TromboneChat

Hello everyone, I recently bought a “vintage” (pre-Schilke) - Greenhoe tenor. I’m really enjoying it. Has the modified SL4747 slide with the nickel wide crook and a yellow brass 88h bell.

I’m interested in learning more about the bell, just for my own edification. I’m assuming it must have been a new bell when the horn was put together- maybe early ‘00s? No markings on the bell except the CG Conn 88h USA engraving. See picture.

Any guesses? Just a shot in the dark. Anyone know if the new Greenhoe bells are compatible for future reference?

Looks just like the 88HYCL bell I had from the one I bought in 2000. Wish I still had that horn.

I bought a brand new 88H in '98 or '99 that had that same engraving, with CONN inside a rectangle engraved on the inside of the flare.

Thank you both, that makes total sense based on what I know, it’s great to have some confirmation. Sometimes I wish there was a online resource focusing on various bell engravings and relevant years - there are so many beautiful examples out there across the different makers, especially from the middle of last century.

I can’t put to words why I like this Greenhoe so much, it just plays so easily for me and the feedback I’m getting from the bell is wonderful.

Arvopart17 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 29, 2021 12:09 pmI can’t put to words why I like this Greenhoe so much, it just plays so easily for me and the feedback I’m getting from the bell is wonderful.

It's amazing what careful stress free assembly of an instrument with an incredible valve design can achieve using "off the shelf" components from Conn.

IIRC, Greenhoe pre-Schilke made three types of horns: modified Conns, modified Bachs, and their own Greenhoe. It looks like you have a modified Conn.

Matthew Walker (hornbuilder here on TC) used to work for Greenhoe. He might have more information.

I played an 88HTG (thin red brass bell with Greenhoe valve) at a Conn-Selmer display at Thompson Music in Omaha. (That was January, 2010) The Conn rep at that time told me the the bell section was assembled by Greenhoe and paired with a slide from Eastlake. It was amazing horn but cost more than the car I was driving at the time. I would love to add one to my collection and still is one of my favorites that I have tried,

I think my slide is modified as well, rather than a stock one from Eastlake - I measured the width and it’s 89mm wide and the crook is much more square sort of like a Bach. I compared to the slide width table on a different thread that Matt K started which listed stock sl4747 slides as 78mm wide. Prior owner stuck a GB4 #2 lead pipe in it. With the yellow bell, it feels like a Conn modified to be more Bach like. I’m going to have to try some of the sl4747 conn lead pipes at some point, but I’m really enjoying it as is.

Is this the horn that was for sale at Virtuosity Boston? Probably the only thing that would make me give up my Shires at this point.

Yeah, that’s the one. I didn’t go in there expecting to leave with it, but once I played it there was no going back.

There were, as mentioned above, various options available.

The 88HTG bells were assembled in Jackson using C-S parts, with GH valve section parts. The slide was made in the Eastlake facility. There were no yellow versions of these horns made.

This horn (obviously) used a stock yellow Conn bell flare, tuning slide parts, handslide parts, etc, (all.of these C-S parts were used "as supplied") with GH valve section, and wide nickel crook. This would have been made for a specific customer order, ie NOT the HTG series sold through C-S dealers. There weren't many of 88's done with yellow bells.