Does it matter what horn you play?

[phil2245]

I'm with the yes and no crowd.
Over the course of the last 15 years I've gone from primarily playing a King 5B to a Getzen 3047AF to a Kanstul 1688 ST to a Shires 0.525. Going from the King to the Getzen was probably the most difficult - the Getzen slots completely differently than any other horn. Not in a bad way, just different. Once I got used to it, it was fine. From the Getzen to the Kanstul was like going back - but the horn 'felt' like nothing I'd ever played before or since. And the Shires is like playing a sports car - it is SO responsive!

HOWEVER

While each horn feels completely different to me - I doubt if anybody listening could tell a difference between them. Any of them. When I play a passage or a piece, I *know* what I want it to sound like. It may be easier to make that sound on one instrument than another, but in the end its the sound I want. Also - some horns are definitely more versatile than others. When I was playing the Kanstul, I only played it in concert band and orchestra but not in my trombone quartet (3rd part) because it was more work to play than the Bach 36B I had. But the Bach I couldn't use in orchestra because I couldn't play it loudly enough - I would get to a certain point after which all I was doing was overblowing and getting an ugly sound. With the Shires, its easy to play with the quartet, but when it needs to get big there is like no limit - it just gets louder and louder the more air I give it.

But that is all how it feels from behind the mouthpiece; I really do think that from in front of the bell, I sound like me. And if I'm playing similar-sized horns, I probably sound exactly the same. Each horn definitely has its own character and feel - to the player. I'm not sure how much of that translates to the other side of the bell.

phil

[harrisonreed]

If the feel is different, the way you play it will be different.

[CornyBone]

It seems like everyone has summed up this question quite well. But gosh darn-it, this is the internet, so here's my two cents.

Does gear matter? Absolutely
Is more expensive gear always better? No
Does gear make you a better player? Not exactly

I feel like the idea of "better gear" is incredibly relative, but I think most posters on this forum already know that. There are lots of stories out there of amazing players getting dared by their students to play bad student model horns, and the players still sounds like a million bucks. So yes, the best players will sound great on any horn, regardless of quality. But then why isn't Joe Alessi playing on a Jupiter student horn? It certainly would be a lot cheaper than what he's playing on now.

This is where I think gear actually comes into play. The high end trombone manufacturers are generally using very high-quality materials and making horns to a very high level of precision. To us trombone connoisseurs they are very nice to play and feel great, but they don't mean we automatically play better. I see it as an ease-of-use sort of thing. On "better" horns, we can perform at a higher level with less effort needed than on "bad" horns. Now what level you perform at is highly subjective, and if one gets very familiar with a particular instrument, they can make it work exactly how they want, but that's besides my point. And generally, the nicer the gear gets, the more customization there is, so players can design their instruments to feel and sound exactly they way they want.

This was certainly the case for me when I switched horns recently. I used to play on an Elkhart 88H with an original O.E Thayer valve. It's a fantastic horn (also for sale soon, PM me if you're interested, or catch it on the BrassArk this winter) but the concept of sound I had developed didn't quite line up with what the horn wanted to do, but I was close, so I knew where to start. So I went to looked at some Shires and found the Ralph Sauer horn, I played it, and it sounded like me, no fuss, no negotiating, and it still sounds like me to this date. Sure I could play just as well on my 88H, but (I hate using this turn of phrase cause I think it's silly, but appropriate in this situation) the horn practically plays itself. And that's how the "right horn" should feel, I think at least.

Okay, TL:DR time

Gear matters, find what sounds like you and makes playing the way you want to easy.

[TheSheriff]

If the feel is different, the way you play it will be different.

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Very true. The various horns I have steer me in different directions musically. All good, just different and ultimately I have one I prefer over all the others.
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[Posaunus]

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... I have one I prefer over all the others.
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And that trombone would be ...?

[TheSheriff]

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... I have one I prefer over all the others.
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And that trombone would be ...?

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I should be a bit more clear on this. I am definitely splitting hairs here because all of my horns are great. But my prototype Kanstul 1606 is the horn that is my 1st choice....most of the time. See what I mean?
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[skaskaster]

For me it matters. I have conn 6h and Holton Super collegiate with 2-tone brass and nickel bell. They are both great for the price I paid for them. And I feel more stable with 6h, higher notes, the sound that I hear that comes from the bell. But does it matter for the casual crowd which horn I play when I play ska, rock, or in cover band as a freelance musician? Don't think so. So the answer will be "It depends what and where you play". So I use my 6h at studio work or playing in jazz bands where the difference between these horns can be noticed.

[Bach5G]

I went "no logo" a while back and purchased a new Conn 88HTO to replace a collection of Shires parts I'd assembled. But I was never quite satisfied with it, and recently I returned to the Shires fold, acquiring a used bell and slide to use with my Shires F att. that I've been playing with my Shires .525 set-up.

So, step 1 - yes the horn makes a difference. Shires > Conn 88HTO

But last Sat, I was playing 3rd with my Shires .547 set up, with a #3 leadpipe and a DE LTH8 mpc. I basically couldn't hear myself and I was working pretty hard. I changed to my .525 slide (with a LS leadpipe) and a DE LTG8 mpc. Big difference and, I'm pretty sure, not just to my ears.

And I expect the #3 leadpipe will be changed out to a VE leadpipe when I play the .547 in orch this week.

So, yeah. It makes a difference (IMHO).