TromboneChat

I’m still looking for the perfect small bore trombone. Does anyone have any opinions on the Benge 170?

.500 bore, 7 3/4” bell apparently.

Might be interested in buying one if it’s in excellent condition, with a 10/10 slide.

Benge 170: Perfect? No. Good? Yes

I had one and really liked it. It had clarity and personality. Similar in some ways to the Getzen 3508, but maybe a bit heavier. Too bad they aren't more common. I think I got away from it because I was more into the 6h-ish sound.

It's not 100% a 3B bell with a 2B+ slide, but it's mostly that... if you've done the King thing in the past, that might be enough to know whether it's of interest.

The early 2B+ (2115) with the 8" bell would also be worth a look.

I'd love to try a 170 myself, but they almost never show up for sale!

I just heard one as a solo bone with a big band. Great sound and projection. Water key is different. Go for it!

I‘ve got one, I bought it as an option for gigs in crowded spaces etc. particularly with Bierkeller band as it was cheaper than 3B/6H or similar and the tenon is compatible with my 3BF.

I like the sound of the gold brass bell, it holds up well for me as a primarily large bore player. It works quite well in that 7-piece band by fitting between the lower trumpet/flugel part and the lower brass parts, it has more than enough projection and is slightly more civilised than my 3BF. I quite liked it for Bigband lead/2nd also. I‘d say it‘s not the most agile 0.500“ horn I‘ve played in terms of moving between partials but it has a rich and warm sound in the middle register and moderate dynamics, becoming quite robust in the upper register when pushed.

As much as I like it, I‘m just not playing many gigs of that type so it doesn‘t make it out of the house often and I was thinking of selling, my slide is certainly not a 10/10 though!

I bought one for my son as he was going to college and wanted something better to play in the jazz band there. He struggled to find a mouthpiece that worked for him. I wrote a thread about the receiver on this particular horn. It apparently is smaller than standard receivers... not sure if other 170's have this smaller receiver. Doug Elliott made him one with an Olds shank that inserted perfectly 1". It made a huge difference somehow. I'm sure it also has a lot to do with Doug's MP design, which suits this horn and my son's playing. He loves the horn now and he sounds great on it. It has a rich tone like someone else said and has lots of character for lead jazz.

Bach5G wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 12:36 am I’m still looking for the perfect small bore trombone. Does anyone have any opinions on the Benge 170?

.500 bore, 7 3/4” bell apparently.

Might be interested in buying one if it’s in excellent condition, with a 10/10 slide.

I have one and if I remember correctly it is .500 bore with 8" bell. Can not check because its stuffed away.

/Tom

Think I wrote this before a few times in here, but the one I've tried was an astonishing small bore. Among the best that I've tried. The one I played sounded huge/compared to other horns with that sizes/ and it was very easy to play across the whole range of the instrument. Was a great match for me but unfortunately the horn wasn't for sale. It was a quite early one if I remember but in mint condition. If I would see one over here for a good price I would definitely go for it as a backup horn and sell all the other small bore horns I have except for the two I play regularly.