Best Conn 6H and 48H jaw/neck clearance mods?
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Best Conn 6H and 48H jaw/neck clearance mods?
Hey all,
I love these horns for many reasons, but for too long have put up with the nuisance of a tight fit for my jaw/neck with the narrow slides.
Looking for the best way to save all the best aspects of the horn while making more room for better comfort, would installing a bent gooseneck be the best way to go? Crook and braces are riskier, yes?
Any experiences to share?
Thanks all
I love these horns for many reasons, but for too long have put up with the nuisance of a tight fit for my jaw/neck with the narrow slides.
Looking for the best way to save all the best aspects of the horn while making more room for better comfort, would installing a bent gooseneck be the best way to go? Crook and braces are riskier, yes?
Any experiences to share?
Thanks all
- BGuttman
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Re: Best Conn 6H and 48H jaw/neck clearance mods?
First and simplest modification would be to increase the dihedral angle between slide and bell sections.
If that's not enough, consider a bent gooseneck. There was a student instrument (I think Yamaha) that had an arc built in.
Some have tried bending the mouthpiece shank to make the slide go off to the right. You have to put the mouthpiece in a certain way for this to work
More drastic: put a wider crook on the slide and replace the braces with longer ones. DJ Kennedy called this a Wide Glide modification.
If that's not enough, consider a bent gooseneck. There was a student instrument (I think Yamaha) that had an arc built in.
Some have tried bending the mouthpiece shank to make the slide go off to the right. You have to put the mouthpiece in a certain way for this to work
More drastic: put a wider crook on the slide and replace the braces with longer ones. DJ Kennedy called this a Wide Glide modification.
Bruce Guttman
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
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Re: Best Conn 6H and 48H jaw/neck clearance mods?
Thanks Bruce. Has anyone here tried the “wide glide” mod? I’m guessing the more drastically curved gooseneck will be the easiest/cheapest along w smaller possibility of any negative impact.
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Re: Best Conn 6H and 48H jaw/neck clearance mods?
Any change of parts may have an adverse outcome.Chiptingle wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:33 pm Thanks Bruce. Has anyone here tried the “wide glide” mod? I’m guessing the more drastically curved gooseneck will be the easiest/cheapest along w smaller possibility of any negative impact.
If it were me, and some point might be considering i play nothing but Conns, I'd go with a wider slide crook. I can't suggest what brand crook to use on a 6H, but my 71H slide has a Holton crook (or what i think is a Holton crook) which helped widen the slide a bit. I wouldn't use a King or Bach crook since those are really different than a Conn crook.
6H (K series)
Elkhart 60s' 6H bell/5H slide
78H (K series)
8H (N series bell w/ modern slide)
88HN
71H (dependant valves)
72H bell section (half moon)
35H alto (K series)
Boneyard custom .509 tenor
Elkhart 60s' 6H bell/5H slide
78H (K series)
8H (N series bell w/ modern slide)
88HN
71H (dependant valves)
72H bell section (half moon)
35H alto (K series)
Boneyard custom .509 tenor
- BGuttman
- Posts: 6623
- Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:19 am
- Location: Cow Hampshire
Re: Best Conn 6H and 48H jaw/neck clearance mods?
Bruce Guttman
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
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- Posts: 3243
- Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 7:31 am
Re: Best Conn 6H and 48H jaw/neck clearance mods?
I had a 10h with a wide glide crook. Played great, and great playing position too. Did it change the way it played? Yes, somewhat, but not in a bad way. Sent it to someone in France.
I've got a 32h with a wider Yamaha crook going on to it, but the tech is having some unspecified problems getting the crook to fit
I've got a 32h with a wider Yamaha crook going on to it, but the tech is having some unspecified problems getting the crook to fit
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Re: Best Conn 6H and 48H jaw/neck clearance mods?
I can imagine finding a crook to fit a 32H would be difficult.hyperbolica wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 8:28 pm I had a 10h with a wide glide crook. Played great, and great playing position too. Did it change the way it played? Yes, somewhat, but not in a bad way. Sent it to someone in France.
I've got a 32h with a wider Yamaha crook going on to it, but the tech is having some unspecified problems getting the crook to fit
6H (K series)
Elkhart 60s' 6H bell/5H slide
78H (K series)
8H (N series bell w/ modern slide)
88HN
71H (dependant valves)
72H bell section (half moon)
35H alto (K series)
Boneyard custom .509 tenor
Elkhart 60s' 6H bell/5H slide
78H (K series)
8H (N series bell w/ modern slide)
88HN
71H (dependant valves)
72H bell section (half moon)
35H alto (K series)
Boneyard custom .509 tenor
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- Posts: 127
- Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:57 am
Re: Best Conn 6H and 48H jaw/neck clearance mods?
I prefer the mouthpiece bend, 15 degrees. Works fine and there is no difference to a straight one. I do this for thirty years with all of my mouthpieces. It may cost ten Dollars and you can use it for every trombone. Not to recommend for mouthpiece hunters... 

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- Posts: 1360
- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 10:18 pm
Re: Best Conn 6H and 48H jaw/neck clearance mods?
It , in my humble estimatation, would really depend on the crook diameter vs. the lower tube diameter. The 32H crooks, as I'm sure you know, are tapered from small to large.
John Sandhagen years ago had converted a rescued 6H of mine to a makeshift 32H. The slide really required some creative thinking. He also had to make a neckpipe from scratch.
I'm sure your tech will know whether it'd work or not.
6H (K series)
Elkhart 60s' 6H bell/5H slide
78H (K series)
8H (N series bell w/ modern slide)
88HN
71H (dependant valves)
72H bell section (half moon)
35H alto (K series)
Boneyard custom .509 tenor
Elkhart 60s' 6H bell/5H slide
78H (K series)
8H (N series bell w/ modern slide)
88HN
71H (dependant valves)
72H bell section (half moon)
35H alto (K series)
Boneyard custom .509 tenor
- bellend
- Posts: 216
- Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 5:08 am
Re: Best Conn 6H and 48H jaw/neck clearance mods?
I have a brand new, still in the box nickel silver wide glide bow that I bought from DJ years ago.
It's never been mounted on anything (I never got round to trying it as I switched to bass) also comes with two matching N/S ferrules.
I'm in the UK but could mail it to the US no problem.
BellEnd
It's never been mounted on anything (I never got round to trying it as I switched to bass) also comes with two matching N/S ferrules.
I'm in the UK but could mail it to the US no problem.
BellEnd
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- Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2018 12:28 pm
Re: Best Conn 6H and 48H jaw/neck clearance mods?
Thanks for letting me know about your wide glide being available.
I’m thinking I’ll try the angled mouthpiece route first…
I’m thinking I’ll try the angled mouthpiece route first…
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- Posts: 127
- Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:57 am
Re: Best Conn 6H and 48H jaw/neck clearance mods?
Chiptingle wrote: ↑Sat Feb 11, 2023 11:12 pm Thanks for letting me know about your wide glide being available.
I’m thinking I’ll try the angled mouthpiece route first…
