Conn 88HSGXCL Experience? Good or bad.
- Model34
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Apr 08, 2019
Bit the bullet; Got it on eBay today!
Canceled my TB400B Bach order on Amazon.
Canceled my TB400B Bach order on Amazon.
- Finetales
- Posts: 1482
- Joined: Mar 23, 2018
Would love to try one, as well as a normal 88HSGX. It's an alphabet soup but definitely a pretty instrument.
But, I doubt I'd like it as much as my Elkhart!
But, I doubt I'd like it as much as my Elkhart!
- AlexMcMahon
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Mar 23, 2018
Mine’s good. I traded one in college and kicked myself for years until I made another trade for a second one in recent years. I don’t play it much but it’s fun when I do. I wish the slide was wider and the lead pipes on the SGX slide were interchangeable- I usually play a Bach 36 with a 525/547 slide and prefer the dual bore. The horn is HEAVY, and is hard to play at soft dynamics without the greatest amount of air support, but has a wonderful sound. If I wasn’t so attached to keeping it looking stock and wanted to hot rod it like some of my other horns, I’d think about making the valve removable and having a straight pipe built for it and having the slide widened. Getting the work done, and done well to keep everything silver/gold would be $$$.
- Model34
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Apr 08, 2019
What mouthpiece do you use with it? What mouthpiece does it like best?
- Vegasbound
- Posts: 1328
- Joined: Jul 06, 2019
[quote="Model34"]What mouthpiece do you use with it? What mouthpiece does it like best?[/quote]
The one that will work best for you!
The one that will work best for you!
- Model34
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Apr 08, 2019
Over the years, I’ve discovered that quite a few mouthpieces work well for me, but that horns seem to prefer certain mouthpieces! And I suspect that this particular horn may be a little pickier than most.
- whitbey
- Posts: 654
- Joined: Mar 23, 2018
So the sterling silver Conn is hard to play soft?
My sterling silver Edwards is easy to play soft. Rich sound and softer then any other horn.
Is the Conn just heavy or is the throat locked up?
My sterling silver Edwards is easy to play soft. Rich sound and softer then any other horn.
Is the Conn just heavy or is the throat locked up?
- AlexMcMahon
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Mar 23, 2018
I find it hard to play soft because of how thick the bell is and how much support is needed to get the column of air vibrating. It probably could be overcome with more time on the horn, but I’m so used to bells that are thinned out and vibrate with little effort. My horn is more of a keepsake as a memory of my grandparents who bought me my original and their support for my pursuit of music. I’ve got several other horns that play the way I like- turned out to be a Bach/Edwards person after all.
- tbdana
- Posts: 1928
- Joined: Apr 08, 2023
I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to add my take.
The 88HSGXCL has been called "the Ferrari of trombones." My horn, on the right in the photo below, is about 20 years old, made when the Lindberg valve was still "patent pending." So I can't speak to newer vintage axes.
Yes, as mentioned above it has a thick bell, and it might take a little practice with the horn to get it to speak just right when playing extremely soft. It's not that it is difficult to get it to speak -- it's not -- but it does want you to keep moving the air. This is not a horn for a lazy or incorrect player. You have to move the air all the way through the phrase, especially in soft playing. But if your airstream is good, it shouldn't be a problem, at all. At worst it just takes a minute to adjust to.
To start, the horn is a fantastic overall symphonic and solo horn. The sound is beautiful. It has a very focused core while remaining big and round, with some darkness so that it never gets overly bright while still remaining tightly focused, no matter how hard you lean on it. And you can lean on it really hard and it won't break up.
I've always loved the Thayer valves, but now I'm addicted to the Lindberg valve. Very open flow, and it is so quick and has such a short throw that everything else feels like you're moving a mile in molasses and blowing air through honey.
I'm really impressed with the upper range on this horn; it is amazingly open, free and easy. I can easily play up to a high F without any thinning of the tone, while keeping a big, open sound whether soft or loud. And it's surprisingly easy.
The axe itself is an honest horn. Whether you play well or poorly, correctly or incorrectly, it will show. The horn doesn't hide anything, and it's neither forgiving nor unforgiving. What you play is what you get. It is deceptively quick and responsive given the thickness of the bell. And the tone is stable over the full dynamic range.
I'd say this is the perfect axe for a principal trombone in a symphony. It just takes a good air flow.
Overall, after owning a number of 42Bs and 88Hs, this, for me, is far and away the winner.
FWIW I play it with a gold plated Marcinkiewicz ET-1 Byron Peebles model mouthpiece.
The 88HSGXCL has been called "the Ferrari of trombones." My horn, on the right in the photo below, is about 20 years old, made when the Lindberg valve was still "patent pending." So I can't speak to newer vintage axes.
Yes, as mentioned above it has a thick bell, and it might take a little practice with the horn to get it to speak just right when playing extremely soft. It's not that it is difficult to get it to speak -- it's not -- but it does want you to keep moving the air. This is not a horn for a lazy or incorrect player. You have to move the air all the way through the phrase, especially in soft playing. But if your airstream is good, it shouldn't be a problem, at all. At worst it just takes a minute to adjust to.
To start, the horn is a fantastic overall symphonic and solo horn. The sound is beautiful. It has a very focused core while remaining big and round, with some darkness so that it never gets overly bright while still remaining tightly focused, no matter how hard you lean on it. And you can lean on it really hard and it won't break up.
I've always loved the Thayer valves, but now I'm addicted to the Lindberg valve. Very open flow, and it is so quick and has such a short throw that everything else feels like you're moving a mile in molasses and blowing air through honey.
I'm really impressed with the upper range on this horn; it is amazingly open, free and easy. I can easily play up to a high F without any thinning of the tone, while keeping a big, open sound whether soft or loud. And it's surprisingly easy.
The axe itself is an honest horn. Whether you play well or poorly, correctly or incorrectly, it will show. The horn doesn't hide anything, and it's neither forgiving nor unforgiving. What you play is what you get. It is deceptively quick and responsive given the thickness of the bell. And the tone is stable over the full dynamic range.
I'd say this is the perfect axe for a principal trombone in a symphony. It just takes a good air flow.
Overall, after owning a number of 42Bs and 88Hs, this, for me, is far and away the winner.
FWIW I play it with a gold plated Marcinkiewicz ET-1 Byron Peebles model mouthpiece.
- JasonDonnelly
- Posts: 129
- Joined: Apr 23, 2018
Hey, since I don't have to be the one to resurrect an old thread...
I like my 88HCLSGX. It has a quick and easy response, predictable intonation, and the valve works the way you want it to. Versus your average large tenor, it is very difficult to edge out (although has no issues w/ decibels) and the sound is probably brighter than desired for an "American orchestral sound." There are people who play it in symphonic settings, of course (2nd trombonist of San Diego comes to mind), but I would hesitate to bring it to an orchestral audition. Articulations are also very pronounced on the horn, for better or worse - many things speak easier than they would on other equipment but it's also easy to sound "pingy." Somewhere down the line, I will probably get a more middle-of-the-road large tenor to use for orchestra playing, but I have no plans to get rid of the 88, even if the only use it gets is solo playing, the occasional jazz/commercial gig, brass band, etc.
I like my 88HCLSGX. It has a quick and easy response, predictable intonation, and the valve works the way you want it to. Versus your average large tenor, it is very difficult to edge out (although has no issues w/ decibels) and the sound is probably brighter than desired for an "American orchestral sound." There are people who play it in symphonic settings, of course (2nd trombonist of San Diego comes to mind), but I would hesitate to bring it to an orchestral audition. Articulations are also very pronounced on the horn, for better or worse - many things speak easier than they would on other equipment but it's also easy to sound "pingy." Somewhere down the line, I will probably get a more middle-of-the-road large tenor to use for orchestra playing, but I have no plans to get rid of the 88, even if the only use it gets is solo playing, the occasional jazz/commercial gig, brass band, etc.
- Burgerbob
- Posts: 6327
- Joined: Apr 23, 2018
They're amazing horns, but they don't always work in a section. A great player friend of mine just moved to an 88HNV so he can play with others.
- conn88Hagmann
- Posts: 492
- Joined: Aug 09, 2018
I have an open wrap SGX (standard valve) for sale!
Stunning trombone!
Stunning trombone!
- harrisonreed
- Posts: 6479
- Joined: Aug 17, 2018
Everyone is talking about playing softly -- the horn was designed around a mouthpiece that has a .307" throat. Such a mouthpiece is actually very easy to play softly. If you use something close to the 4CL the horn probably plays as intended.
- Burgerbob
- Posts: 6327
- Joined: Apr 23, 2018
[quote="Burgerbob"]They're amazing horns, but they don't always work in a section. A great player friend of mine just moved to an 88HNV so he can play with others.[/quote]
Scratch that, I have TWO friends that moved to "normal" 88Hs from SGXs.
Scratch that, I have TWO friends that moved to "normal" 88Hs from SGXs.
- Digidog
- Posts: 483
- Joined: Dec 13, 2018
[quote="Burgerbob"]<QUOTE author="Burgerbob" post_id="210658" time="1684875447" user_id="3131">
They're amazing horns, but they don't always work in a section. A great player friend of mine just moved to an 88HNV so he can play with others.[/quote]
Scratch that, I have TWO friends that moved to "normal" 88Hs from SGXs.
</QUOTE>
What reasons do they give? Have you tried their horns?
They're amazing horns, but they don't always work in a section. A great player friend of mine just moved to an 88HNV so he can play with others.[/quote]
Scratch that, I have TWO friends that moved to "normal" 88Hs from SGXs.
</QUOTE>
What reasons do they give? Have you tried their horns?
- Burgerbob
- Posts: 6327
- Joined: Apr 23, 2018
[quote="Digidog"]<QUOTE author="Burgerbob" post_id="212796" time="1687013267" user_id="3131">
Scratch that, I have TWO friends that moved to "normal" 88Hs from SGXs.[/quote]
What reasons do they give? Have you tried their horns?
</QUOTE>
Yes. They're addicting to play. I can absolutely see how they landed on the horns and had a hard time giving them up- the density of the core they play with is honestly unmatched. But playing with others is just not easy. I played 2nd to one of them about a year ago and it was just not a possible section sound with me on a rather standard 42- the sterling Conn just takes no prisoners.
Scratch that, I have TWO friends that moved to "normal" 88Hs from SGXs.[/quote]
What reasons do they give? Have you tried their horns?
</QUOTE>
Yes. They're addicting to play. I can absolutely see how they landed on the horns and had a hard time giving them up- the density of the core they play with is honestly unmatched. But playing with others is just not easy. I played 2nd to one of them about a year ago and it was just not a possible section sound with me on a rather standard 42- the sterling Conn just takes no prisoners.
- conn88Hagmann
- Posts: 492
- Joined: Aug 09, 2018
Exactly right. . .
- harrisonreed
- Posts: 6479
- Joined: Aug 17, 2018
I did see Christian play the Sandström double trombone concerto with 《orchestra name removed》and he was at stage front with that orchestra's 1st bone. The poor guy from the orchestra stood no chance. Lindberg sounded awesome and like he was right next to me, but the other guy was soft and you couldn't hear him. It sort of snowballed until the guy just couldn't hit any note right. Even from backstage (he started playing offstage) Lindberg had more presence on the SGX than the guy from the orchestra.