Posted by Anthony on October 11, 2002 at 15:27:53:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Conn 52J posted by Mark F. on October 11, 2002 at 14:37:27:
interesting! I hadn't heard that about the upper range of the 56J.. are there any differences between the two other than the bell? Also, is the "bore" of the bell the same on the two, with just an extra inch of "pancake" around the 56j?(I think that's how someone put it in the past). Could this extra "pancake" be what affects the high register? curious!
A couple of years ago I spent a day in Southbend trying everything, and came down to the VMI Culbertson (piston) and the Getzen G-50 as my "favourites". I was puzzled as to how the high register on the Culberston horn could be so much better than that of the Getzen, the Getzen being probably HALF the size of the culbertson. Before then(and possibly even until now) I'd had it in my head that "size of bottom bow and size of bell throat = inversely proportional to ease of control in upper register".. I hadn't thought of how the bell flare affected the 'playability' of the horn, just thought it made the sound "boomier". (The VMI, as I remember it, has a very open bell with virtually no flare).
I've played a Besson nine-eighty-something compensating EEb with absolutely NO bell flare(the bell was almost like a big cup), and it played incredibly well all over the range, but didn't project as well as the stock nine-eighty-somethings.
Anthony "wish I understood all these variables!" Labelle