TromboneChat

Question about Blessing B88s with Copper bells. How do they sound compared to a yellow brass bell B88 or a red brass bell such as is found in a Conn 88H?

I play a Blessing B88 with a yellow brass bell, but over the past year I've been playing a Yamaha bass bone with a red brass bell and really like the sound. I've been wondering about replacing my yellow brass bell B88 with the Copper bell. I only play my large bore occasionally so I don't need the upgrade to a Conn 88H, but the Copper belled B88 intrigues me. There always seem to be horns of that type for sale on eBay.

Does the copper bell have the same effect as it does in the old Coprion bell Conn small bores, where it is mellower except when pushed and then has a a reputation of being strident sounding at louder volumes?

Just interested if I should pursue a B88 copper bell. I almost bid on a cheap straight horn version of a copper bell- a B8- that was on eBay and if I liked it swapping out the bell flares, but never pursued it. Right now just thinking out loud.

I can only speak to the one example I’ve seen in person, which was pretty rough. I used to tap the bell with my thumb to try to gauge what that says to responsiveness back then. Now I know there’s much more to consider than how the bell rings. Anyway it was dull just like my screw bell. I didn’t play it much and it was outside anyway.

I do see B8’s and B88’s often enough on eBay and had the same thoughts of buying one to use the bell as another option for my tenor frankenbach.

I love the way copper components play when introduced into the mix. I played a 10H or a 12H for a small time and I’m pretty convinced the Coprion bell was a big reason why it was so fun.

I play with someone who has one with the red brass bell. She likes it just fine and sounds great. I think it's red brass anyway. It's hard to tell as some companies slightly tint their lacquer. They are good horns, the problem is finding parts, and that since they are cheap on the market, often end up getting given to kids who trash them.

I played on a brass bell B88 for about 25 years and it was solid as a rock, but it got very ‘lairy ’, almost Bass trombone like, at volume.

I bought an 88H a couple of years back and it has a much warmer sound and is almost impossible to overblow like the B88.