TromboneChat

Anyone like taking these horns and getting it modded like a car. Pics please. Took the lacquer off, heavyweight valve caps 62 H slide with 112 leadpipe, removed neck brace, got the valves ported well above .591. Gotta gettem remeasured. Had the Saure brace until it started with the vibrations.

I think if it's a great stock horn thatvyou intend to keep till you die then it's inevitable you'll mod it in some fashion.

That being said, if i may contradict what i just stated, i do have factory built horns i have no intention of doing heavy modifications. Those horns however are special order items themselves it seems. There's the '53 78H that a friend seems to think it was a special order since it's all raw brass (only nickel is on the handgrip. My 88H i just traded to get (Thanks Glen!) has a nickel bell which i think was a special order item, but i have no intention of modding it.

Modding to me makes the horn more personalized. My 71H is very unique in its modifications which help visually mark it's owner. If i hadn't bought a 62H already modded by Minick i probably would've modified it my self (in fact i had it's pipe pulled). Most of my horns i at least pull the pipe unless it's a rare horn , older horn that won't survive pipe removal or the pipe already works well.

Stock horns very rarely come off the line perfect, which imo helps the boutique companies market they're modular horns. And the need for personalizing horns fuels companies like BAC ().

But yes, horn mods are like car mods. Most are cool and maybe necessary. Then there's the "oh my god, wtf have you done" type mods with the spinning rims, led lights that blind and it's lowered to where it cant go over a speed bump or dip at 5 mph.

Almost every stock horn I've tried, I ended up switching the leadpipe out. Shires and Getzen #2 are a good starting point IMO and are readily available in most bore sizes. Some horns that's ALL I've done. I'm working on getting a 500/525 King 607F at the moment. Parts are on the way soon I've been told... very excited about that one. Not sure what leadpipe I'll have in it yet. Swapping out the 607F bell for a Getzen 3508Y too. Nickel Olds recording M/K crook. Had a similar 500/508 King 3BF awhile ago that was close to perfect for me... but not quite. Hoping this can be my forever horn. (See if I can keep it for more than 5 years! )

You hit me at a strange time, but I don't think a single factory* horn I have is modified at the moment.

I'm using a couple with slides from other manufacturers, I guess.

Of course I have a bunch of plans in motion, though

I put a corporation 42 slide crook on my benge 165, really opened up the horn and broadened the sound a bit. Not an insane change but noticeable. I don’t think i’ll keep it long term, still not 100% my concept.

I tend to not really modify my horns. When I get around to having the bell section of my Bach 42T reworked it'll be the first time I've really had a horn modded. That said, I totally understand the need to mod horns, though I don't really believe in the "modding for modding" sake that a lot of people have with cars. The "Make the horn yours" thing doesn't really appeal to me. The small dents, scratches, wear, etc that the horn gets over time make it MINE.

My Olds P-24G bass trombone was modded by necessity. When I bought it, it was only a bell section that was missing the slide receiver. I added a Bach 50 receiver and paired it with an Edwards 0.547/0.562" slide and a sterling leadpipe. In stock form the 2nd valve is in G, but I learned that the attachment tuning slides could be swapped. Now it plays in Gb (just my preference). Btw, my profile thumbnail shows me and my Olds bass.

Brass instruments are tools, so any modification that helps you do your job better/easier is a good one.

I haven't done many mods...yet. My daily driver 72H is significantly modded, but I bought it that way. I do have plans for most of my instruments to get some kind of modification.

Of course my Holton 180 (like most that remain in active use, I suspect) has been modified to have human-operable triggers and a D slide.

My tenor and my conical valved brass are all factory stock, to my knowledge. There are probably improvements that could be made to any of them, but nothing seems deficient enough to be worth the fuss.

Finetales wrote: ↑Sat Oct 01, 2022 8:24 pm Brass instruments are tools, so any modification that helps you do your job better/easier is a good one.

I haven't done many mods...yet. My daily driver 72H is significantly modded, but I bought it that way. I do have plans for most of my instruments to get some kind of modification.

Got pics?

Thrawn22 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 01, 2022 10:44 pm Got pics?

On the left (nearly-stock 72H bell on the right). Yamaha independent rotors/valve tubing/linkage, everything else is original 72H.

The ever popular '69 79H with Rotax valve install. For me, it's the one horn to rule them all.

I've thought old horns with modern plumbing is a great way to go if you can't make it to the factories.

Finetales wrote: ↑Sat Oct 01, 2022 11:45 pm

Thrawn22 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 01, 2022 10:44 pm Got pics?

On the left (nearly-stock 72H bell on the right). Yamaha independent rotors/valve tubing/linkage, everything else is original 72H.

What are the stats on that 72 H

trombonedemon wrote: ↑Wed Oct 05, 2022 8:25 am What are the stats on that 72 H

It's a 1963 Conn 72H with a Yamaha (probably 830?) valveset, not much more to it than that. It's an amazing player.

How a light bulb is changed.
The flute player just holds the bulb and waits for the world to go around her.
The clarinet player looks though a box of light bulbs for just the right one.
The sax player strokes the light bulb to turn it on.
The french horn checks the light bulb for alignment.
The trumpet player will tell you exactly how to change the light bulb and that he can change one that is higher.
The tuba player will get a bigger light bulb.
The drummer will say What light bulb
And, the trombone player will customize the switch.

So yes. If must be modified.
Most of my slides have a curved brace for the left hand to make the grip easier for my big hands.
Some have copper lead pipes.
The key on the F valve has a plate rather then a knob to fit my hand.
My 525/547 Edwards slide had brass outers. ( bought on closeout.) I had nickle outers without over sleeves.
My euph had a euro shank. Not it has a bass shank, a lever to move the main slide, copper washers under the valve covers and the thumb ring moved to fit my hand.
My dependent bass was Bb/F/E and has been Bb/F/C with larger tubing on the C valve since the late 70's. The levers are way different then what is now normal. Nothing was normal back then.
My bass and my Edwards valve section have a hand brace that hits the back of the hand.
Most of the horns have shorter tuning slides that work for me to be in tune.
I am still trying to figure out how to make a Bocin out of my PBone. (seem like that would sell)
I want what I want and just have it done. I can say that after I modify, most all the horns stays that way for decades.
I have a Conn34H that is near perfect as it was new and unaltered. I have a new alto on order being build custom as I want, then the Conn 34H is up for sale. I bought it to learn and figure out what I want and since I never intended to keep it, I never did anything but have the slide aligned.


When I was young, I told my Grandma that when I grow up I wanted to play trombone. She told me I couldn’t do both.
This is just the way I am.

Here is a project just completed today. A late 60's 50B, completely rebuilt, with a new M&W double independent valves section in satin brush finish. The bell was not refinished, per customer request. Ready for another 50 years!!

As usual, beautiful work from Matthew!