TromboneChat

Any thoughts on the standard Conn 88 with yellow bell?
I once tried one (closed wrap rotor ) and liked it a lot .

I remember the yellow bell gave more clarity , projection and evenness throughout the dynamic range than the rose bell .
But of some reason the 88HY are rarely sold and i hardly find them in any shops .

Any thoughts on these horns and why so few play them ?

Well, the "rose brass bell" is such a fixture of the 88H design, most people seem to want that. I have played the Yellow bell versions, and they are also fine horns.

The yellow bell sort of plays like an 88H but you don't get as much of that bright snap when you push it in the upper register. It's kind of more ... Stable.

I believe that the HY was popularized by Lindberg after Conn started sponsoring him -- he used to play on this very deep/rich sounding beryllium-copper bell that Larry Minnick made on a Conn mandrel. When he switched to Conn-made 88H's (as opposed to the Minnick one) it was the HY model, which either was or later became the Lindberg Model with a loopy cursive "Lindberg" written on the bell throat. (Did the HY even exist before that?) It's interesting that it doesn't seem like he ever recorded or toured on a normal 88H. It was the beryllium, then the HY, and then finally the sterling bell. (You don't talk about the Yamaha he played. It just isn't done)

I think he was after stability, and not sounding bright or going bright when he pushed it, and kept pushing his gear in that direction.

I recently had a student with one. He tried many other instruments and didn't like any better. It works great for him, and matched well with the yellow-bell Shires and Edwards instruments that most of the other students had.

I've been curious about them too. Never had a chance to try one but have been underwhelmed by the current Conn lineup.

Trav1s wrote: ↑Wed May 03, 2023 3:25 pm I've been curious about them too. Never had a chance to try one but have been underwhelmed by the current Conn lineup.

Me too. It's quite pitiful.


I would get a yellow 88H bell if it didn't have the soldered bell ring. The closest i can get to an Elkhart yellow bell is my modified 78H bell.

I also have an 88HY-O. I will echo what has been said above. I just found that it plays so well with a full Orchestra (2nd trombone). It does not get super bright and it is so stable at high volumes. Still has the lighter Conn sound but you can really keep the air going. I think of it like a nicer sounding Bach at all volumes.
I of course felt so bad getting it, as that model is known for its light rose bell so I also got an 8H-T. I rarely use the 8H as I need to be careful how much air I push through the horn.

I only really every use it for light classical work and whenever I do trombone choir get togethers.

I suppose that with the HY bell on an 88 You would eventually either Go towards a standard red brass or a 42B variant.. I have tried it over a period of time,and would have likes it in a lighter version ..Like a 88HT !

I played an old 71H for many years. It had a yellow bell and I loved the way it played. If I was buying a new horn, I would want to be able to play and compare some yellow brass bells. My 8H and 88H both get pretty zingy when I push them. Which is fine... But, when I played that 71H I could push it marching band hard and it would always hold up like a champ.

Reading some of these posts i wonder if i should push my 8H more. I don't feel i get a "bright" or "zingy " sound on my 8H when play louder dynamics. Maybe it has to do with my leadpipe or the fact my Elkhart 8H bell is heavier compared to earlier are later makes.

although wrote: ↑Thu May 04, 2023 3:48 pm I played an old 71H for many years. It had a yellow bell and I loved the way it played. If I was buying a new horn, I would want to be able to play and compare some yellow brass bells. My 8H and 88H both get pretty zingy when I push them. Which is fine... But, when I played that 71H I could push it marching band hard and it would always hold up like a champ.

A primary reason why i let go of my 62H was because of the amount of rose brass on it. I like to have a rose brass option for my 7XH series horns but enjoy the yellow brass.