Conn 32h vs Olds Recording

[hyperbolica]

I've owned both of these horns but not at the same time. I'm hoping someone has or had them simultaneously and has done or can do a bit of a comparison. I'm a sucker for these old horns with the funky vibe.. It all kind of starts from loving the sound and feel of the 8h w/525 slide, and trying to step that down into a smaller bore.

I've owned 2 or 3 nice playing 32hs, and keep selling them because of the narrow slide. I love their grainy sound, and that you can push a wide range of sounds from them, but they still have that funky old vibe.500/522 w ~7.5 bell. Definitely plays like a Conn, but nothing like other Conns.

The Recording comes close to being a small bore 8h, red bell, heavy slide 495/510 bore 8" bell. It's so comfortable to hold and play with the gusseted braces. Some people describe the sound as incompatible with modern section sound, but I don't buy that.

Anyone care to add to that comparison?

[Trav1s]

I used the 32H slide with the .522" red brass bell from my '78 80H. That was a fun combo! Wonderful sound for sure.

Ultimately still could not befriend that 32H dual bore slide. Nor can I befriend any dual bore slide that I tried.

[hyperbolica]

I like a lot of dual bores. The Recording is also a dual bore. I had some Olds basses that were dual bore, and a Wessex Super Tenor (getting ready to go under the torch). Holton TR156 and 159.

[pjanda1]

I've not played them in the same decade, let alone side by side, but to my memory, they are VERY different. Heavy bell light slide feels so different from light bell heavy slide--not to mention the materials difference.

I've been pondering posting an ode to my 32H, as it might be my favorite small trombone ever. I'm not sure why these weren't more popular in the day and, AFIK, nobody is making anything like one now. Though not ideal, I'm o.k. with the narrow slide. But if I weren't, I'd be looking to have someone build a wider new version. Or trying to find one in rough shape and having it rebuilt wider. Heck, maybe that would be a nice life for my rough old 78H slide. Noah Gladstone sells a 32H pipe, so that part is taken care of.

Paul

[hyperbolica]

Part of the magic of the 32h is supposed to be the slide crook. Not sure I'd mess with a nice one, but if something could be rescued wider, that would be interesting.

[imsevimse]

I have both but not accessible right now. They are resting in their cases. From memory I liked both but found the 32h to be a bit different in tuning, where positions are. The leadpipe is very good and I use one BrassArk copy with my Yamaha 892ZX .508 bore and also another copy to pair with my Kanstul 1606, which is the "Williams" copy with .500 bore. I think both horns improved a lot with those leadpipes.
The Conn 32h in itself hasn't been out much and the same goes for the Recording. To compare them from memory is vague. I might do a search and we'll se later what I think the difference really is.

/Tom

[pjanda1]

Part of the magic of the 32h is supposed to be the slide crook. Not sure I'd mess with a nice one, but if something could be rescued wider, that would be interesting.

Yup. I surprised myself with this idea related to my unused in-need-of-repair 78H slide and found myself lying awake pondering it last night. I need to check, but another difference is that the 32H slide is quite long. If that I isn't an obstacle, I was thinking that the ideal might be procuring a custom seamed crook. Not a cheap option, but it could be nice!

That is all off topic, though. I'd be curious to play another nice Recording. I've played quite a few Conns, but the single Recording I owned was the only I one I spent significant time with. After some unsuccessful searching for a counterweight, I sold it for balance reasons (left hand issues) rather than complaints about sound or other playing qualities.

Paul

[hyperbolica]

After some unsuccessful searching for a counterweight, I sold it for balance reasons (left hand issues) rather than complaints about sound or other playing qualities.

Paul

I recently missed a Recording counterweight on ebay that went for almost $200. My solution has been to take a Solder-on c-weight from an Ambassador. It solves the balance issue.

The problem with selling a Recording is that it doesn't fetch enough money to make up for no longer having the horn. It plays great but not many people want them.

[biggiesmalls]

I'm not sure why these weren't more popular in the day...

Sam Burtis once wrote a series of posts on TTF about his love/hate relationship with the 32H. The takeaway was that as much as he loved the 32H as a soloist's horn, he felt that he could never get the Burkle to blend in a section. And even as a soloist horn, Sam felt like he had to play the 32H regularly for a few months every time he came back to it to feel completely comfortable with it's unique intonation quirks, and ultimately he decided that it just wasn't worth the effort.

Maybe these factors, along with the narrow slide that excludes many players with larger necks, limited the popularity of the 32H.

[Koz]

As a side note...
Noah Gladstone has a limited edition Nils Landgren model Yamaha 893ZD which has a 500/525 bore slide, detachable 7 1/2" yellow bellow and removable threaded lead pipe for sale at his shop. Very much a 32H like horn.

[Matt K]

As a side note...
Noah Gladstone has a limited edition Nils Landgren model Yamaha 893ZD which has a 500/525 bore slide, detachable 7 1/2" yellow bellow and removable threaded lead pipe for sale at his shop. Very much a 32H like horn.

And for the low, low price of a new boutique horn! Not criticism, price very likely warranted. But if the 32H in good condition is outside OP's price range, this one is probably way outside that range.

Incidentally, I wish this wouldn't have been such a limited run (and had a much lower price point), although I suspect that the 32H plays a bit differently than the 893ZD. It's a little hard to tell from the photos, but it looks like it's very similar to the 4xx, 5xx, and 6xx series neckpipe/tuningslide/bell. Which is cool, but if my assumption is correct, the throat on the bell side of the tuning slide receiver is actually slightly larger than a Shires large bore part. Perhaps for good reason, but one thing that the market hasn't had for a while is a stock small/medium dual bore slide paired with a small or medium-size bell section. I'm actually working on making one now... still trying to figure out exactly what though. Probably the 356 slide I have. Maybe some kind of King bell section. Actually, typing this up gives me an idea...