TromboneChat

i have always wanted a spare gold brass bell flare for my Yamaha YBL-835D, which has a stock yellow brass flare. And now there is a Yamaha YBL-822G bell selling at around 500 USD (including shipment and taxes), which is quite a steal comparing to up to 1,700 USD for ordering a new one from Yamaha. The taper should be more or less the same, so I can just have a tech cut it and install screw part.

But before I pull the trigger, my conciousness stopped me and asked a question: would it really worth it? Will there be a difference in timbre enough to warrant spending 500 USD? And most importantly: will I like the difference? Or will the spare flare just sit collecting dust quietly in the corner.

I believe no one could answer the last two questions, so I would like to ask only this: between yellow brass flare and gold brass flare, both with soldered rim and more or less same construction method and thickness, will there be a noticeable difference in timbre?

Yes. The 822 bell is also heavier. I'd say it'll be pretty significantly different.

First of all, I would not assume the tapers are the same.

If the tapers are the same, there will be a noticeable difference. Will you like it? No way to know without trying.

This... is why I could never own a modular horn. I'd end up hording parts. I have enough trouble as it is trying not to hunt down a gold brass tuning slide for my YBL-830.

I would say just be happy with what you have before you end up like me with three bass trombones.

I own an 822G and an 835G. I don’t think those bell flares are similar based on the way mutes fit. I think the 822 has a narrower throat than the 835. Also the large side of the 822s tuning slide won’t fit in the tuning slide ferrule on the 835 because it’s slightly larger. If you were trying to make them interchangeable you would have to modify that. There’s no way to know how it would play until you try it.