Henri Selmer Model 68 Trombone

[HealeyRick]

This is the Henri Selmer Paris trombone I received for Christmas from my parents in 1963 and played all through high school, even performing at Expo 67 in Montreal. I have the original Registration Card which identifies it as a Model #68 with a serial number of 3577. I have great memories with this horn and have been reluctant to let it go, but know it's time. Trying to identify its value, but can't find anything like it online. Any help would be appreciated.







Rick

[PhilE]

That's a neat valve actuator there - with gear teeth.

[droffilcal]

Does it take a large shank mouthpiece or a small shank mouthpiece?

[Vegastokc]

Very cool.
Probably not many like that around these parts (i.e. the States)
Gear seams like a good concept. Begs question why it is not more common.

[walldaja]

Interesting that the F tubing goes so far toward the bell. How does this affect the balance of the horn? Love the geared mechanism for the valve, wonder how it works with a player with long hair and no hair net? Quite a piece of history here.

[walldaja]

On second thought I can see a real benefit to the F tubing being so far forward. My Courtios F tubing often interacts with the trumpet player's stands behind me when we are in a tight arrangement (not that that has happened lately or in the near future). Nice having everything within the confines of the main tuning slide.

[BGuttman]

Interesting that the F tubing goes so far toward the bell. How does this affect the balance of the horn? Love the geared mechanism for the valve, wonder how it works with a player with long hair and no hair net? Quite a piece of history here.

The gears are covered by a rotor cap. No more dangerous to long hair than any other F-attachment rotor.

[ithinknot]

Interesting that the F tubing goes so far toward the bell. How does this affect the balance of the horn?

Nice having everything within the confines of the main tuning slide.

Fun to see, but hard to understand why the F wrap sits quite this far forward!

Laetzsch does something less extreme on the SL-236 and 242 - their 'C' wrap. It's a single loop open wrap, but with the Bb and F tuning slides finishing level, including a counterweight.

[HealeyRick]

It's a large bore horn and the slide receiver is marked "K-Modified". It was sold new by the Ernie Woessner Music Center, 173 East Merrimac St., Lowell, MA

[Trombonestud]

Hello Healey,

I have a couple of the earlier version of your horn.

Mine have .485" bore diameters, take a small shank mouthpiece, and came with F and E slides for the attachment standard. The valve bore is .520", and the bell diameter is 8". My serial numbers are in the 18xx and 31xx range, so earlier than yours.

The horns I have are tenor-bass versions of the french Selmer small tenors you have seen from the 50's. The small tenors are marked 23 special on the slide, while my trigger horns are marked TB special instead.

They play surprisingly big for .485" bore, and the valve register is the best I have ever felt on a small horn.

It seems that yours must be a transitional horn between the model I own, which is french small-bore all the way, and the Largo, which came about not too many years later, with the .547" bore and 8 1/2" bell. The valve on the largo is usually wrapped like the valve on a traditional Conn 88H, however.

Thanks for showing us all such an interesting horn!

Trombonestud


PS - One of mine came with a very unusual original mouthpiece marked 2 TB. It is wide rimmed, but shallow cupped, and makes the trigger and pedal notes really rock!