Posted by Jason on November 15, 2000 at 08:50:37:
In Reply to: Conn 52J vs. 56J posted by a lurker in Ca on November 15, 2000 at 01:53:36:
I had the pleasure of playing these two horns side by side. There wasn't really
a huge difference in the sound being produced. The 20" bell had a slightly
boomier sound than the 18" which, in some minds, might make it more suitable
for a large ensemble. I don't think the 20" bell would have any problem
sounding incredible in a quintet.
I bought the 18" bell because I liked the projection and the way the horn
really centered on everything. It blends in quintet like no other horn that
I've played, and the conductor and trombone section love the horn in orchestra.
I was able to play it in a recording session and hear the results the week
that I was trying out the horn and I was very pleased with the sound in a
large ensemble.
One final thought, from people who have had many of the same model to play,
every horn is different. You may not be able to say that one is necessarily
better than the other, but one horn in particular may have more of the
characteristics that "you" like in a horn.
Hope this helps,
Jason