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Conn 4??

Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2021 1:49 pm
by Tbarh
Supposedly a bass piece.... Anyone know specs?... Experience with it?

Thanks!

Trond

Re: Conn 4??

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2021 8:28 pm
by Kevbach33
It's curious how little information is available for these mouthpieces. Most seem focused on the 3B, particularly the Connstellation variants.

Knowing this, I get the feeling the 4 is not what someone today might consider a bass trombone mouthpiece.

I, too, am curious about this one.

Re: Conn 4??

Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2021 3:11 am
by Tbarh
Yes, very little info... After V. Bach came to the scene, Conn mouthpieces seemed redundant for some reason but some of them are a really good match to old Conn horns.. I have a Conn 78H from 1924 that really comes Alive with a Conn "Tait" piece. Deeper more V shape cup and smaller throat than the Bach C cups.. Very different..

Re: Conn 4??

Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2021 3:29 am
by Doubler
From https://cderksen.home.xs4all.nl/ConnMpcPrecision.html :

Trombone/Baritone/Euphonium Mouthpieces

"All models heavily silver plated with hand burnished shoulders.
Model 1 - Fairly deep, fat bowl with wide rim. Gives good clear tone in all registers. Especially suitable for large bore trombones and symphony work.
Model 2 - Smaller bowl than No.1 and more shallow. Gives big tone, very bright in all registers. Excellent for solo work and for players who want to obtain the high notes with ease.
Model 3 - Slender, deep bowl with wide rim. Gives exceptionally full and round tone in all registers. Especially fine for musicians with large lips. Ideal for all kinds of band work.
Model 3A - Slender, smaller bowl with narrower rim. Gives good, round tone in all registers. All around mouthpiece. (From 1956 Conn accessories catalog. I have seen these as a precision mouthpiece).
Model 4 - For bass trombone. Bowl similar to No.3, but somewhat larger to give full, rich, deep tone quality. Wide rim."

And from: https://cderksen.home.xs4all.nl/ConnMpc ... ision.html

Trombone/Baritone/Euphonium Mouthpieces

Model 1 - Fairly deep, fat bowl with wide rim. Gives good clear tone in all registers. Especially suitable for large bore trombones and symphony work.
Model 2 - Smaller bowl than No.1 and more shallow. Gives big tone, very bright in all registers. Excellent for solo work and for players who want to obtain the high notes with ease.
Model 3 - Slender, deep bowl with wide rim. Gives exceptionally full and round tone in all registers. Especially fine for musicians with large lips.
Model 3A - Slender, smaller bowl with narrower rim. Gives good, round tone in all registers. All around mouthpiece.
Model 4 - For bass trombone. Bowl similar to No.3, but somewhat larger to give full, rich, deep tone quality. Wide rim."
Model 5 - For model 24I

Re: Conn 4??

Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2021 1:05 pm
by Kevbach33
Yeah, that's about all the info we have on this. The curiosity is more about whether anyone has even seen one. I've seen exactly 0, which is less than the number of Conn 5 and 3B mouthpieces I've encountered (1 of each).

Re: Conn 4??

Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2021 2:23 pm
by Tbarh
Btw, i am borrowing a Conn "Tait" which are fairly big in the rim, fairly deep in the cup.. Very small throat... Very different to "Modern" pieces, but sound fantastic in my 1924 78H...I wish some makers would study them and learn... We need to exploite more of the good research the Conn factor did in the 1920 'S..

Re: Conn 4??

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2024 7:45 pm
by YunoWho
I was looking for information on this too, thank you! I have one with me and it's always been a mystery. I got it with my 71h from 1970. It's bowl/cup is larger than a tenor but not by much. Comparing it to other bass trombone mouth pieces it's rim is large and bulky. It is rounded out on the edges. The bore is small but the shank is meant for 5.65 or something like that? (I don't remember the size of the shank I'm sorry!). The shank is on the longer side
Hope this is helpful at all, sorry!

Re: Conn 4??

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 12:35 pm
by corneliusschrute
I have a large shank Conn 4 that I found on eBay last month. All I have is this tarnished picture of it. I will post some more later.

I have been playing it on my ‘98 Yamaha YSL 682S. It is not very responsive and a little restrictive for more. Might just be player problems, or it might be that it is truly a bass bone mouthpiece. Lol. Whatever that means for this vintage.

I have since found a Connstellation 3B that I absolutely love. It is wide in range and quickly responsive. I will throw some pictures up if it too. The bore is much more open on the later 3B to the earlier 4; I am sure that’s the deal breaker on the 4.

Re: Conn 4??

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 9:05 pm
by corneliusschrute
Here are some pictures of the 3B and 4 for comparison. 3B is gold, 4 is silver. Also note that the shank is longer on these Conns. I took a photo comparing them to a Bach 5GS.

Re: Conn 4??

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2024 3:21 pm
by Posaunus
Thanks for this comparison.

The Connstellation 3B is a bass trombone mouthpiece, which I believe was originally supplied with bass trombones like the 71H, 72H ... in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Cup Diameter ~27.1mm (~1.08"), Throat 7.49mm, "Remington" taper. It's a very nice mouthpiece that I play with my Conn 71H.

I am not familiar with the Conn 4 (which must be a rare beast indeed), but it appears to also have the same long shank and taper. (Nice job cleaning it up, by the way.) Hard to tell from the photo, but its Cup and Throat appear to be smaller than the 3B, which correlates with your observations. Any chance you could supply some measurements?