Back to tenor after playing bass

[JonTheCadet]

Hi all,

I'm staying in NYC for the week. I had the chance to try out a few trombones in various places, and below are my comments regarding each trombone I've tried.

All of the horns I've tried are trigger horns, played with a Schilke 60. I apologise for not taking any picture during my stay in Sam Ash and Josh Landress.

Seeburg-era King 4BF:
Very interesting slide. On the top of the slide there was a spring mechanism that bounces the slide off. That slide is definitely a 10/10, smoother that the Rath I own. I can't seem to play the 5th partial(D above staff) but other than that it is a very nice trombone. However, I'm not too much of a fan of the trigger geometry and how the slide nut and thread is reversed. The trigger bar turns with a pivot on the side instead of being thrown forward. It just so happens that my left hand rests on where the slide nut is so the slide tilts itself after being played for a while.

Eastlake-era Conn 88HO:
Not much of a fan for the narrow slide. I have to hold the trombone in a 'straight-er' angle and the ergonomics didn't feel right to me. The valve was the stuffiest out of all I've tried, perhaps it's out of alignment. Slide action was a 8.5/10. The tone was dark and robust, a perfect choice for something like Mahler 3. The Hary Janos glissando was impossible due to a shorter than normal slide. All of the trombones I've tried seems to have a shorter 7th than the Rath I use.

Bach Centennial 42BOF:
The lightest horn out of all I've tried in terms of weight. The slide action was 9/10, a bit scratchy but not as scratchy as the Conn. I believe it was a bass width slide, wider than the King and a lot wider than the Conn. The short throw trigger was great, and the valve is very open. Very easy to play on the high range, and surprising open on the low end. Compared to the 4BF, the sound on the Bach was less interesting, but it was easy to play nonetheless. A very balanced trombone, though not quite my cup of tea.

(Schilke?) Greenhoe GC4-R:
If I have the money and I can only pick one trombone during my stay, this is the one. The most open valve of all I've tried, and the slide action is nearly 10/10, a touch below the King. The trigger throw was short, and it actuates with very little effort. Again, it makes a very dark and solid sound, just like the Conn, but this time not as 'authentic' compared to the Conn and the tone changes with the dynamic, in a good way. The valve doesn't feel that heavy, but I usually play on 2 Hagmanns so what do I know.

Edwards tenor with Thayer, 634CF:
My first time playing a Thayer horn and to be fair, it's not as open as the Greenhoe. The slide is similar to the Greenhoe, just slightly more resistance than the King. The trigger has a rather long throw, and the valve doesn't bounce back as quick as the other rotaries I've tried. It definitely feels different being on/off the valve, but I'm not experienced enough to tell whether that's good or bad. It had a smaller than usual bell as well, and my middle finger can barely reach the bell on 3rd position.

I will update this post if I ever go to Crampon's showroom or Jon Baltimore's shop.

Best regards,

Jon

[Tooloud]

Only one little question: Why don't you test-play those tenors with an appropiate mouthpiece?

Which results do you expect from doing so? Do want to (ab-)use them as basses?

Just can't find the reason why...

[JonTheCadet]

Only one little question: Why don't you test-play those tenors with an appropiate mouthpiece?

Which results do you expect from doing so? Do want to (ab-)use them as basses?

Just can't find the reason why...

The sole reason I'm using a Schilke 60 is that I'm familiar with the rim size. I have tried going back to a 1 1/2G and I leak like a 80 year old granny. I admit the cup is a bit too deep for a tenor, and that might not have achieved the best result there could be.

[Tooloud]

But you know for sure, that a size around VB 5 is what these things are designed for, and you can't really judge the sound, if you use a very large bass mouthpiece on them? (I use my Schilke D 6.0 since I'm back to full time bass playing with stuff that doesn't go higher than g', but a lot of notes below the stave...)
Consequently, it's not about sound your short reviews go. Maybe the ranking would change, if you would consider this aspect, too.

[Russjones92]

Try the Bach 4G it’s a solid middle ground I used to switch between it and the D6.0 rims are a similar shape enough to not confuse my chops

[Kbiggs]

You might think about a screw rim mouthpiece with different cup shapes and depths. I hear Doug Elliott (a moderator here on TC) makes some pretty good ones...

A 1 & 1/2G rim size tenor mouthpiece seems to have become more common here in the States. That’s about what a Griego-Alessi 1 and the Greg Black NY 1 are. They are, of course, designed to be tenor mouthpieces, and they sound and respond like tenor mouthpieces.

A Schilke 60 may be the best rim size for you (I’ll leave that for you and others to decide), but in my view, you won’t get a characteristic tenor trombone sound using a bass trombone mouthpiece. If that is indeed what’s most comfortable, perhaps Doug can make a bass rim with a tenor cup and shank.