TromboneChat

I just received a Yamaha 455G I got from a dealer in Japan through eBay. Free shipping (?!?!?!) and the price was better than I thought it should be. This is a non-US model, not sure if it's Japanese only, it may also be offered in Europe. I got it because a few months ago I got a Yamaha 350C, which is the small ascending valve C/Bb horn that I wrote about previously. Nice horn, but odd. It's for sale, by the way in case anyone is curious. I wanted to like the 350, but blowing through the valve constantly gives it a bit of a covered quality that you don't get with open horns. Not to say it's stuffy, it just sounds and feels like you're blowing through a valve constantly. Don't let that discourage you from buying it, it's a fun horn. Small size, nice case. Well built. Great condition. If you blow hard all the time, you won't notice there's anything wrong.

Anyway, the 455 is like the 350c without the oddness. There is no C, no valve, no short slide. It's just a 500/525 dual bore. Oh, the other side of this is that I've been looking for a 32h for a while. And I've been looking at other horns in this range, like the BAC Elliot Mason Chinese horn, and the Yamaha 893zd Landgren. Something between the Olds Recording and my 79h. Which is splitting hairs, I know, but these are the things I sit up at night thinking about. Some of you have the same affliction, so stop judging.

The 455G arrived (having just been sent from Japan yesterday!) and it's in great shape. From 5 feet you couldn't tell it was used. Really nice condition. Good slide. Plays well. A little ... characterless, I guess you'd call it, but this is what I expect from Yamaha as a Conn guy. It is no 32h to be sure, but it's a nice horn, and has a good feel. On a Conn, you feel like you can get as soft as you want, you can put as little air into it and you'll still get a sound. With Yamahas in general, I get the sense that there's a limit to how low it can go. Very well may be the player rather than the instrument, but that's the sense I get.

I've been playing my 8h in quintet, and the sound gets a little buried. So I think I'm going to bring this instead. My Olds Recording is a heavy horn for a straight small bore - I added a counterweight (1.63 kg), and the 8h (w/sl2525) is lighter (1.50 kg). The 455 weighs 1.52. And for compatibility, the 455 slide is interchangeable with 79/78h, just like the 32h, but unlike the 32h, the 455 bell/79h slide combination actually sounds like something usable. The 79h slide adds a little depth to the 455 bell. The 79h (includes F attachment) weighs 1.76 kg, just for reference (all horn weights include mouthpiece). The 455 slide actually almost fits the 79h bell, and the result is a little punchier than the 79h itself, which can be a little dark for a medium horn. I hadn't even considered this aspect of the 455, but it might give me the 78h that I've always wanted, and a 356/456 w/F very versatile combination. Remember what they say about dual bore - blows like the top, sounds like the bottom.

So it looks good, feels good, and I think it sounds good. It's a very natural sounding/feeling instrument. It's not a Conn, but maybe some practice will let me drive it like one. The only thing I might consider is a new leadpipe. Maybe a brass ark 32h leadpipe would inject enough Conn-ness to make this a really do-anything kind of horn.

One thing I've learned from a few years of horse trading is to never judge an acquisition too early. You might think you can make a quick judgment on something and maybe send it away to the next owner, but I know I go back and forth on a lot of equipment, and a real judgment takes maybe 6 months. So I'm going to play this in quintet, and maybe in a small orchestra, maybe some duets, and report back. But for now, I'm liking it without the reservations I had about the 350c.

I haven't played my 350C for the past 5 years or so. My playing has improved since when I first got it. I might give it some playing time to see what I think now.

I recently got a pretty cheap 455G on eBay and wanted to contribute a bit. The dual bore and gold brass bell were very intriguing to me. It’s not a looker, but had minimal denting on the tuning slide and the slide is superb.

First of all, it goes without saying how fantastic Yamaha slides are. After a simple cleaning in the tub and some Yamaha lube, the slide feels almost new again.

This horn is very responsive to me. It works great with mouthpieces of varying sizes, from 12C to 6 3/4C. You can get a lot of different colors/sounds from a simple mouthpiece change.

The dual bore takes some getting used to. The slotting feels wider than my 48H or 3B, and more work to center, but I’m very happy with the sound of the horn. I’ve had a few friends play it and the sound from both sides of the bell is very pleasing. It has a mellow, easy sound but can be pushed for zip and cutting if needed. It blows so easily, it’s a real fun horn to play faster changes on.

The Yamaha doesn’t have nearly as complex a sound as my 48H, but there are very few horns I’ve played that do. The 455G is very well built and can take whatever you dish out. I’d be happy using this horn as a daily driver.

I’m tempted to strip the lacquer and see if it changes at all. I tried to take it off this week and the chemical that typically works for me didn’t do anything after two coats!

I wish Yamaha would make a 500/508 dual bore with this gold brass bell. I’m willing to bet that would play fantastic and be a winner for me. If those parts weren’t so daunting and expensive to compile, I’d consider converting this slide. I’m not sure if the crook would work and it seems like an expensive thing for a tech to spend time on.

Yeah, it's a fun little horn that plays well. I like mine. I'm also having a 32h converted with a wider crook from this model. It would be great to get a good deal on a 456, with F attachment, that's probably an even better horn.

I'm very happy with mine, but depending on how the 32h turns out, I may sell the 455. Mines in beautiful condition.

I had originally purchased a 2B+ leadpipe for my 356 when I had one, but forgot to also purchase the leadpipe receiver (it's a 2 piece leadpipe). Covid hit and I never got around to ordering the other part and having my tech put it in until after I sold the 356. Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I tried out about half a dozen leadpipes and my I got my tech to assembled the 2b+ leadpipe... realized I should have done it way sooner. It's kind of like the brassark description of their 32H pipe but +25%. Actually, I recently also received my 32H in drawn yellow and comparing them back to back... the 32H focuses but still has just a touch more stability than I'd like. I think that's because I'm on a 500/525. I suspect that had I put together the 2b+ pipe and used it in the 356, I may well still be on the 356. In hindsight, I'm glad I did jetison it because what I want to use it for is for a commercial horn and the Yamahas tend to play just a little bit too "big" in a way that my 607F does not.

In short... if someone wants to get a really focused leadpipe for a similar horn, the 2b+ is a really good option.

Matt K wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 5:48 pm I had originally purchased a 2B+ leadpipe for my 356 when I had one, but forgot to also purchase the leadpipe receiver (it's a 2 piece leadpipe). Covid hit and I never got around to ordering the other part and having my tech put it in until after I sold the 356. Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I tried out about half a dozen leadpipes and my I got my tech to assembled the 2b+ leadpipe... realized I should have done it way sooner. It's kind of like the brassark description of their 32H pipe but +25%. Actually, I recently also received my 32H in drawn yellow and comparing them back to back... the 32H focuses but still has just a touch more stability than I'd like. I think that's because I'm on a 500/525. I suspect that had I put together the 2b+ pipe and used it in the 356, I may well still be on the 356. In hindsight, I'm glad I did jetison it because what I want to use it for is for a commercial horn and the Yamahas tend to play just a little bit too "big" in a way that my 607F does not.

In short... if someone wants to get a really focused leadpipe for a similar horn, the 2b+ is a really good option.

This is insightful and cool to consider. I’ve never messed with aftermarket lead pipes. Would be fun to explore with a horn!