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RE: Trombone

Hi all,

We have a Conn Elkart 8H trombone which was originally owned by the Signals
Regiment.

I am told, it may be one of a few, made in the States before production was
moved elsewhere.

Can anyone throw any light on the rarity of said instrument and what its
approximate value might be?

Cheers

Brian Easterbrook
www.woodfallsband.freeserve.co.uk

Brian,

This Trombone , if it is an original Elkhart, rather than the instruments
made in Mexico, has value as an instrument which during the 1970's was
regarded as the best machine for orchestral players. As a result it was used
by most of the leading orchestral players, because of it's responsiveness
and darker tone quality. This mainly being due to the copper mix bell.
Together with conical bore configuration it gave the orchestral player the
ability to retain tone quality throughout the three octaves range it was
designed for, (with plug).

At the same time the King 4B was "in vogue" as a slightly "brighter" option,
which was really designed for American Wind band players, but was favoured
by British Military Bandsmen, like myself, because you could use it in dance
band to good effect.

Both trombones allowed the player to make their instruments "sing" via the
quality of the metal mix and the weight of the bell and bore design. For
example, the King 3B was favoured by dance and jazz players because the back
bore (where the bell section is joined to the slide), was the same as the
front bore (where the mouthpiece fits into the slide section). This really
did allow you to make the instruments sing.

The 8H is an ideal instrument for the second trombonist in the brass band,
although it is also much in favour by soloists too. The problems you have in
believing that it is of real value are;

1. Ideally suited to the 2nd Trombone player in the band, due to it's tone
quality, it has no F plug. Most modern music written for brass bands
requires this on second trombone, for the purposes of good technique and
intonation. As well as technical necessity. The 88H would be better.

2. In view of it's provenance "Signals Regt" it is likely to have been
hammered. Having been used for tattoos and god knows what. Used under these
conditions, it is likely to have suffered.

3. Age is likely to be another factor, as if it is an Elkhart, it could be
over twenty years old. Re-lacquering Conn Trombones it notoriously difficult
as the lacquer is so hard. Ask Keith Preston at Navigation Instrument
Repairs if you don't believe me. Metal fatigue will be the main issue here,
the more times it is repaired or re-lacquered, the more often the dents are
taken out, the weaker the metal becomes.

4. The vogue with players in brass bands is to buy new, but not necessarily
better instruments. They also follow fads and fashions, because of the way
society is today. Hence the number of manufacturers who ask brass band
players to act as "clinician" and promote their instruments.

5. Conn are again manufacturing in Elkhart and have taken up Christian
Lindberg as their clinician. The new range looks impressive, with a new
valve design, slide and bore options to allow for a more personalised
approach. The quality looks good.

However, professional players don't care about dents and the like, but how
well the instrument responds it the genre they play. That's why they
normally have several instruments to choose from. I would suggest if you
advertise the instrument in the relevant place you will probably find a
buyer, but won't be offered a fortune for the instrument. Perhaps second
hand value plus 100. (400 -500 at most).

The best instruments are those that help you play well. However, technology
has moved on and in my humble opinion the best range of tenor trombones
available today are;

HAND BUILT

those manufactured by Michael Rath in Bradford, "Rathbones". Most British
pro's would agree, because of the build quality and options available to
help personalise the instrument to your requirements. These are of course
"hand-built" and therefore slightly more expensive.

BULK MANUFACTURED

Conn, for the reasons previously mentioned.

Having said all of this, I have a 24 year old King 4B which has a better
sound than any new instrument (except for the Rath), I have recently tried.
It has been re-lacquered and reconditioned three times. I used it while in
the Guards and as an Orchestral and Big Band player. I used it while playing
for Brighouse and Rastrick and use it today with Ashton-under-Lyne band,
having not played it for 12 years. If you listen to the CD available of the
National Finals winning performances issued by Doyen, you will hear it
playing Salute To Youth.

The fact is that the player is the biggest factor, but if you are at the
very top of your game, the instruments is important. So, you might find
another "bone head" like me, who makes a living playing and has had a long
love affair with a very old Conn which he needs to replace, try the trombone
society magazine or the forthcoming conference in Birmingham.

Sorry to bore you to death with my reply, but we trombonists take our
subject seriously.

Stephen Tighe
Conductor
Trombonist Ashton-under-Lyne Band

StephenTighe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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