Conn 72H Bass Trombone (Elkhart, IN) | Instrument Reviews

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Hey y’all! Thanks for watching this review, and as always, more bass trombone reviews are on their way down the pipeline, so stay tuned :)

[@erniearruda8861]

Actually 72 H and all single rotor bass trombone is perfect for marches on parade. A lot lighter to hold with one arm and it compliments with the tubas(bass line) that cuts through giving that direct beat. I know I’ve played and marched with a Yamaha and it was perfect here in Southern Canada with a police band.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

That’s actually a very good point, Ernie. I’ve never marched, so I don’t tend to think of these things. Thank you.

[@joshuabarclay2670]

Very true, Ernie. I know for a fact living close to them that The Ohio State University, and Ohio University both use Conn 110h (single rotor versions of the 112h) in their marching bands.

[@benwymer9695]

Gonna pick this up soon, thanks for the great video. Really helped me decide to get it. 👍

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Glad I could help! Have fun with your new horn!

[@joshuabarclay2670]

Great video and I agree whole heatedly. I am a bass trombonist first, but do love my 1956 72h as a gap fill. My tenor is a King 4b, and my "big" bass is a Conn 112h. Sometimes in one of the community concert bands I am in the charts we play are either only 2 trombone parts, or even just one. 😮. The 72h is great for the concerts where my full bass experience isn't needed, and it also saves my shoulder.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@joshuabarclay2670 Thanks for your comment! 4B/72H/112H is a great stable of trombones. I definitely think it’s worth having a small bass around if your primary bass is something like a 112H that has a massive bell. I tried one and liked it a lot, but it was a couple years ago and it was just too much trombone for me to handle at the time. Wish I could give it another go, maybe alongside my school’s Bach 50B3 to really nail down the differences in response and projection. Anyhow, definitely nice to have a “bigger” trombone that only has the weight of a single rotor attachment in such a case as your community band.

[@MrSwinginjoe]

I just bought a Vintage Conn, and she is a duel rotor.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

I think I saw your post on Facebook, Joe. I saw “Hoffman Music” and had to do a double take because I live barely ten minutes away. So I presume you’re local to the area? Also, looking at the photos, I was wondering whether the dual rotor system was an aftermarket addition and it was originally a single-valve like the 72H.

[@MrSwinginjoe]

Yes I'm local to Spokane Washington. I don't know much about my new Conn Bass Trombone. I'm pretty sure I may be the second owner of it.

[@MrSwinginjoe]

I found your Facebook page and just sent you a Pm.

[@peternaryd_operasinger]

Great video Samuel!😁👌👍

[@James_Dawes]

Brilliant video! I was always confused as to the difference between a tenor with trigger, a single rotor bass and a double rotor bass!

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thank you, James! Anytime it’s a bass, expect it to have a bore closer to .562” as opposed to the tenor’s .547” but rotor setups on bass can range widely, from one rotor to two dependent or two independent rotors!

[@Juan_Bone09]

Nice video Sam

[@P1kaSans]

i hope i cleared up the confusion on your previous video 😅

[@Ruigekerel]

I am confused, how can the F valve be sharp? Then pull its tuning slide? Low F is the note on which you tune that trigger tubing. Some for Gb on bass. Those notes should be 100% in tune, and from there you adapt. C above needs some lowering for example.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

I never said that. If the F atrachment tubing was sharp it would be an easy solution. It was *flat.* I could barely get the pitch up when playing a low F with the trigger engaged.

[@Ruigekerel]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass I stand corrected. That is a major issue.

[@fredschaffner4118]

Why not use the Conn 3 mouthpiece that came with the horn originally?

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

This is an instrument that’s gone through several owners and the original 3B mouthpiece has long since been lost. I unfortunately don’t always have the liberty of using 100% authentic setups on older instruments.

[@fredschaffner4118]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass I’ve seen them on EBay and the one I have fits the Remington lead pipe on my Elkhart 88H perfectly and makes it a completely different horn. If you find one you’ll like it.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@fredschaffner4118 Funny enough, I did find one a little while back. Unfortunately it was after I’d given back the 72H. I found it to be a little weird to play on, but probably because I didn’t have a proper Remington shank bass trombone to plug it into. The best I could do was use it on my school’s Bach 50. On my 88H it created a very tubby and unpleasant sound…

[@fredschaffner4118]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass cool! Keep it.

[@Jarhead-ji3lq]

I had an 88h and I hated that spring. The open horn plays beautifully, but the closed wrap design was something I didn't like as a bass trombone player

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

These are valid complaints, but I like the spring because it allows me to easily differentiate between true 1st position Bb and sharp 1st position D above the staff. For someone who doesn’t have much time to work on exact muscle memory on trombone it definitely helps. Then, as you said, it definitely helps in most cases to have an open wrap, but a lot of tenor open wraps are designed bizarrely with a sudden 180-degree bend inside the rotor that actually makes them play worse than most closed wraps, so while I’m sure a Shires tru-bore or some fancy rotor setup with open wrap would be better, the 88H’s typical rotor and closed wrap has yielded a more open and loud trigger register than any of the trombones I’ve played up to this point: Bach 42s, Yamaha Xenos, Getzen, Eastman, etc.