TromboneChat

Hi all.

I just got a Conn Constellation baritone and I'm stoked. Bummer is that it takes a European (aka medium) shank mouthpiece. It came with a Denis Wick 6BM mpc that fits but i was hoping to use my Griego mpcs. Can i get an adapter for it? What's the relative size of a DW 6BM mpc.


ARGH!!!!

You can get an adapter to fit a small shank mouthpiece to Euro. Or you can put a few layers of tape (or paper) on a small shank mouthpiece to make it fit.

There is no way (short of using a sledge hammer) to fit a large shank mouthpiece in the Euro shank receiver.

Note that Doug Elliott has Euro shanks for his mouthpieces. I have a Chinese horn that takes a Euro shank and I can use my LB 102/E with a 16E (or something like that) shank. (I have no idea why they would make this horn.)

Thanks Bruce.

You could also have a new receiver put on.

I think you'll find that it doesn't like big mouthpieces. I fought mine for years trying to use a 51D. Nice sound (though not what Conn intended), but intonation between partials was not good.

The correct shank with a correct backbore can make a big difference.

A small shank with an adaptor is not going to give great results, and shaving down a large shank won't either.

Doug Elliott wrote: ↑Fri Oct 30, 2020 11:45 pm The correct shank with a correct backbore can make a big difference.

A small shank with an adaptor is not going to give great results, and shaving down a large shank won't either.

Doug, just got your new design for the alto shank with the star on it. Oh my God! Thank you!

Doug Elliott wrote: ↑Fri Oct 30, 2020 11:45 pm The correct shank with a correct backbore can make a big difference.

Doug, would you recommend one of your regular 6E shanks or something special for the OP's Conn?

Gotta try something first...That would be a good place to start.

Burgerbob wrote: ↑Fri Oct 30, 2020 9:55 pm You could also have a new receiver put on.

That's the route i was thinking and that John Sandhagen suggested as a cost effective solution. I have a sone other work this baritone needs apparently so changing the reciever makes more sense.

Thrawn22 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 30, 2020 7:34 pm Hi all.

...What's the relative size of a DW 6BM mpc.


ARGH!!!!

It's around Schilke 50, Yamaha 48, or Bach 6.5AL.

Doug's LT 100/E would probably work, but I'd recommend deeper (LT 100/H?) (Again with the 16E shank)

Thrawn22 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 31, 2020 10:32 am

Burgerbob wrote: ↑Fri Oct 30, 2020 9:55 pm You could also have a new receiver put on.

That's the route i was thinking and that John Sandhagen suggested as a cost effective solution. I have a sone other work this baritone needs apparently so changing the reciever makes more sense.

I highly recommend against that. Those Constellation Baritones aren't big horn by any means. While swapping the receiver on a full sized Besson or Wilson Euph is not a big deal and can even improve the horn swapping the receiver on the Constellation could wreck the horn. Like JohnL said too big of a mouthpiece and the horn just won't work

Use the 6AM and live with it. It's not a half bad piece and is a good fit for that size of horn. The 6AY is one of my favorite pieces for British Baritone. Those size of instruments really like something in that 6 1/2ALish size.

Wick also makes a 4AM if you want something bigger - might overblow that horn, but you won't know until you try it. Doug's mouthpieces are also a good way to go. You could also ask Griego to make you a Euro shank mpc. in the same size as your trombone mouthpiece - most of the top manufacturers will do that. I would expect that to be a costly and rather slow option, since it will be entirely a custom job. Doug's right about getting the proper backbore - I played an old Besson a bit in school with a shaved down 5G. It made the pitch on that horn even more difficult to navigate than usual.

By the way - I heard Jay Friedman play the Mahler 7th in Carnegie Hall on an old Conn Euphonium (Baritone) - not really sure which name suits the instrument better. Jay sounded great on it!

Jim Scott

Thanks guys. I got things to consider. They're structural things that need attention first.


Maybe I'll start buying baritone/euphoniums i don't need instead of trombones :0