The 48 was the most elegant, it had everything in its favor. They were all good horns and well played. Paul thanks for these demos you’ve been doing I enjoy them all.
Well, the 48H was beautiful and rich, arguably great for 2nd or 3rd chair, or superb for solo or combo work. 6H was brighter, slightly lighter and clean sounding, perhaps the best for lead chair and solo work. The 10H had a nice articulation and brightness, but struck me as somewhat stuffy sounding (as if the bell wasn't fully resonating) and seemed less likely to project strongly. I love Conns, so please don't take any of this to be negative!
48 H. I am 72 and have played mine since I got it used as a senior in HS. Found it to be more mellow when needed but also a great horn to play lead with. The comments seem to favor the 48😊. Keep on playing.
48h. Most cut 10h. Darkest 6H splits the difference --//-//////// So best might be what is wanted needed for A specific type of musical Genre Lead Combo. Balads etc Club in standards Big band. Ship gig Or just quiet practice not needing Heavy volume
10h is "coprion", which is electrodeposited copper onto a mandrel, not made from sheet metal. 48h is regular yellow brass bell with thin copper plate, then thicker nickel plate. 10h is typically thought to be very dark when soft, and a bit out of control when loud. 48h I've always thought of as a military marching horn - it's just very loud because of the nickel. 6h has been the standard Conn jazz horn for decades. I've owned all of these, and the 10h is the only one I never found a place to play in public. It would be nice if you just played soft ballads in a smoky bar with a hat pulled down over your eyes all night. 48h great for salsa. 6h great for everything. I personally love my 48h, but you made the 6h sound best, by a wide margin, I think. 6h was a little brighter and clearer. 10h and 48 kind of sounded similar, which I didn't expect.
I think I mostly agree with cool man! The 6h was a brighter sound, the 48h a little rounder. The bell is nickel on the 48h. The 10h Really surprised me! I would have assumed that would have probably had the most diffused sound of the three, but I really loved this sound. It was as bubbly and vibrant as the 6h, But with a nice warm cord of the sound similar to the 48H. All around, I think that 10h is the all around best one to my ears and with my taste in what I like in a trombone sound. I'm hoping you do a comparison of the "champions" from each these different videos to see if we can hear differences between the different models that you're playing!
The 6H is my favorite. It also has the most "edge" to its sound when pushed, but you showed good control in not getting too much of an edge to the sound.
Hard choice because you sound great on all three. For my ear the Constellation sounded mellow and the 6h sounded brightest with the 10h in between those two. I hear the Constellation is plated with nickel. I have never played a 10H or a constellation
Let's hear a comparison from across the room at a higher volume. That's how the most pronounced differences will be heard. Maybe throw in some varied articulations, as the three horns will likely display differences in that area as well.
This was interesting. I used a 48H Constellation for a couple of years that belonged to a National Guard Band I was in. Transferred out of that band, and my instructor loaned me his 6H for several months. When he needed that back, I went searching for a 6H, but found two identical 10H in a pawn shop in SF. I bought one, and a friend bought the other one. Mine needed inner tubes, and my repairman lightened the slide by cutting down the slide guards. Mine was made in the 50’s, and I bought it in ‘71. I still have it, and love it. I liked the 10H in your test the best. Think it had the edge in all categories, but I wasn’t sure if I’d pick it because I have one. I’m solid with my choice of the 10H and glad to hear others had the same opinion. I used it in Broadway shows, lots of recording, Latin Bands, big band lead & section chairs, really overall use. I also have/used an 88H, and a 72 H. Thanks for the comparison test Paul.
I own a 4H and a 6H….i know he did the video to compare the sounds of horns with similar specs, but MAAAAAAN if you get your hands on a 4H 🤯🤯🤯 it’s a whole nother monster!!
Similar experience. I bought a 12h some years ago. Like the 10h but smaller bore. It was lovely to play at home but poor projection in a performance situation. 6h is my current backup but I might get it out sometime. I'm using a nickel bell R2 in a loud band.
The 48H bell is laquered “nickel silver” aka “German silver” which is copper with nickel, the same stuff as the finish on “silver” trim on premium instruments. Just a bit of nickel changed the color dramatically.
I like the 48H. Constellation had a Nickle plated bell. most likely lacquered also. I had a Holton 401N that played great. Nickel plated but once the lacquer wore off it started to tarnish. some of these Chinese horns are coming in Nickle plated but with no lacquer. Touch them too much and they tarnish.
I had found and fixed up an old 6H back in Highschool and used it for all jazz solos with a 5g megatone mouthpiece lol, it was the best miss that thing
I liked the 6H a little better for what I'm looking for which is a brighter sound. Currently playing a Benge 165F, but I made it into a big band sitting 2nd chair and would like something that blends in better with the rest of the section. I foolishly gave my 1966 Connstellation away to my nephew's son when I got the Benge. All around I felt that the 10H had a richer tone in the lower register, but that's not what I'm going for. Thanks for the comparison.
Of course, there's something in all them that sounds like you, and that's a Good Thing. I played that mouthpiece for years - not heritage - and I know it'll tend to make everything sound "bigger," especially in the context of a smaller bore. In that context: 6H = bright/lively. (It doesn't take too much imagination to know that a Rosolino type mouthpiece would emphasize this, all other things being equal.) 10h = in the middle, mellow, smooth. (All your playing is like that, again) 48h = almost "attenuated." It's the plating, maybe? I'd be interested in the relative bell weights of each horn, too. I know Conn tinkered with that over the years. I have a 6H from 1971, and it has a bell weight that seems reminiscent of a "student" horn.
For what it's worth, nickel is slightly magnetic. So if it's an all-nickel bell, you should be able to tell fairly easily. I'd think likewise with a nickel-plated bell, like a King Tempo, but haven't tried that.
Kinda prefer the 6H. Just seems to have more definition. All sound really nice. I own a 6H(UMI) and an 88H (Elkhart) but recently playing mostly on my Lawler Model 1. Wondering what you think of the Lawler series. Thanks for a great job on this vid.
I don't know if I could say I have a favorite, but listening to these horns produced results I somewhat expected. The 6H had the brightest sound, the 48H sounded somewhat darker, and the 10H had the darkest sound of the three. I did feel a bit surprised by the differences between the 6H and the 48H because I thought they would sound closer alike, but the 6H sounded brighter. Instead, I found the 48H and the 10H to be closer in sound because of the darkness in tone.
I liked your sound best on the 10H Is that a Director model w a Coprion bell? I think you sound better on a horn that plays a bit "bright" because your natural sound and attack is very much toward the dark side of the spectrum
I prefer the 6H here. It's obviously a subtle thing, but it seemed like your notes were clearer with it than on the other two horns. I listened to the video without looking the first time, so I was thinking "I like the second horn best: probably the 48H, right?" Nope.
The Connstellation is silver/nickel plate. I think the 50's ones were Coprion bells too. Got a '59. She' s beautiful. BTW out of the three the Connstellation has the fattest and rounded sound.
This is a problem. Winner is not a question but it's more of a sound choice. An aside: my metalsmithing professor said that nothing is made from copper. 100% copper is hard to work. What's added to it to make it workable, tin, zinc, nickel, lead and how much of each is used gives us trombones. The problem is that traditional names are inconsistent (the traditional brass canons of the royal navy eere bronze) and some proprietary blends are trade secrets. Then there's the metal combo, the same bronze bell with a brass or nickel silver slide sounds different. The 6H sounded smaller, more intimate than the other 2. The 10H played bigger, brighter and maybe projected more to the front. The mystery metal 48 was mellow like the 6h, bigger and maybe projected more to the side than the 10H.
The "copper" bells were called Coprion which was a 100% pure, seamless copper bell produced by depositing copper ions (COPpeR ION) onto a stainless steel form within very precise tolerances. The Conn company began using this process in the late 30s and since it was essentially plating, there was no need to work the metal, only stamp the name and solder the joints.
You sound superlative on all of them; so I don’t think there’s a “winner.” And I agree with the others-it depends on how dark a sound one wants. My choice-for what I’d look to play on a horn that bore size-is the 6H. I have a 32H that’s a bit older than those you were playing. Great horn.
10h then the 6h ..... I would use them differently but that's my choices......the 48h is nice, honestly I'd own them all if I could. How about a .547 shoot out. Maybe an Conn King Olds maybe
The 48H hands down. You didn't push the 48H to the sparkling point which it reaches later than the other two. The 6H sounds a hair "brittle" and too ready to edge out in comparison to the 48H. I play lead Jazz in a big band with a 1956 6H and my 48H. The 48H is just more stable and provides more tonal options than just about anything ever made.
Strangely enough I have a Conn Pan American 1952 that plays better than my King 2B. I have 6 Pan Americans and 5 of the 6 play like crap. That one horn plays great. Just goes to show, every horn is just a little different.
I've been playing a mid-60s 48H for a while, and prefer it in every way to my 2B. Very recently I picked up a Getzen 3508R (rose brass bell), and as you played the red brass 10H, I was struck by how similar they sound.
Hi, all three horns have the same sound. To compare the horns please use an original Conn mouthpiece. Do you ever play and compare mouthpieces from that era? You are using a modern mp that equals all the expression you put in. Good luck.
So which one wins? 6H, 10H, or 48H? 👇
In this situation, I like the 10H. Great sound, and maybe even a little extra 'ping' to the attacks.
I like the 48h constellation the most
10h
48H
The 48 was the most elegant, it had everything in its favor. They were all good horns and well played. Paul thanks for these demos you’ve been doing I enjoy them all.
Had a 60's era 48H when I was in the Army. Had to give it back when I left the service. I miss that horn!
Well, the 48H was beautiful and rich, arguably great for 2nd or 3rd chair, or superb for solo or combo work. 6H was brighter, slightly lighter and clean sounding, perhaps the best for lead chair and solo work. The 10H had a nice articulation and brightness, but struck me as somewhat stuffy sounding (as if the bell wasn't fully resonating) and seemed less likely to project strongly. I love Conns, so please don't take any of this to be negative!
48 H. I am 72 and have played mine since I got it used as a senior in HS. Found it to be more mellow when needed but also a great horn to play lead with. The comments seem to favor the 48😊. Keep on playing.
You sound great on all three. I have a 6H plus an 10H with a 6H slide. I love my 10H/6H.
48h. Most cut
10h. Darkest
6H splits the difference
--//-////////
So best might be what is wanted needed for
A specific type of musical
Genre
Lead Combo. Balads etc
Club in standards Big band. Ship gig
Or just quiet practice not needing
Heavy volume
10h is "coprion", which is electrodeposited copper onto a mandrel, not made from sheet metal. 48h is regular yellow brass bell with thin copper plate, then thicker nickel plate. 10h is typically thought to be very dark when soft, and a bit out of control when loud. 48h I've always thought of as a military marching horn - it's just very loud because of the nickel. 6h has been the standard Conn jazz horn for decades. I've owned all of these, and the 10h is the only one I never found a place to play in public. It would be nice if you just played soft ballads in a smoky bar with a hat pulled down over your eyes all night. 48h great for salsa. 6h great for everything.
I personally love my 48h, but you made the 6h sound best, by a wide margin, I think. 6h was a little brighter and clearer. 10h and 48 kind of sounded similar, which I didn't expect.
Nice...I think your mouthpiece set up gives you a better sound on the 48H...
I think I mostly agree with cool man! The 6h was a brighter sound, the 48h a little rounder. The bell is nickel on the 48h. The 10h Really surprised me! I would have assumed that would have probably had the most diffused sound of the three, but I really loved this sound. It was as bubbly and vibrant as the 6h, But with a nice warm cord of the sound similar to the 48H. All around, I think that 10h is the all around best one to my ears and with my taste in what I like in a trombone sound.
I'm hoping you do a comparison of the "champions" from each these different videos to see if we can hear differences between the different models that you're playing!
The 6H is my favorite. It also has the most "edge" to its sound when pushed, but you showed good control in not getting too much of an edge to the sound.
Liked the sound of the 10H best
The 48H was, to my ears at least, actually TOO dark-sounding, no "sparkle" at all
I liked the 6H, then the 10H and finally the 48H. Thanks for letting us hear the difference.
Hard choice because you sound great on all three. For my ear the Constellation sounded mellow and the 6h sounded brightest with the 10h in between those two. I hear the Constellation is plated with nickel. I have never played a 10H or a constellation
Thank you
6h. Especially in the lower register. More mellow and bluesy. Very soulful.
Let's hear a comparison from across the room at a higher volume. That's how the most pronounced differences will be heard. Maybe throw in some varied articulations, as the three horns will likely display differences in that area as well.
This was interesting. I used a 48H Constellation for a couple of years that belonged to a National Guard Band I was in. Transferred out of that band, and my instructor loaned me his 6H for several months. When he needed that back, I went searching for a 6H, but found two identical 10H in a pawn shop in SF. I bought one, and a friend bought the other one. Mine needed inner tubes, and my repairman lightened the slide by cutting down the slide guards. Mine was made in the 50’s, and I bought it in ‘71. I still have it, and love it. I liked the 10H in your test the best. Think it had the edge in all categories, but I wasn’t sure if I’d pick it because I have one. I’m solid with my choice of the 10H and glad to hear others had the same opinion. I used it in Broadway shows, lots of recording, Latin Bands, big band lead & section chairs, really overall use. I also have/used an 88H, and a 72 H. Thanks for the comparison test Paul.
I own a 4H and a 6H….i know he did the video to compare the sounds of horns with similar specs, but MAAAAAAN if you get your hands on a 4H 🤯🤯🤯 it’s a whole nother monster!!
Similar experience. I bought a 12h some years ago. Like the 10h but smaller bore. It was lovely to play at home but poor projection in a performance situation. 6h is my current backup but I might get it out sometime. I'm using a nickel bell R2 in a loud band.
The 48H bell is laquered “nickel silver” aka “German silver” which is copper with nickel, the same stuff as the finish on “silver” trim on premium instruments. Just a bit of nickel changed the color dramatically.
I like the 48H. Constellation had a Nickle plated bell. most likely lacquered also. I had a Holton 401N that played great. Nickel plated but once the lacquer wore off it started to tarnish. some of these Chinese horns are coming in Nickle plated but with no lacquer. Touch them too much and they tarnish.
I felt the most dramatic difference was the big full sound of the 48 in the low range. ❤
I had found and fixed up an old 6H back in Highschool and used it for all jazz solos with a 5g megatone mouthpiece lol, it was the best miss that thing
Hands down, 48H. Anytime. Has all you need, obviously
I liked the 6H a little better for what I'm looking for which is a brighter sound. Currently playing a Benge 165F, but I made it into a big band sitting 2nd chair and would like something that blends in better with the rest of the section. I foolishly gave my 1966 Connstellation away to my nephew's son when I got the Benge. All around I felt that the 10H had a richer tone in the lower register, but that's not what I'm going for. Thanks for the comparison.
Paul,a great video. Thanks.
Of course, there's something in all them that sounds like you, and that's a Good Thing. I played that mouthpiece for years - not heritage - and I know it'll tend to make everything sound "bigger," especially in the context of a smaller bore. In that context: 6H = bright/lively. (It doesn't take too much imagination to know that a Rosolino type mouthpiece would emphasize this, all other things being equal.) 10h = in the middle, mellow, smooth. (All your playing is like that, again) 48h = almost "attenuated." It's the plating, maybe? I'd be interested in the relative bell weights of each horn, too. I know Conn tinkered with that over the years. I have a 6H from 1971, and it has a bell weight that seems reminiscent of a "student" horn.
For what it's worth, nickel is slightly magnetic. So if it's an all-nickel bell, you should be able to tell fairly easily. I'd think likewise with a nickel-plated bell, like a King Tempo, but haven't tried that.
Kinda prefer the 6H. Just seems to have more definition. All sound really nice. I own a 6H(UMI) and an 88H (Elkhart) but recently playing mostly on my Lawler Model 1. Wondering what you think of the Lawler series. Thanks for a great job on this vid.
6H - But you should have added a 4H to the mix. Conn .485 bore bones are amazing!
I don't know if I could say I have a favorite, but listening to these horns produced results I somewhat expected. The 6H had the brightest sound, the 48H sounded somewhat darker, and the 10H had the darkest sound of the three. I did feel a bit surprised by the differences between the 6H and the 48H because I thought they would sound closer alike, but the 6H sounded brighter. Instead, I found the 48H and the 10H to be closer in sound because of the darkness in tone.
The 6H has the best definition for me then the 48H and the 10H was the warmest but I expect the hardest work
I liked your sound best on the 10H
Is that a Director model w a Coprion bell?
I think you sound better on a horn that plays a bit "bright" because your natural sound and attack is very much toward the dark side of the spectrum
Love my 1965 48 H the best from my stable of conn Super, Bach 42 straight ….
I prefer the 6H here. It's obviously a subtle thing, but it seemed like your notes were clearer with it than on the other two horns. I listened to the video without looking the first time, so I was thinking "I like the second horn best: probably the 48H, right?" Nope.
My ranking would go 10h then 48h then 6h, but really they’re all good!
48H is melted butter. Noting else like it. Love mine too.
The Connstellation is silver/nickel plate. I think the 50's ones were Coprion bells too. Got a '59. She' s beautiful. BTW out of the three the Connstellation has the fattest and rounded sound.
For me it's the 6H. I would like to hear you on a new 100H. By the way, you sounded great on all 3.
This is a problem. Winner is not a question but it's more of a sound choice. An aside: my metalsmithing professor said that nothing is made from copper. 100% copper is hard to work. What's added to it to make it workable, tin, zinc, nickel, lead and how much of each is used gives us trombones. The problem is that traditional names are inconsistent (the traditional brass canons of the royal navy eere bronze) and some proprietary blends are trade secrets. Then there's the metal combo, the same bronze bell with a brass or nickel silver slide sounds different.
The 6H sounded smaller, more intimate than the other 2. The 10H played bigger, brighter and maybe projected more to the front. The mystery metal 48 was mellow like the 6h, bigger and maybe projected more to the side than the 10H.
The "copper" bells were called Coprion which was a 100% pure, seamless copper bell produced by depositing copper ions (COPpeR ION) onto a stainless steel form within very precise tolerances. The Conn company began using this process in the late 30s and since it was essentially plating, there was no need to work the metal, only stamp the name and solder the joints.
It is a matter of harmonics.. If you chose a 6h you have an easy life but less core than 48h ( i like) 10h corpion bells is like a slide euphonium..
You sound superlative on all of them; so I don’t think there’s a “winner.” And I agree with the others-it depends on how dark a sound one wants. My choice-for what I’d look to play on a horn that bore size-is the 6H. I have a 32H that’s a bit older than those you were playing. Great horn.
10h then the 6h ..... I would use them differently but that's my choices......the 48h is nice, honestly I'd own them all if I could.
How about a .547 shoot out. Maybe an Conn King Olds maybe
The 48H hands down. You didn't push the 48H to the sparkling point which it reaches later than the other two. The 6H sounds a hair "brittle" and too ready to edge out in comparison to the 48H. I play lead Jazz in a big band with a 1956 6H and my 48H. The 48H is just more stable and provides more tonal options than just about anything ever made.
The main difference between these Conns compared to other conns is they don’t have f triggers like conn 66h, 88h, etc.
Hey I had a question I am having trouble getting the high pitch sound on my trumbone can u help?
Strangely enough I have a Conn Pan American 1952 that plays better than my King 2B. I have 6 Pan Americans and 5 of the 6 play like crap. That one horn plays great. Just goes to show, every horn is just a little different.
Smooth trombone warmth. Mmm...
Which model do you enjoy sound the most?
Well, you might have to make a video where you hit all of them... :)
I'm a percussionist.
I was always told a constellation was made with nickel.
Hi, what is the difference between conn 4h and conn 14h?
The 4h is the professional small bore, comparable to a king 2b, the 14h is a Conn director, the student line most similar to a king 606
I've been playing a mid-60s 48H for a while, and prefer it in every way to my 2B. Very recently I picked up a Getzen 3508R (rose brass bell), and as you played the red brass 10H, I was struck by how similar they sound.
I have Conn 50H w F attachment.
What do you think??
50h is a student-level horn.
48H … the most round and smooth
Hi, all three horns have the same sound. To compare the horns please use an original Conn mouthpiece. Do you ever play and compare mouthpieces from that era? You are using a modern mp that equals all the expression you put in. Good luck.
This is the mouthpiece I use when I play trombone therefore it makes since when I play different trombones to use this mouthpiece.
48H for section, 10H for solo. Nicely done, Paul.
The 48H is singing.....
6H wins.
I choose poor. Musicians choice