Bach 36: why are so many for sale?

[mcphatty00]

I've never been a fan of medium bore, mostly because I never had a specific use for them, but why are so many for sale here and on Facebook?

[spencercarran]

It's been in continuous production for something like 80-90 years and there's just a lot of them floating around. I like them; nice medium bore horn that has no difficulty filling in for large bore when needed.

[Posaunus]

Many of us find medium-bore trombones very useful, in a variety of settings and repertoire - even orchestral if the ensemble or venue is not large. I had a nice Bach 36B (the only Bach trombone I've ever enjoyed playing), which I replaced only when I encountered a Conn 79H that I liked even more.

[EriKon]

I've bought a beautiful LT36 BOG (from about 1985-1990 if I've checked correctly) a couple of months ago, which plays absolutely awesome. It's such a versatile instrument. I mostly use it for pit work that varies from classical to jazz to horn section stuff, but also played bigband gigs (3rd chair) with it already and it does a great job on all of those. I wouldn't have the same result playing my Conn 88H (too big and exhausting for Jazz and Pop section) nor on my .508 bore jazz horn (too small for making a really full classical sound). Bach 36 with a Doug Elliott setup has been the deal for me, although I'm still curious about testing a 79H at some point if I'll ever get the chance.

[Thrawn22]

Many of us find medium-bore trombones very useful, in a variety of settings and repertoire - even orchestral if the ensemble or venue is not large. I had a nice Bach 36B (the only Bach trombone I've ever enjoyed playing), which I replaced only when I encountered a Conn 79H that I liked even more.

This right here.

A medium bore horn can be very useful in a multitude of situations.

I too would like a 79H.

[mcphatty00]

I have a buddy that swore by a 525 on Broadway. I can't remember if he had a 36.

[Vegastokc]

+ 1 for Team Medium Bore

(Although...I am really enjoying playing my Benge 165F lately... ).

[Burgerbob]

I've owned a few, as well as a King 607. I LOVE them every time... and then they never get used. And they're worth just enough that it's not worth keeping them around if they don't make money.

That said, I have another one on the way...

[Posaunus]

I've owned a few, as well as a King 607. I LOVE them every time... and then they never get used.

Aidan,
Just play a gig with an orchestra playing Mozart or something similar. The 36 will fit in beautifully!

[Pezza]

I much prefer my 36 over any 42 I've played!

The only large bores I've really liked are Conn 8H / 88H.

[paulyg]

They're perfect for performing principle parts for 19th/20th century French rep with a modern orchestra. Beyond that they don't really fit too well. They sound small in a big section, and sound huge in a small section (jazz).

If you asked me what niche they ACTUALLY fill today (and I had to answer), I would say they are the perfect horn for a university music student with limited means and a very large array of ensembles to play in. You're gonna be missing the vacuum secondaries that a 42 offers on huge orchestral rep, but for the wind band, 99% of the orch standard rep, brass band, brass ensemble, chamber music, and solo, it's gonna be pretty hard to push past what a good 36 has to offer.

Why so many for sale? Community music is dying.

[MrHCinDE]

They‘re plentiful and used ones retain value so I suspect that some of the turnover is due to people, myself included, trying the medium bore route then reselling for about what they paid. It‘s a low(ish) risk way to have a go on medium bore for a bit at little or no cost if it doesn‘t work out.

I personally sold mine on in the end, despite quite liking it, as I thought the cash released would be better used for a medium bore slide for my 8h. Keeping the 36 as well as an 8h with .525“ slide seemed excessive for my medium bore needs.

[imsevimse]

"Bach 36: why are so many for sale?"
It's a good horn that many tromboneplayers have bought. I guess now students think they either need a .547 or a .500 as long as they are playing tenor and then everything else gets out of fashion. It's probably what happend with.485 horns in the jazz world when they considered to be too small and stuffy (they are not to me). Now a .525 is undergoing the same in classical. I use a Bach 36BO for first part in a Windorchestra and brass quartet but everybody else have .547 horns. I fit right in there. It is easier to play a smaller horn big than vice versa. I think straight horns for classical also are rare, maybe it is because students in early years get used to rhe trigger for every b and c in the staff. I'm old school and often use the sixth position for my c's. I tend to use the trigger for the b on the staff most of the time they show up though if I have a trigger.

/Tom

[tejasbonedog]

the dilemma-does a 36 fill your void? it's a little hard to not have a personal opinion or experience, since so many of us grew up on medium sided horns-it's stamped in our educational and personal DNA trombone experience. i started on a 78H and it was my siren of love. It's also allusive in some aspects, since many of us don't do all types of gigs or need different sizes for studio-we go with what feels right and sounds correct for the gig. I've broken out of this recently, as I'm more freelance and retired but still a part of the cattle of players on the local scene. I just don't take all the gigs that are sent to me lol. So I fall back and look at my horn stands, each having a different attitude and presence. Ok, a little dramatic, but here it is for me. One stand holds a 50's elkhart 8H with nickel tuning slide and lightweight 36 slide-shouting, I'm good enough for anything, bitches! The second horn on a stand, an early 60's King Silver Sonic w/ original slide and a custom lightweight BAC .508/.525 dual nickel silver. I just got this one back, but I'm hoping it's the combo I also felt a 3B should be, that or a .525 single bore. my third stand is a '70 36 w/ lightweight slide-it's light, responsive, sings and gets moody when my jaw drops. This has been my main axe for jazz, commercial and studio, but with a few exceptions. The fourth stand holds a 78H with a custom 6H slide w/williams hand grip. yes, it's sweet and aggressive/edgy when taunted! This horn like many 6H's is my favorite easy horn to get a quick responsive reaction with-you can be warm and sweet with it too, so I've always have been partial to this horn, not just because of Rosolino evolved the trombone technique on it...hell, look at Jack Teagarden and the things he did on his horn. So what I realized on most of my career experience is that an 8" bell fits well on a trombone-it achieves so much from tight compressed sound to wide and loud. Like I said, it's how you feel and lean on your own history. I leaned med to large on horns-my favorite .547 is still early, even abilene, 88H's-that bell just sang and could still edge maybe not like a 42, but still my favorite large tenor-classic!