TromboneChat

Hello trombone friends
1st time posting, long time lurker.

I acquired a 1935 Conn Vocabell trombone when I was 10 years old. I learned to play on it, (I know, I know, I question of the wisdom of that, but no one ever said otherwise!!) - but switched out two years later in junior high school to a Conn 50H which was definitely a bit more suitable and I was happy to use it outside in marching band.

The Vocabell then sat for another 20ish years in my parents attic. About 10 years ago, I hauled it out, got it fully refurbished and I play lead bone in a big band with it. I use a Jiggs Wigham Marcinkiewicz mouthpiece with it and I'm generally very happy playing with it. The low range suffers a bit with it, but the high register really sings out.

So anyways, my question though, the Vocabell had 2 mouthpieces in the case when I got it. A Buescher True Tone 77 Trombone Mouthpiece which is tiny. And this other tiny one. No branding or markings. Does anyone recognise it?
Comparisons added to the Buescher and the Marcinkiewicz - Maybe it's just a 'no name' or custom mouthpiece, or could be something else. I can't make as nice a tone quality on the horn with these mouthpieces, but just find them fun as part of it's history as whomever played the horn didn't like the Conn 2 or 3 or whatever was included with it at the time.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Q2MrgBsDVYAZAv9y8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KgqFnzrXJeEgQtep6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/5whSH1X9coESicqB7

There's something wrong with your links. I found one image and tried to insert the on-line address with no success.

Here is one picture

Sorry about that, I took it out of the 'image' format, hopefully those links work. Otherwise, I will need to find anew to upload - As a new poster, not sure I have the ability to add attachments yet.

You need 3 approved posts to be able to post attachments.

What I posted was the first of your images.

Does the mouthpiece have no taper in the shank? How does it fit in the trombone?

Btw, I played a 44H that belonged to a band I was a member of. Interesting instrument. Nice for lead, but I wonder about blending with more modern horns.

A very tiny taper, not really very discernible. Shank is about 2 inches long, sits about 1 inch outside of the horn, which feels quite long!

It's definitely an unusual trombone. Got quite a bright sound to it and can get very loud. But playing in the high register, it will absolutely sing out on those lead lines. I have definitely toyed with getting something more modern, but not sure what to even go for. I play both a TR181 and 88H regularly as well, so I'd have to convince my husband that I need another trombone.

Ahh now that I can add attachments, here we go
Sorry, mouthpiece needs a clean, I realise!

It’s probably the picture, but the shank looks to have very little taper. Did Coon use a Browne & Sharp (Brown & Sharpe?) taper for their small shanl trombones?

Kbiggs wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2024 4:31 pm It’s probably the picture, but the shank looks to have very little taper. Did Coon use a Browne & Sharp (Brown & Sharpe?) taper for their small shank trombones?

The 44H I played took a small shank mouthpiece with no wobble, so the original came with a standard (Morse) taper.

Original mouthpiece in 1935 was probably a Conn 3, like the one that was supplied with my 1936 Conn 30H.

Alternate may have been a Conn 2, but a Conn 3 is more likely.

Worth trying a Conn 3 to see how it mates up.

Thanks folks - The Marcinkiewicz fits where a mouthpiece should, the odd unknown one is definitely long! I will try and find a Conn 3 mouthpiece to see how that goes (only to see if low register can slightly improve, but the Marcinkiewicz is outstanding in the high register)

A Conn 3 is sorta like a deep Bach 7C. Conn 3 is no longer made (even Conn provides a Conn version of the 7C with new horns).

I played the 44H with a Bach 4C, but you may find a 6½ AL or a 7C to work fine. There are obviously other small shank mouthpieces that will work well; just find one that works with your embouchure.

Thanks all!

And if anyone does recognise that squarish mouthpiece, could be from anywhere in age when trombone mouthpieces were made, haha, to under 1990!, let me know. It's a curiosity thing more than anything!

Is the throat its own little cylinder of metal?

It's got a bit of a homebrew look to it...

The mouthpiece looks like a couple of ones I have that are about 100 years old. The rim looks rather Herco-ish.

Thanks all. We may never know