TromboneChat

I just picked up a Wessex pb4501 Urbie Green model. This is the one Chip Hoehler helped design. I bought this partially in remembrance of Chip, but also because it was a deal and in like new condition.

Playing this thing, it's hard to see why it isn't more popular. It's light weight sounds and feels great to play. Great high range and nice round low notes. The slide is great. Its the best small light horn I've played. It's well balanced, not stuffy or tinny. Looks good, nice case. Sometimes the gems are in the least expected places.

Any one else play one of these?

I tried one at ATW one year. It was certainly a solid instrument, not for me though. The PE523 large bore alto and BR140 3v compensating baritone are what blew me away from that booth...still sad they discontinued that alto. I thought the superbone played well, too.

I'd imagine the Urbie model would be more popular if more people had played it, or more people had played an actual Martin Urbie model. They never seemed to be very popular either.

The market for the really lightweight small horns is always a bit smaller. Look at the 2B Jiggs or the XO Fedchock.

My guess is that with the greatly decreased use of trombone in popular music, there's already a lot of good used small bore trombones around. I saw the Wessex on sale but for not more I've been able to find good used top of the line Conns and for a little more Kings.

This was $250 for basically a new horn that I was curious about. Couldn't resist. I'm not getting rid of anything to make room for it. An Olds Recording has been my quarantine small bore. These horns are very different. Very different from a 6h as well, most similar to a Yamaha 891z, with the bigger blow and more leveled out personality.

I think Wessex also sells models lower than this for less money. This one has a serial number of 14, and it was bought this year. So they haven't made many.