Review: Conn 70h "Fuchs" bass trombone!!! + Hungarian March

[@mattdonaldson1172]

And the low range is FAAT. Absolutely amazing I love it!

[@mikeszabo5631]

Haha thanks!

[@stefanstolarchuk5766]

What a cool horn! You sound fantastic on it. I've got a 70h that dates from 1954, so it's not a Fuchs, but it's still lovely.

[@mikeszabo5631]

Thanks Stefan, they are really wonderful old horns!

[@paul-kerenjamieson4420]

Wonderful sound! Thanks for inspiring my little primary school trombone students!

[@mikeszabo5631]

That’s lovely to hear thank you! 🙂

[@owensmith7530]

That's a fantastic looking and sounding trombone. Amazing that it is almost 100 years old! Here in the UK people were still playing narrow bore G trombones up to 50 years later in brass bands.

[@mikeszabo5631]

Yes it is amazing! When it was built the G bass in the UK still had decades of use left!

[@GetzenBassPlayer]

Nice. That is my favorite excerpt. Great sound!

[@smctrout4423]

Years ago I read somewhere that Vincent Bach copied the Conn 70H when making his bass trombone.

[@mikeszabo5631]

Yes I’ve heard that too! I think that story made it into my video?

[@RyanBisson]

Beautiful horn! It’s in such good shape.

[@joseamangual178]

Sounds awesome, Mike!

[@mikeszabo5631]

Thanks Jose, great to hear from you!

[@ConnArtist70H]

Hello Mike, I really like your sound on the Fuchs 70H, but would I be fair in saying that you are playing with a Doug Elliot bass mouthpiece, like. LBL Cup and LB 114 rim or even larger. I have used lots of other makes, however, I find the DE pieces help greatly with sound, slotting and allowing me to produce a lovely big fat sound on my George Roberts 1952 Conn 70H, no other piece does this, would you agree. I thing me and you would get on great, I also own 1967 Conn 72H and 1970 Conn 62H, all amazing but even better with the DE's. Thanks, Alan ( UK )

[@mikeszabo5631]

Hi Alan, from memory I was playing on a LB115/K/9 DE mpc for this video. He makes some great mouthpieces it’s true!

[@trombonearrangements6100]

Beautiful horn and playing! Is there any chance that you would post a video of the ride of the Valkyries excerpt?

[@mikeszabo5631]

It’s in the works!

[@MrSwinginjoe]

I just bought a Conn 73H. It's been modified.

[@matthenson3472]

I was NOT prepared for that pedal D.

[@mikeszabo5631]

Haha! 😎

[@hymnbonist1335]

I agree that is the first of the modern bass trombone sound.

[@gearaddictclimber2524]

Hey, I love your content and you’ve really inspired me to pursue bass trombone in college. What’s the hand rest you’re using? Looks like a wood/cork? I’m experimenting with tests to relieve some tension in my hand and see a lot of orchestral players using those

[@mikeszabo5631]

Hi Gear, thanks for the kind comments…..it’s a hand rest made by a friend of mine here in Australia. If you want to friend me on FB and write me a message I can get you in touch with him. Yes it is cork and very comfortable!

[@gearaddictclimber2524]

@@mikeszabo5631 will do. Thank you!

[@mrwinkie8]

@@mikeszabo5631 Hi Mike, wonderful channel! I too am interested in buying one of those hand rests. Has your friend ever made one for a Conn 72H? It's hard to tell, but there may be even less room for one than on your Fuchs (lovely instrument, by the way!). Would it be alright if I reached out on FB? Cheers!

[@mikeszabo5631]

@@mrwinkie8 yes no problem shoot me a msg

[@benedekstegura2876]

Great work Mike, is there a chance that you are hungarian?

[@mikeszabo5631]

Hi Benedek, my ancestors immigrated to America many years ago from Hungary, so yes I do have Hungarian blood!

[@kateymateymusic1]

Beautiful Mike. Sounds good...even through my computer :) Hope you guys are well, Kate

[@mikeszabo5631]

Thanks Kate!

[@intellsells7100]

Also that is a rare find congrats

[@zwad07]

Beautiful playing on the Berlioz, I wish I could articulate that well on fast passages. I always like hearing what the specs are too, it’s cool how the bore in the F attachment is so large, does it affect the intonation of the F attachment?

[@mikeszabo5631]

No it doesn’t, I think they took all that into account when they built it. The only thing that needs adjustment is that the entire horn is bit long so the TIS is all the way in to get it up to pitch. In the old days the mouthpieces were quite small and that brings the pitch up considerably. I plan to get a shorter slide receiver to fix this, the slide receiver has already been replaced with a modern part so I am not sacrificing the originality in any way in replacing it, aside from altering the original length.

[@hymnbonist1335]

Hey! Just found you, Great stuff. I wonder if a comparison to the Conn 62H of the late 60s or so would be more accurate.It also had red bell, large bore and tuning in slide. Valve type is a question,

[@mikeszabo5631]

Hi there, Conn did model the Elkhart 62h after the Fuchs, particularly the J bend and the bell, but it’s not exactly the same. Nor is a Bach 50 either. The reason I compared it more with the Bach is that I feel the playing characteristics of the Fuchs make it quite different to an Elkhart Conn. You could certainly make a case that it is more similar to the Elkhart. But I am much more familiar with Bachs so that’s the direction I decided to go with my video. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@johnhyatt985]

Great sound! What size is that Doug Elliott mp you're using?

[@brass1231]

Nice one Mike! Interesting background and also good to hear you play it! Best.

[@mikeszabo5631]

Cheers Simone!

[@mondotrombo7167]

MIKE YOUR BACK

[@johngordon7197]

Really cool. Never knew about it even playing one for years.

[@mikeszabo5631]

Thanks John! They are wonderful old horns!

[@anterivo]

Fantastic Horn.... Nice Sound

[@mikeszabo5631]

Thanks….still love it after a year!

[@jamesszabo4841]

Well dome Mike.

[@mikeszabo5631]

Thanks Dad!

[@intellsells7100]

HE IS BACK!!!

[@intellsells7100]

Also is that in f key

[@mikeszabo5631]

Regular Bb trombone as normal with an F attachment

[@intellsells7100]

@@mikeszabo5631 beautiful beautiful

[@french7515]

The what model? 🤨

[@timsackbutt]

Hi Mike. Thought I'd ask you a public question... I know you are a fan of modern valves and was wondering how you find the old single rotary valve on this one. And also curious about your hand support, it looks like an effective one. Who made that for you? Regards Tim (and it does sound marvellous !)

[@mikeszabo5631]

Thanks for the questions, Tim! This valve is surprisingly good considering it’s age! Apparently they were made in Germany especially for the Fuchs model, so presumably are larger through the centre than contemporary valves. Combined with the larger diameter tubing and I don’t really feel a need to change anything. It is more open than my MV50’s original valve was. But MV tubing was smaller, .590 if memory serves. The rest is made by an guy up in NSW, he makes them to whatever spec I want for each instrument and are really sturdy, classy and most importantly, DON’T SLIP! I can give you his name privately if you wish, I don’t have his permission to say it publicly. Cheers, Mike