16M Gooseneck Question

[Driswood]

Has the Bach 16M bell section always had the open gooseneck? If not, when did they start?

I think I remember reading in the old forum Bach originally paired the 16M slide with a 16 bell section, then later opened the gooseneck. Is this accurate?

Thanks,

Jerry Walker

[TheBoneRanger]

I think I remember reading in the old forum Bach originally paired the 16M slide with a 16 bell section, then later opened the gooseneck. Is this accurate?

This is correct. Early 16M’s were stamped “16M” on the handslide, and “16” on the bell. My small horn is this combination.

Later, they added the open gooseneck. Those horns are stamped “16M” on the bell.

Not sure what date the change was made, sorry.

Andrew

[Doug Elliott]

I think it was in the late 1970's

I heard Watrous for the first time in 1972 or 73, and the 16M didn't exist yet. It was brought out as an approximation of his custom horn. A few years later they modified it with the larger gooseneck.

[baileyman]

It's not only the gooseneck but also the receiver that was opened to avoid the constriction between .509 and the small end of the neck.

[bimmerman]

I have two 16Ms-- one that is the 1970s era 16M slide + 16 bell, one that is 16M for both, from the 90s.

I can't tell much of a difference in gooseneck when playing them. The 70s 16 bell is yellow brass while the 16M bell is Sterling, so that material difference is much more noticeable to me than the gooseneck difference.

Interestingly the slides are not interchangeable between the horns-- the receiver lengths and depths are different. Oddly I can interchange other small Bach slides I have with either bell, including a MtV 9 slide. Hooray inconsistency!