antique Couesnon trombone in A=430?!
Posted: Fri May 12, 2023 11:24 am
So. A while back I picked up a somewhat battered trombone marked Couesnon & Cie., with a gold medal stamp from the 1888 Paris world exposition, and no number in the "grenade" where Couesnon instruments usually have their manufacture date. I figure it dates to between 1889 and 1900.
The slide needs a total rebuild, but the bell is in pretty good shape. The sound and response, with what appears to possibly be an original mouthpiece, is cracking.
BUT
It's long. Too long. The bell section has probably three inches and change more tubing length than my other antique French trombones, and so the highest it can be tuned is A=430.
The build is also unusual, with a curved bell stay and a much wider bell bow than most French instruments (11cm inside-inside; 8cm is typical).
Anyone ever see anything like this? Any thoughts on what the heck sort of weird outlier it is?
]
The slide needs a total rebuild, but the bell is in pretty good shape. The sound and response, with what appears to possibly be an original mouthpiece, is cracking.
BUT
It's long. Too long. The bell section has probably three inches and change more tubing length than my other antique French trombones, and so the highest it can be tuned is A=430.
The build is also unusual, with a curved bell stay and a much wider bell bow than most French instruments (11cm inside-inside; 8cm is typical).
Anyone ever see anything like this? Any thoughts on what the heck sort of weird outlier it is?
]