Later, I played my teacher's Shires bell with Bach slide and felt like, yes, with this sound people should be glad to hear me play.  And that was a big deal because I was working up the Grondahl for an orchestra performance.  With his help and a bunch of Shires parts to mix and match, I wound up with a Shires with 1R bell, rotary valve, and yellow brass slide that feels the same to me.  And pleasantly, I got a lot of positive comments on my sound from from my fellow orchestra members with that horn.

On the small bore side, a friend's Silversonic 2B stands out in my memory.  He was selling a bunch of horns but not that one.  I do have a Shires 0.500-0.508 dual bore with yellow brass bell that makes me happy.

My Holton 269. It was a very rare horn, only six made, I bought the horn in Steirners Hovmusik Handel in Stockholm 1969, it was not recognised as a god horn by then, BUT IT WAS! The slide got destojed by an idiot who borowed the horn when he was drunk, he does not remember what he did.
I thought well I sell this one and just by another Holton. I dont know how many Holton I bought after that, no one was close. I play a 183 sometimes now, not bad actually quite good. But not really like the 269.

4H

I haven't played a lot of different horns but out of the ones I have played my old ELKhart Conn 88H is my favorite.

A few are outstanding. My 2b+ is probably my best horn if I just pick one. My Bach 36BO is my best .525 bore. For large bore I think the A.Cortois "Challanger I" is my favorite at the moment but the Elkhart Conn 88h is also very good as is the Edwards T350, the Kanstul 1570, the Bach 42 and a Holton TR150. For bass the best horns are a dependent Kanstul 1662 and an Elkhart 62h.

/Tom

Quote from: AlexJKaseta190 on Dec 18, 2017, 06:09PMWhat do you guys feel is the best trombone you've ever played? I'm not going to do anything based on the responses, but I'd love to know.

Ever? I remember testing an Olds Recording(?) when I was in high school many, many years ago. I'm guessing it was an Olds Recording. It was in a typical band instrument music store of the time and it had an octagon(?) inner set of slides that were like silk on silk - and for me - a nice sound. You trombone history experts; what horn of about the 1960's era had that kind of a not-perfectly-round but many-sided inner slide?

...Geezer

There were a lot of Olds trombones with the "fluted" slide (I think it was actually 16 sided -- JohnL would know).  If it had an F-attachment it probably was a Recording.  The Ambassador and SuperStar had round inners.

Quote from: BGuttman on Dec 19, 2017, 06:43AMThere were a lot of Olds trombones with the "fluted" slide (I think it was actually 16 sided -- JohnL would know).  If it had an F-attachment it probably was a Recording.  The Ambassador and SuperStar had round inners.

No F attachment; I wouldn't have even known what the heck that was for back then, so knowing myself - I wouldn't have been inclined to pick it up for a test blow b/c it wouldn't have "looked right" to my eyes and I wouldn't have recognized it as a "legit" trombone. However, when I started playing again - some 45 years later - I became curious about it. I wouldn't hate giving it a test blow now!

...Geezer

Quote from: Geezerhorn on Dec 19, 2017, 06:39AMYou trombone history experts; what horn of about the 1960's era had that kind of a not-perfectly-round but many-sided inner slide?1960's? Assuming it was a new horn, it would have been a Super or a Recording.

Quote from: JohnL on Dec 19, 2017, 07:42AM1960's? Assuming it was a new horn, it would have been a Super or a Recording.

Thanks. I recall that it looked new. Being born/raised in a semi-rural area, I didn't even know there WAS a secondary market for anything other than cars and farm equipment. It certainly was "super". Wish I had it today!

...Geezer

Quote from: Geezerhorn on Dec 19, 2017, 06:39AMEver? I remember testing an Olds Recording(?) when I was in high school many, many years ago. I'm guessing it was an Olds Recording. It was in a typical band instrument music store of the time and it had an octagon(?) inner set of slides that were like silk on silk - and for me - a nice sound. You trombone history experts; what horn of about the 1960's era had that kind of a not-perfectly-round but many-sided inner slide?

...Geezer
I think I have seven olds trombones. For what I know that octagonal slide was an Olds patent but it was acctually 16 sides for what I've read. It fits the description of a few of my Olds trombones. I have a recording R20 with valve and a R15 without. Both have that octagonal slide. I also have a couple of Super S15's with that same slide. They are all nice solo horns for jazz but sound a little outdated for modern big band playing. At least what I think when I have tryed. Some say they need an Olds mouthpiece to play as they are supposed to, and I guess this is what is missing because they are on the flat side. About 440 when pushed all in. Unfortunately I have no original mouthpiece that I like. The R15 is the best of those players.

/Tom

My Edwards Sterling bell rich sound with lots of lower overtones. Has the new regular valve. Open port, braced for sound and a pillar, usually a mid sized copper sound post.  547/562 duobore nickel slide and a copper lead pipe.

This horn makes me play better. I call her my teacher.

I forgot to mention my favorite tenor I've played thus far -but don't own (yet  ) - a Shires with a 2RVE8 bell, standard rotor, and TW25 slide.  That thing was just so sweet and malleable.

Quote from: watermailonman on Dec 19, 2017, 08:04AMI think I have seven olds trombones. For what I know that octagonal slide was an Olds patent but it was acctually 16 sides for what I've read. It fits the description of a few of my Olds trombones. I have a recording R20 with valve and a R15 without. Both have that octagonal slide. I also have a couple of Super S15's with that same slide. They are all nice solo horns for jazz but sound a little outdated for modern big band playing. At least what I think when I have tryed. Some say they need an Olds mouthpiece to play as they are supposed to, and I guess this is what is missing because they are on the flat side. About 440 when pushed all in. Unfortunately I have no original mouthpiece that I like. The R15 is the best of those players.

/Tom

Thanks, Tom. I understand what you posted about it's sound profile perhaps not being what the present-day concept is. I get it. I play a large-bore trigger horn with a correspondingly large/deep mpc for my "outside voice" and much smaller equipment all around for my "home voice". So when I remember that horn way back then having a "big" sound, it was probably a big sound for the day as I knew it then and these days, not so much. Still wish I had it to play for my own entertainment!

...Geezer

Quote from: Geezerhorn on Dec 19, 2017, 08:35AMThanks, Tom. I understand what you posted about it's sound profile perhaps not being what the present-day concept is. I get it. I play a large-bore trigger horn with a correspondingly large/deep mpc for my "outside voice" and much smaller equipment all around for my "home voice". So when I remember that horn way back then having a "big" sound, it was probably a big sound for the day as I knew it then and these days, not so much. Still wish I had it to play for my own entertainment!

...Geezer

I dont want to kidnap the thread but...

Geezer, I have thought a lot about all people who say they miss a sound of an old horn they have sold. I have play-tested so many horns in my living room and compared them side by side and yes they sound different but it does not take much to not remember what a particular "trombone-sound" is. I have had two horns on stands side by side and compared them. If I play one and then right after the other, and be sure I point the horns in the exact angle in the room then I can actually hear (remember) the difference but it does not take much to distruct me to forget the sound. If I drop a pencil on the floor in between then the first memory is gone. This was actually what happened when I discovered how short our authentic memory is for sound. The feeling is another thing. What it felt like and what we thought at a special moment, and all positive remarks we have had on a sound from a particular horn stays, this we remember and what it felt like to use a horn in a section, but not the actual SOUND in detail. This is how I function anyhow. You do the experiment and see for yourself  I have also kept nearly all my horns so I can go back and forth when I want to. The horns I sold I have never regret besides I sold one very much too cheap....

/Tom

Quote from: watermailonman on Dec 19, 2017, 10:04AMI dont want to kidnap the thred but...

Geezer, I have thought a lot about all people who say they miss a sound of an old horn they have sold. I have play-tested so many horns in my living room and compared them side by side and yes they sound different but it does not take much to not remember what a sound is. I have had two horns on stands side by side and compared them. If I play one and then right after the other, and be sure I point the horns in the exact angle in the room then I can actually hear (remember) the difference but it does not take much to distruct me to forget the sound. If I drop a pencil on the floor in between then the first memory is gone. This was actually what happened when I discovered how short our authentic memory is for sound. The feeling is another thing. What it felt like and what we thought at a special moment, and all positive remarks we have had on a sound from a particular horn stays, this we remember and what it felt like to use a horn in a section, but not the actual SOUND. This is how I function anyhow. You do the experiment and see for yourself  I have also kept nearly all my horns so I can go back and forth when I want to. The horns I sold I have never regret besides I sold one very much too cheap....

/Tom

We proceed at great risk. Lol

While we may - as you state - not clearly , if at all, remember an actual sound, I do clearly remember the concept that on THAT particular Olds horn, I sounded way better. Maybe it was the acoustics of the music store or maybe it was the horn or both or some other factor as well. But I formed an association, for whatever reason, of sounding better on that horn. Perhaps if I had one in my hand today, I would like the sound and perhaps I wouldn't.

Anyway, flawed though my memory may be of the actual sound - it is a memory of that horn being the best I have ever played b/c it woke up in my mind what a good sound I could have. And for me at least, it all starts with a concept of sound. So I guess, with your help, I relegate "the best horn I have ever played" status to that Olds as a tribute to it giving me a concept of sound.

So again, to answer the original question simply, some variety of vintage Olds - Super or Recording.

...Geezer

My personal favorite is a conn 60h.

Leif

Currently, my favorite is the Kanstul 1550.

I'm really digging the Minick bass trombone I picked up from Noah.

Blows like a 62H and sounds like a 50B. One of the easiest playing basses I've ever played.

I do miss having a Holton bass trombone ): I really wish I still had my TR185.

My Thein Universal II (yellow brass stem & gold brass Kruspe screw flare with nickel garland).
My '46 Bach 6VII New York.

 

My all-time favorite ? My King Duo Gravis "Silver Sonic".  It is my "Goldilocks" horn ---- Not too bright / Not too dark ---- Not too heavy / Not too light ---- Not too anything --- Just right !

My current instrument for the past year.  A 1976 Olds P24G. For me the everything horn.  Has fit everywhere I have needed it.  And yes, it blends fine with a symphony section of Thayer valved tenors! 

Paul

My current instrument for the past year.  A 1976 Olds P24G. For me the everything horn.  Has fit everywhere I have needed it.  And yes, it blends fine with a symphony section of Thayer valved tenors! 

Paul