Minick tenor trombone

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Rob
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Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2018 3:59 pm

Minick tenor trombone

Post by Rob »

Hi,

Can anybody give me perhaps some info about Larry Minick and especially about the quality of sound those trombones have?
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SwissTbone
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Re: Minick tenor trombone

Post by SwissTbone »

I've played on four of them so far. They all shared excellent build quality. But you can't say all Minicks have a certain color as they are all custom instruments.

I have one on my website now wich is like a very good Elkhart Conn to me. But I also played one wich was much mor Bachy-orchestra-heavy.
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FullPedalTrombonist
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Re: Minick tenor trombone

Post by FullPedalTrombonist »

I played a Minick 180 in university. It was different than what I was used to with Holton bass trombones, but in a good way. Every modification was very well crafted and the horn itself was great.

I’ve never played a Minick tenor, but I’d assume the quality carries through from modifications, rebuilds, and full Minick horns
chromebone
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Re: Minick tenor trombone

Post by chromebone »

I own a Minick large tenor and a Minick alto. The tenor used to belong to Tyrone Breuninger, the former assistant principal of the Philadelphia orchestra.

The large tenor is essentially an 88h, it has an open wrap and a Minick beryllium bell made on a Conn mandrel. It also has large diameter cross braces that were originally filled with lead, but I had the lead removed because it made the horn a little dead sounding, I thought.

It sounds like an 88h, but you can definitely push it with more abandon without it breaking up. It’s a very well built instrument; the original slide is pretty worn out, so I now use an Elkhart slide that’s in better shape. it’s not my main horn any more, so I don’t play it much, but I keep it, because it’s very special to me.

The alto is made starting with from a Conn Director. Minick replaced the bell with a beryllium bell, cut the hand slide to get it into Eflat and also shortened the neckpipe and replaced the leadpipe. Even though it’s made up of Conn parts, it’s sounds nothing like a Conn alto. The slide positions are also different than a Conn, they take a little getting used to. It doesn’t have the funky intonation issues of a Bach 39, but the positions line up differently relative the bell than a Conn. The bell diameter is smaller, 6 1/2 inches. It has a much truer and clearer alto sound than a Conn.
mrdeacon
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Re: Minick tenor trombone

Post by mrdeacon »

To OP. Is your question regarding custom horns or modified horns? If it is custom are you asking about the custom small tenors or the large tenors?

Small tenors are mostly 6h based. Fantastic horns. I recently blew a Minick original 100h and it was fantastic. Similar in specs to an Elkhart 6h but much different.

Large tenors, in person I've seen in a couple flavors... Some like the one Chrombone has. Essentially an 88h with Minick mods but he replaced the bell with something he made.

The other flavor is a blend between Bach/Conn. Conn like tapered bell, Gold brass or beryllium. Conn like tapers throughout the horn. Bach like slide. These second ones are interesting. Blows like a Conn but responds and resonates like a Bach. My Minick bass is like this and I absolutely love this style of design.

This is my experience at least!!! Minick made so many different horns that there are exceptions to everything with his designs. No Minick Custom (purpose built horn and not just a modified horn) is the same!!
Rath R1 2000s, Elliott XT
Bach 42 1974, Elliott XT
Holton 169 1965, Elliott LB
Minick Bass Trombone 1980s, Elliott LB
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