Pre-owned 1952 Conn 70H Bass Trombone

The Conn 70H bass trombone is regarded as one of the best single-valve bass trombones every designed and experienced a long history of popularity throughout the 1920’s to 1950’s and beyond; the 1950’s version features a 9 ½” yellow brass bell, closed-wrap F-attachment with rotor (string linkage) and a .563” bore yellow brass handslide with Tuning-In-Slide (TIS).  This 70H, from 1952, is in excellent condition for its age; there is a bit of lacquer wear on the tuning slides, neckpipe, and standard contact points but otherwise the lacquer is in very good condition.  The bell shows evidence of repaired damage at some point in its life, but the bell is now free of dings and dents, and the prior damage shows no sign of affecting the trombone’s performance.  The handslide is a 9.5/10; although the TIS is naturally a bit heavy the slide action is excellent and the inner handslide tubes show no evidence of wear.

This trombone is a great example of why this model was so heavily regarded; it has an effortlessly open response and sound, with a broadness in its timbre that has a wonderful clarity and resonance.  It remains clear and clear at soft dynamics and when pushed gains brightness while avoiding becoming edgy; the baritone and bass registers feel amazingly accessible, and one wouldn’t know that the valve was a closed wrap by its response.  This is a great instrument for a serious Conn collector or the bass trombonist that sees the advantages in single rotor and TIS designs; comes with original case and JK 2AL mouthpiece.