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[egocentricgenuis]

I came across some one who wants to sell me a bach stradivarius Model 36, it really old but it still works good. Its mouth piece that it uses is a small shank though, and every body tells me wide shanks are better.  should i get this horn? Should invest in bying or will i grow out of it?

[Paul Fletcher]

Welcome to the forum.  You have chosen the right place to ask!

A Bach 36 is a professional .525 bore, i.e. medium-large.  Most .525 bore horns use a small shank mouthpiece.  

Wide shanks are not better.  They just are necessary for large bore tenors and bass trombones.  There is a thing, it seems, in high schools/ colleges in the US which is that everybody is pushed towards large bore horns by fashion, peers, band directors, teachers.

Us here on the forum (and between us we know a thing or two) think large bores are used too much.  They are the instrument of choice certainly in any professional orchestra, certainly when playing modern repertoire.  But in many situations a 525 bore like a Bach 36 is a more appropriate choice.  And a large bore does not work well in most jazz environments - although there are exceptions to this.

Bach's vary a bit in quality, but if this seems to be a good one it could do you very well.  A good all round horn.  Except that at some point a band director or someone might turn their nose up because it isn't large bore.

Paul

[evan51]

Yes, welcome:

The Bach 36 is a great horn, but I would have a repair shop check it out if you have any doubts. You won't grow out of it. although at some time you may want to branch out a bit.

Even if you don't like it they generally have good resale value---especially the pre-1970s models. [I am adding that since the srial number is filed off-stolen?-you maynot be able to determine a date]

E

[egocentricgenuis]

How does one tell wat year the trombone was made in?

[fin]

From the serial number and this link:


http://www.musictrader.com/serialnos.html


probably the Selmer/Bach website has serial number info also, I haven't checked lately

[DogBone35]

See this thread for much more discussion of .525 bore horns such as the Bach 36.

Point of Medium Bore?

[WaltTrombone]

I came across some one who wants to sell me a bach stradivarius Model 36, it really old but it still works good. Its mouth piece that it uses is a small shank though, and every body tells me wide shanks are better.  should i get this horn? Should invest in bying or will i grow out of it?

There are a lot of pros in the NYC area who do the majority of their playing on Bach 36's, in all sorts of situations- big band, concert band, recordings, shows, pickup orchestras, etc. With it's .525 bore size, it sits right between the .500-ish small-bores and .547 large-bores in terms of tone and flexibility. It's also a good choice for someone who wants a pro-level horn, but who can't put out (or doesn't NEED to put out) the amount of air that a large-bore requires.

[xnavymusician]

I used a 36 for years in a Gospel band for many years. I used a Bach 6.5 al MP. The horn was silver it sounded GREAT!!!

[Stephen Hoffman]

Bachs in general are wonderful horns (I prefer Conns, but that is just a personal preference matter) and I would suggest jumping at this opportunity to buy the horn.  However Bachs (and most mass manafactured horns for that matter) can be rather inconsistant on quality, so you should try out the horn and see how you like it before buying it.

[greg waits]

Bachs in general are wonderful horns (I prefer Conns, but that is just a personal preference matter) and I would suggest jumping at this opportunity to buy the horn.  However Bachs (and most mass manafactured horns for that matter) can be rather inconsistant on quality, so you should try out the horn and see how you like it before buying it.

I couldn't agree more...over the years I have owned at least 6 Bach 36s, and each one had its own distinct personality. I couldn't say that any of them were BAD horns; some were darker, brighter, more open, etc.

I had a straight model (I sold it like a fool!) that I could play ANYTHING on! I could even get away with playing lead in big band with it. I wouldn't say it was bright, but it was not so dark to make it innapropriate for that setting. The response in the high register was unbelievably easy too.

I learned that there is truth to old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

I had the horn customized so I could add a trigger section to it when I needed it. The horn (sans trigger) never played like it did before the conversion! I felt sick; I ruined a good thing!

It pained me to sell it, but it just wasn't the same horn anymore.

The one I currently have is close, and I built up a second - complete - bell section (thanks to DJ for his assistance in getting parts for the trigger section   ), so now I have both a straight and a trigger section (and one slide)

If that 36 plays at all, and the price is right, it is a no brainer. BUY it!

[Patrick Bates]

Don't buy it! Just give me his name, adress, and telephone number so I can!  

[mbrebes]

I bought a 36B a couple years ago and really like it.  Built in '82 but still in the unopened box when I tried it out.  I've used it for 1st in a concert band and 2nd in a symphony and it holds up well in both situations.  The only thing I've found is that I have to go to a 5GS mouthpiece in the symphony so that I can blend better with the 1st who plays a Yamaha .547 horn.

[Baron von Bone]

Wide shanks are not better.  They just are necessary for large bore tenors and bass trombones.  There is a thing, it seems, in high schools/ colleges in the US which is that everybody is pushed towards large bore horns by fashion, peers, band directors, teachers.

That's not to be discounted, though. Other issues aside, if you're going to be expected to produce a certain range of sound, you're probably going to want a horn that will allow you (probably one that will actually help you) to produce something within that certain range of sound.
 
Byron (the skeptic)

[slidejj]

IMO the .525 bore is the best all around tenor, capable of most any style and fits well with both small and large bore.  The Bach 36 is a liitle darker than a Conn 78H or King 3B+, but if you're looking for something that is close to a "one size fits all" trombone a 36 in good shape is it.