TromboneChat

My understanding was that all King 3B Silversonics had a "gold washed" bell. Are there exceptions to this? If so, under what circumstances/years would one of these horns have a silver bell (inside and out)

I don't know if there are years specifically, but they seem to have come that way sometimes. I have a friend with one.

Thanks Aidan. Found a 1969ish that is most definitely silver throughout.

The gold could have been removed too, but I'm still unsure of exactly how they get that way/ or were made that way.

I believe the gold wash and trim was an option available in catalogs dating back to the 30's. The HN White company catalogs had scans of these from back in the day, and all trim options would be listed.

Don't quote me on the specifics, but I do vaguely remember seeing that gold trim was an option, although many people probably sprung for it since they were already shelling out the couple extra dollars for silver.

I believe I’m correct in saying that the 1993 Anniversary models came without the gold wash inner bell, I’ve seen 3 versions like that. Might have even been more recent silversonics didn’t unless a special order. I ordered a 2B SGX with the 24k trim around 2004 and it was all special order.

My '62 3B SS doesn't have the gold wash.

Hi all,

Actually gold plate was used up until sometime in the mid 60d, but after that the "gold" was a spot application of a thick gold lacquer with clear on the rest of the 3BSS models.

The Anniversary models might have had actual gold plate trim, but for certain the discontinued SGX trim was 24K gold plate on the inner bell and tuning slide bits. This ttim was cut sometime after the Conn-Selmer acquisition of UMI.

SGX trim was also applied to sterling belled Conn trombones (88Hs and a few sterling belled modern 62Hs). SGX mofels had a sterling bell and all the non bell flair parts were silver plated along with the gold plated trim.

Any 70s or 80s King SS model with a gold inner flair is colored lacquer, not gold plate.

Benn

Rusty, my 1993 Silversonic 3b 100th Anniv. Edition, that I purchased new from Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center in 1993, does not have a gold wash/lacquered bell.
Salsabone

My 1964 3B SS has the gold plate.