Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post Reply
ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist »

I believe this threat fits best here, though it has a bit of repairs/mods and performance.

I had the pleasure of playing in a 30 or so piece trombone choir made up of local Trombonists for a Christmas performance this weekend and it was not only my first time with that group it was the first time I was able to hear my new frankenbass with other trombones exclusively.

This horn started its new life being built by member artyart ( who did beautiful work ) by rebuilding a Bach 50B2O and replacing the bell with one from a Holton TR - 280. I then bought a Conn/Kanstul 62H slide from member Graham Middleton ( also beautiful work ) with Bach/Edwards slide to bell fittings. A very broad, clear sounding bass trombone to start with now got a little more focused and a lot more colorful. Finally, with the help of members DJ Kennedy and octavposaune I was able to get another great score, a Shires B3 leadpipe fitted with Conn threads. That really opened up everything I was loving about my Frankenbass. Easy high and low registers, carrying power that could blast open a bank vault and a richness of sound that makes me want to practice until my shoulder gives out.

I loved the grainy punchyness I got with this horn in big band and the ability to fit into the "Bass Trombonist's Role" ( good thread ) in orchestra and symphony, and even how easy it is to color and emote in solo pieces. Now playing in that huge group of trombones let me open up even more and focus on that trombone-y sound we all love. Playing unison with a contrabass was never so easy than with this amalgamation of wonderful craftsmanship from members in this very forum! I want to thank you all!

Now to open the thread up and ask about your favorite Frankenbones. What crime against nature do you play that you would never trade for any Edwards, Shires, Rath, etc ( even if you have one of those too! )?

Elliott Mc
ttf_MrPillow
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_MrPillow »

I play a Getzen 1052 with a Holton 281 screw-bell in raw brass, edge bracing, and lengthened main tuning slide. All done by Chuck McAlexander.

A fun experiment and I very much like how it plays, but it still is just not for me. I am picking up my Rath at TMEA in a couple of months and this guy is going to the hands of another undergrad Image

This is when it was brand new - the bell is much more colorful now Image

Image

Image

Image


ttf_artyart
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_artyart »

Thanks for the kind words Fullpedal, I don't have many pictures of the frankenbones I am using now.
I have 2 basses that are parts horns, one looks like a 50b3 (until you look closely)
Image
the other is based on a 10" Yamaha bell, no pix of that one yet Image.
A third single valve bass will be done once some parts I traded arrive (*ahem* ;-0)
That will be based on a very old 10" Reynolds bell.
In the tenor trombone dept I have a tr158/258 that I cobbled together from a
couple of early 80's Holtons, with a 547 slide and a 522 slide. Part of that is here.....
Image

I also play a rebuilt/modified Conn 48h on some gigs, and another .500 bore horn
that uses a 40's Old Pan American Bell

I've lost track of how many I have built up then sold off at one time or another,
(mostly bass trombones) in the 70's early 80's all tweaked to make them "better"
one way or another.
ttf_Gabe Langfur
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_Gabe Langfur »

Well...at one point in my life I had no less than 7 manufacturers represented on my bass trombone and mouthpiece.

I started with a Bach 50B3G with a LW slide, which my parents bought for me at the old Giardinelli's Manhattan store while on fall break during my first semester of college. They had none in stock at the beginning of the week and got two in by the end, with identical specs. One was bad; we bought the other one.

I had that open-wrapped and the leadpipe pulled the next summer by Chuck McAlexander at The Brasslab, and played it with one of his leadpipes for the next few years. Then I had a Thayer valve section installed at Osmun Music, finished college and played through grad school with that horn. At one point I had the bell made detachable and bought a heavy yellow Osmun bell (post Osmun/Shires - he had left for Edwards at that point). I never really used that very often, preferring the Bach for everyday playing. But making the bell detachable made that Bach bell a little unstable, so Steve Shires (back from Edwards) made a "tone tumor" for it - a lump of metal to add mass in a very specific place, which you sometimes see on tuning bell trumpets to offset the loss of a brace - and installed it for me just below the diamond flange.

A couple of years out of school I wore a hole in the slide where my right thumb was in contact. I had a patch put on it, but the other contact points were thin too, and I never liked the way the slide played with leather guards there. I started looking for a new slide. Shires was not yet in business for himself, but he had made a couple of slides at the Osmun shop. I didn't like them, unfortunately. I also didn't like the just-available Edwards dual bore slide (I still don't get along with dual bores). What I ended up with was a prototype from the Yamaha Doug Yeo model, which I bought from Doug.

That slide had a leadpipe in it which was much shorter and more open than the pipe he ended up with, so I had it removed. The Brasslab leadpipe from my Bach was not a good match, so I kept looking and ended up with the pipe from a Conn 112H, salvaged from a spare parts drawer at Osmun.

I won't go into the whole mouthpiece odyssey, but I found that the tight leadpipe I needed for that Yamaha slide and my mouthpiece (A Doug Elliott 112W rim on a modified and opened up Stork 1.5 cup) weren't really a great fit. When I got tired it backed up on me too much and middle register notes would disappear. So I stopped at Dave Houser's shop while on a trip through his area and ordered a custom cup based on what I had been playing, along with a couple of his backbores based on the 3-piece Dan Harwood models he was making at the time. The cup was cut into the blank from a Stork tenor mouthpiece I had.

So...starting at the mouthpiece I had:

Doug Elliott rim
custom Houser cup in a Stork blank
Houser backbore
Conn leadpipe
Yamaha handslide
Thayer valve section
Bach tuning slide and bell

and a super-heavy Osmun bell to switch in if I felt like I needed to launch rockets.


How was it? It was good, with a really unique, round sound. That Yamaha slide was annealed very soft (part of the prototyping), and had some great sound qualities. But it was weird, and the slide was too short for the bell section. I had a 7th position, but I didn't have a long 7th position, so when I had to play Hary Janos on a concert I had trouble making the G at the start of gliss even close to in tune.

Steve Shires was in business for himself by then and just starting to make bass trombone, so I bought a slide from him, on which I could play long 7th. As it turned out, Yamaha didn't like that Doug had sold that slide, so he bought it back from me.

I was also living in fear that something would happen to some part of this crazy horn I had again, upsetting the balance and making me search all over again. So I bought the rest of a complete bass trombone from Shires and haven't looked back. I would hate for something to happen to my Shires trombone, but if it did, I know I could replace it and be happy again really soon. I sort of wish I still had that Bach bell, but that's about it.
ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist »

MrPillow your bell looks a lot less "Tiger stripe-y" than mine and other examples I've seen. Did you have it buffed? I was thinking of having mine shined, but I kind of like the character it has developed.

And no problem, artyart. I like to modify or have modified my horns until they are what I like in them, too. Those two look beautiful.

I had a brace removed from a 42BOsomething and a Yamaha valve added and it was as great multitasker. And I have a SilverSonic bell on a H.N. White inner/King single bore outer slide. My professor calls it We Three Kings. The others don't see much light...

I do not see this horn being an "everything" horn, but no horn is and I do not see me playing everything anyway  Image  Sometimes I wish I had a more predictably playing Shires or Rath etc. for orchestra or lighter/smaller 70H for big band, but I would still want this one for the times I do not!
ttf_furry
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_furry »

My grandpa gave me my uncle's trombone from the 80's when I first started out. After doing research, The horn was a Bach New York 6vii s/n 937! After looking at the bell, things got freaky, there was a old elkart model 12 bell flare, but the tuning slide and goose neck was nickel and has the famous square look. After I got the horn from the shop, full re-haul, The horn is a mix of Bach New York 6vii tuning slide goose neck, elkart Bach 12 bell flare, Model 12 slide with a king 2b slide crook. This horn plays like a dream! When I use my wick 5BS, this horn opens up so well, great for legit gigs, then when i use a 7c or schilke 51B I can cut through the saxes like butter. Love my FrackenBach... Everyone who has tested my horn, wanted to take it home.
ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist »

I just put a heavy nickel slide ( still lighter than the original slide ) onto the bell of my Shuman trombone. It is a larger bore ( .500 or .509 I wish I could measure it ) with a wider crook. It mellows out the sound and there is enough room for me to play with an unbent mouthpiece, but it makes the bell go off to the left and defeats the whole design of the trombone...
ttf_octavposaune
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_octavposaune »

I have to say I don't like building trombones that look like Frankenhorns.  I think the most Frankenhornish build I have done was a FrankenHa for a forum member.  The results were great overall, but it was mostly yamaha, with Shires threaded leadpipe fittings and cork barrels, a Shires bottom crook, OE Thayer valve with a Dependant Yamaha valve and a bunch of Kanstul and OE bends to make a D slide crook on the dependant valve.  I can't remember who supplied the replacement rear brace.  The yamaha 621 single bass was essentially a red brass belled lightweight Bach 50 copy with a narrow Conn width slide.  The bell, tuning slide, and slide receiver length were all statistically the same as a 50B.  That horn had the Frankenbone look, but it worked very well.  I widened the slide with the Shires nickel crook and it played very evenly throughout it's registers.  The owner likes it too (from what he has told me).

Facebook users can look at Acme trombones and see pictures of it.

Most other custom work I try to make look like a factory install.  Something that looks like it was not thought out or made of random bits and pieces is not representative of quality work.  Not that it defines bad work, but people really look at horns both as a tool and something like personal jewelery.  Seamless work rarely gets the Frankenha look from people.

FOR example, if I build a Conn I try to use all Conn bracing etc... If a Bach build, then all Bach or Bach installed parts (OE thayer parts since they used to be installed on 42s and some still on 50Bs).  There was one exception, the double rotax 42 I built last spring had Conn bends and bracing on it to keep weight down.  Bach tubing is thick walled and heavy, Conn tubing is not.  That turned out well

Benn
ttf_Matt K
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:53 am

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_Matt K »

Quote from: octavposaune on Dec 23, 2012, 12:30PM::snip::
Most other custom work I try to make look like a factory install.  Something that looks like it was not thought out or made of random bits and pieces is not representative of quality work.  Not that it defines bad work, but people really look at horns both as a tool and something like personal jewelery.  Seamless work rarely gets the Frankenha look from people.
::snip::

I love the 'frankenhorn' look myself.  I'm not entirely sure why.  As you know from responding (with awesome advice!)  to some of my admittedly silly inquiries in "will-this-attach-to-this" threads, I have a propensity to desiring some weird combinations.... something about assembling parts just has an allure to it.  I love horns that are different, unique.  It's almost like the horn itself becomes an expression of personality, and a slap in the face to those who hear with their eyes.  Of course, I don't know what it says about my personality, and if they don't listen with their eyes, then they might also hear me playing!  Image 
ttf_octavposaune
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_octavposaune »

A unique look is one thing, having to weird specs on your main axe will result in a horn that will not play well with others.  This will keep you from getting called back etc...

Personalization?  Get your horn engraved!!!  This is something people used to routinely due, nowadays it is rarely done.

I have a beautiful Duda 6 in my shop that the owner had Huntley engrave.  It is going off to Anderson silver plating after the first of the year.  No Lacquer, silver plate!  It will look stunning when done.  And it won't look Frankenbonish at all

Benn
ttf_HouBassTrombone
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_HouBassTrombone »

Who even does good engraving and can have a fast turn around?
ttf_anonymous
Posts: 0
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 10:09 pm

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_anonymous »

I have Benn build me a frankenha last year.  I wanted a spare bass and I had a limited budget to work with.    I don't use it regularly but it is nice to know that I have a horn to play if my needs to go into the shop.  



This is from my post back then.

Quote from: mopar4life on Apr 11, 2011, 07:20AMI guess the whole story begins in November 2010.  I was on the lookout for a extra bass trombone, due to the fact that my aways seems to have problems.  So I contacted DJ over a ACME trombones, and told him what I was looking for. My only requirements were that it needed to be an 9.5 inch bell, and have two valves and be within my budget(inexpensive). I sold one of my tenor trombones a Conn 88hCL and sent him a deposit.  Within a few days he found me few options but everytime we tried to finalize anything, it never worked.   But after a few weeks, DJ came across a valve section a Thayer valve with a rotor dependent in E. Then developed a diabolical scheme to bring this valve section to life.  We decided to mount this on a yamaha 621, and we would change thethen developed a diabolical scheme to bring this valve section to life.  We decided to mount this on a yamaha 621, and we would change the E dependent section to D.  So DJ found somebody to do the work,Benn (octaveposune) was asked.  DJ sent him the parts, then we talked about everything that needed to be done.  Benn designed the new valve section along with replacing the old valve section tubing, then submeted the order to kanstul.  Then we waited.  During this waiting period, Benn mentioned that he had a shires crook and cork barrels so we went that route.  A bit of time went by and I got the email that the build has begun.  I was super excited.  A few weeks later I have it in my hand.   Now let me say this horn plays extremely well,  The valves are rather consistant.  I almost like the way this horn plays more than my shires bass.
I Really like the horn.   Thanks DJ, Benn, John and Acme trombones.

Frankenha

Yamaha 621 Bell, tuning slide,  Slide tubes(inner and outer)
Older OE Thayer valve
Yamaha rotor valve
Benge 190 braces
Shires cork barrels, and slide crook.
Kanstul Custom D wrap, and replacement F wrap


Pictures are below

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2246366&id=38508339&l=058a2a9967

Eric Oleksiak

Photo album

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2246366&id=38508339&l=058a2a9967

here is the link to Benn's original post  

http://tromboneforum.org/index.php/topic,55793.0.html


Thanks

Eric


ttf_bigbandaxes
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_bigbandaxes »

My Frankenbone is pretty mild compared to most talked about here. I'm coming back after a 35 year lay-off from playing so I wanted to build myself a pea-shooter that wouldn't tax my tired old chops. I put a 6 3/4" Pan Am bell on a 14H with a modified and reversed King bell brace. Then rebuilt the original slide with a King crook and light weight guard. I've had a few guys try it who play a lot better than me and they love it. One guy actually asked to use it for a lead gig with a local big band. He has now asked me to build something similar for him.
ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist »

As long as it works! I have had some odd speced trombones play nicely with standard trombones.

I love the Frankenha. It looks good!

If my rotors get any more scratchy and slow I might have to have some Rotaxes spliced in. Regular cleaning and oiling is doing the trick for now. Still very quite and smooth from the last oiling.

I love engraving, but I can not have what I want on the screw bell... it would be cut in half by the collar.
ttf_artyart
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_artyart »

Quote from: octavposaune on Dec 23, 2012, 01:58PMA unique look is one thing, having to weird specs on your main axe will result in a horn that will not play well with others.  This will keep you from getting called back etc...


That is definitely true, you still do need to play in an ensemble with others, and do all the good things that make life bearable for everyone on a job....Image
ttf_bonearzt
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_bonearzt »

Back tracking a bit to the OP,  yeah there's something about the older Holton 180 bells that really bark & snarl nicely in a big band setting!  Coupled with a decent set of valves (ie NOT Holton!),  and that's good stuff!!

I to try to make my builds look factory as far as ferrules & bracing.  Just looks more "professional",  especially from a techs standpoint!  Even from my shop!  hehe



Merry Christmas All!!


Eric

ttf_Slod
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:57 am

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_Slod »

After I graduated high school I got myself a nice Yamaha 321 that Joe Stanko had worked on. My upgrade to a double valved horn was definitely a frankenbach.

It had a 70s Bach 50B slide, Bach 50BG bell, and a Reynolds wrap.

Great playing horn!

Valves are surprisingly easy to blow through.

Got stolen, ended up with Quinn in Seattle, I got it back, the guy was punished.

I'll post pictures soon.
ttf_Burgerbob
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:59 am

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_Burgerbob »

I played a self-made frankenhorn in high school- a King 3B slide friction fit with a Conn Victor bell (valve trombone, basically a 6H bell). It means I had two slide rings bumping around all the time, but it played really well. The other option was a 3B/F, which actually didn't play as well.
ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist »

Quote from: Slod on Dec 24, 2012, 06:59PM
It had a 70s Bach 50B slide, Bach 50BG bell, and a Reynolds wrap.

Great playing horn!

Valves are surprisingly easy to blow through.

I'll post pictures soon.

I have heard Reynolds valves were pretty good. I always wanted to have a first version TR180 bell and slide mated to a TO-01 ( right? )/Stereophonic valve section.
ttf_Bret Steed
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_Bret Steed »

My 88h began its life as a 1958 Elkhart horn owned by a student of Emory Remington.  The horn has then later sold to a professional player that played the horn for several years until it was involved in a car accident where the bell flare was destroyed Image  Anyways, the owner loved the horn so much that he drove to the Abilene factory in 1971 and hand picked a bell flare and had it unlaquered. A few years later he once again went to the conn factory, this time in 1978 and hand picked a brand new slide, and had it rigged to receive pressfit leadpipes. In 1991, the year I was born, one of my best friends and highschool band director bought the horn and played it all through college.  All through highschool I dreamed of owning this horn, and last year as a sophomore in college, I convinced him to sell it to me!! Now I enjoy playing this horn each and everyday Image It now has a brasslab leadpipe!  I originally owned a brand new 88h with the lindberg valve, but this 88h pieced from different eras outplays any elkhart or second generation 88h's I've ever played, and believe me, I've played a TON of them Image
ttf_wgwbassbone
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:59 am

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_wgwbassbone »

I guess I have a Frankenbone. TR-180 slide, valves, tuning slide, and a Getzen 1062 bell flare bought from Noah Gladstone. Removed the stock lead pipe and put in a Shires 3 pipe. Awesome horn and the valves(Holton) are great!!!
ttf_Slipmo
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_Slipmo »

Quote from: wgwbassbone on Dec 26, 2012, 01:27PMI guess I have a Frankenbone. TR-180 slide, valves, tuning slide, and a Getzen 1062 bell flare bought from Noah Gladstone. Removed the stock lead pipe and put in a Shires 3 pipe. Awesome horn and the valves(Holton) are great!!!

That was a particularly amazing playing Frankenbass IMO  Image

Image
ttf_wgwbassbone
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:59 am

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_wgwbassbone »

I agree Noah. I just felt like it needed a different pipe. Thx for the horn!!
ttf_octavposaune
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_octavposaune »

Here is my favorite Frankenbone,

Contempora bass trombone.  Critical parts were all Reynolds/Roth.  Conn inner upper slide tube, Edwards nickel plated handgrip setups with screw in leadpipes, King 6B bottom slide crook, Conn 71H valve, OE Thayer tubing and wide bow, Kanstul crooks and offsets, Modified OE levers, Miscellaneous bracing. 

Nested open wrap setup.  Bell was worked so much that when I was done with restomodding it the sound was substantially brighter than before, not a bad thing, it had more clarity.

Lots of effort, but I got an irreplaceable gold plated 36 in exchange for it.  I love that horn.  Funny the only horn I have had since HS is my Bass Sackbutt, all others are long gone  Image 

I don't consider any of my Bachs to be Frankenhorns, I am assembling them out of Bach parts with a few select parts to upgrade them.  Mostly valves and a few slide parts. 

Again, make it look like stock, but better!  The Contempora doesn't look stock!

http://tromboneforum.org/index.php/topic,47093.0.html

Benn
ttf_Alexandre Magno
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_Alexandre Magno »

Quote from: octavposaune on Dec 29, 2012, 01:41PMHere is my favorite Frankenbone,

Contempora bass trombone.  Critical parts were all Reynolds/Roth.  Conn inner upper slide tube, Edwards nickel plated handgrip setups with screw in leadpipes, King 6B bottom slide crook, Conn 71H valve, OE Thayer tubing and wide bow, Kanstul crooks and offsets, Modified OE levers, Miscellaneous bracing. 

Nested open wrap setup.  Bell was worked so much that when I was done with restomodding it the sound was substantially brighter than before, not a bad thing, it had more clarity.

Lots of effort, but I got an irreplaceable gold plated 36 in exchange for it.  I love that horn.  Funny the only horn I have had since HS is my Bass Sackbutt, all others are long gone  Image 

I don't consider any of my Bachs to be Frankenhorns, I am assembling them out of Bach parts with a few select parts to upgrade them.  Mostly valves and a few slide parts. 

Again, make it look like stock, but better!  The Contempora doesn't look stock!

http://tromboneforum.org/index.php/topic,47093.0.html

Benn



Wonderful JOb!! I looked the pictures and now the horn looks great
ttf_Alexandre Magno
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Frankenbach and other Frankenbones

Post by ttf_Alexandre Magno »

Quote from: octavposaune on Dec 29, 2012, 01:41PMHere is my favorite Frankenbone,

Contempora bass trombone.  Critical parts were all Reynolds/Roth.  Conn inner upper slide tube, Edwards nickel plated handgrip setups with screw in leadpipes, King 6B bottom slide crook, Conn 71H valve, OE Thayer tubing and wide bow, Kanstul crooks and offsets, Modified OE levers, Miscellaneous bracing. 

Nested open wrap setup.  Bell was worked so much that when I was done with restomodding it the sound was substantially brighter than before, not a bad thing, it had more clarity.

Lots of effort, but I got an irreplaceable gold plated 36 in exchange for it.  I love that horn.  Funny the only horn I have had since HS is my Bass Sackbutt, all others are long gone  Image 

I don't consider any of my Bachs to be Frankenhorns, I am assembling them out of Bach parts with a few select parts to upgrade them.  Mostly valves and a few slide parts. 

Again, make it look like stock, but better!  The Contempora doesn't look stock!

http://tromboneforum.org/index.php/topic,47093.0.html

Benn



Wonderful JOb!! I looked the pictures and now the horn looks great
Post Reply

Return to “Instruments”