Trombone equivalent jazzophone?
- timothy42b
- Posts: 1812
- Joined: Mar 27, 2018
I just came across someone playing the jazzophone - a trumpet with bell curved forward like a saxophone.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazzophone
It occurs to me a valve trombone could be shaped that way and be useful in a tight pit or other small area. Has that been done?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazzophone
It occurs to me a valve trombone could be shaped that way and be useful in a tight pit or other small area. Has that been done?
- Kbiggs
- Posts: 1768
- Joined: Mar 24, 2018
Yes, except it was a larger-bore horn in F—the cimbasso! (The modern instrument, not the historical one.)
The wikipedia link shows a two-belled instrument. Other photos I’ve seen have a single bell. IIRC, an American company (Martin?) made a small production run of jazzophones in the 30’s or 40’s.
On a more serious note, a repair tech with enough time (!) and parts could likely re-arrange some of the tubing or substitute parts to create that shape. It would certainly be a unique instrument. The sound project upwards from the floor would be interesting.
The wikipedia link shows a two-belled instrument. Other photos I’ve seen have a single bell. IIRC, an American company (Martin?) made a small production run of jazzophones in the 30’s or 40’s.
On a more serious note, a repair tech with enough time (!) and parts could likely re-arrange some of the tubing or substitute parts to create that shape. It would certainly be a unique instrument. The sound project upwards from the floor would be interesting.
- JohnL
- Posts: 2529
- Joined: Mar 23, 2018
John Sandhagen once built a Bb tenor "something" in that shape with a five-ish position slide and an f-attachment. I think there's a video floating around FB of me playing (well, making an attempt to play) it.
- AtomicClock
- Posts: 1094
- Joined: Oct 19, 2023
[quote="timothy42b"]It occurs to me a valve trombone could be shaped that way and be useful in a tight pit or other small area. Has that been done?[/quote]
A flugabone or trombonium would get the job done.
I think a saxophone-shaped trombone should have a similarly cute name. Saxbut?
A flugabone or trombonium would get the job done.
I think a saxophone-shaped trombone should have a similarly cute name. Saxbut?
- Finetales
- Posts: 1482
- Joined: Mar 23, 2018
If we want to be extremely, disgustingly pedantic, a one-bell sax-shaped brass instrument is called a normaphone, while one with a second echo bell is called a jazzophone.
Tenor normaphones have been custom made here and there. I've never seen a tenor jazzophone, but I wouldn't be surprised if it exists. And I've certainly never seen an alto normaphone or jazzophone. Sopranos are way more common (relatively), which I would guess is just because there are so many dirt cheap old student trumpets and cornets floating around.
As for pit use, there are a few tenor valve trombones out there with the cimbasso L shape, such as the Jürgen Voigt J-24-CL. But a garden-variety flugabone is infinitely more practical for that purpose than one of those or a normaphone/jazzophone.
Tenor normaphones have been custom made here and there. I've never seen a tenor jazzophone, but I wouldn't be surprised if it exists. And I've certainly never seen an alto normaphone or jazzophone. Sopranos are way more common (relatively), which I would guess is just because there are so many dirt cheap old student trumpets and cornets floating around.
As for pit use, there are a few tenor valve trombones out there with the cimbasso L shape, such as the Jürgen Voigt J-24-CL. But a garden-variety flugabone is infinitely more practical for that purpose than one of those or a normaphone/jazzophone.
- Kbiggs
- Posts: 1768
- Joined: Mar 24, 2018
[quote="Finetales"]If we want to be extremely, disgustingly pedantic, a one-bell sax-shaped brass instrument is called a normaphone, while one with a second echo bell is called a jazzophone.
[/quote]
I didn’t know this. Organology reveals its secrets only to those inducted into the Order of Extremely, Disgustingly Pedantic Organologists.
[/quote]
I didn’t know this. Organology reveals its secrets only to those inducted into the Order of Extremely, Disgustingly Pedantic Organologists.
- brassmedic
- Posts: 1447
- Joined: Dec 14, 2018
- AtomicClock
- Posts: 1094
- Joined: Oct 19, 2023
My first thought was that with one of these things, you'd gain the ergonomic advantage of a neck strap. But I don't see an attachment point. The weight seems supported by the pinky hook. In that University of Edinburgh photo, the angle of the mouthpiece receiver makes me think most players would need the whole instrument to go to the player's right side, like a bari sax. Which means the left arm can't do much holding.
- ithinknot
- Posts: 1339
- Joined: Jul 24, 2020
My first thought is how little fun these might be for your face. It's hard enough to play the trombone with more-or-less complete control of the mouthpiece on your chops, and at least with euph and tuba the instrument is stable on your lap. (Having said that, ophicleide isn't too bad, so...)
- jonathanharker
- Posts: 139
- Joined: Aug 14, 2022
I added a bit about the Normaphone to the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valve_trombone]valve trombone article. That article still needs work, but one thing at at time...
- Doug_Elliott
- Posts: 4155
- Joined: Mar 22, 2018
There used to be a guy from Boston who played Normaphone jazz gigs in DC about once or twice a year. I don't remember his name but I think that was his main instrument.