Reasons for F-attachment on small bore horns

[Matt K]

Isn't the Mercedes II a medium bore? I'd suspect it also has a .562 rotor, if so, given Bach's predilection to re-use existing parts. I had a great Bach 9 (yes, 9!) that I wanted to do that to but ultimately sold because I didn't want to chop up a Mt. Vernon. Still wonder if I shouldn't have bitten the bullet and gotten an appropriately sized rotor for that. It was a great horn.

Even if I could source the parts, would take almost a year to get it done properly?

Probably more than that, unless the supply chain has radically gotten better in the least year or so. I waited for like ~3 years for YBL830 linkages in like 2018-2021. Commodity stuff like the 3xx,4xx, and 6xx parts seem to be much more readily available and ship almost immediately. Or at least that's been my experience over the last decade of ordering Yamaha parts.

You'd probably get a complete bell section much faster. I bet Yamaha prioritizes its own factory work over what goes out for parts.

[mazman]

Never got to measure the Mercedes II f attachment. If one shows up, maybe worth trying on a Bach 16?

I’d love an F valve on my Yamaha 891ZD, but the cost is steep, since I cant test it I would need to order a brand new bell section to avoid the potential of messing up my current horn. Even if I could source the parts, would take almost a year to get it done properly?

Interested in a small Bach with a G attachment and dream of owning a Mount Vernon 16B, but reading it may have a 36 rotor puts me off.

Have never seen a 2B with a valve. Just the old large bell horns labeled 2B. Would also love to find one.

Once saw a Conn 4H with an F attachment— factory made custom, 40s or 50s, art deco. Thought about buying it just for parts but didn’t want to mess with the original. A 6H with a valve would be wonderful.

Rath R2F was great. Sold it, but maybe should’ve just swapped the bell and leadpipe. I would prob go this route if I wanted a boutique modern small bore with F, the voight valve is wonderful.

Thought about the Thein Maxim with F. Would be kind of like a Bach 8 with valve. Was quoted over $7K. Ouch.

Williams 7 valve range sounds like a bass trombone. Wonderful lead jazz horn with access to that bass sound palette? Have never heard another small bore f come close.

Stephens .525 is on route to me— trying that first! Lol.

A 6H with an F attachment is an excellent idea.

[MrHCinDE]

I believe a forum member had a plug-in tuning slide valve made which fits a 6h and 48h. Non-destructive and I don‘t believe it would cost that much different to getting a permanent/modular valve fitted.

[Aznguyy]

Never got to measure the Mercedes II f attachment. If one shows up, maybe worth trying on a Bach 16?

I’d love an F valve on my Yamaha 891ZD, but the cost is steep, since I cant test it I would need to order a brand new bell section to avoid the potential of messing up my current horn. Even if I could source the parts, would take almost a year to get it done properly?

Interested in a small Bach with a G attachment and dream of owning a Mount Vernon 16B, but reading it may have a 36 rotor puts me off.

Have never seen a 2B with a valve. Just the old large bell horns labeled 2B. Would also love to find one.

Once saw a Conn 4H with an F attachment— factory made custom, 40s or 50s, art deco. Thought about buying it just for parts but didn’t want to mess with the original. A 6H with a valve would be wonderful.

Rath R2F was great. Sold it, but maybe should’ve just swapped the bell and leadpipe. I would prob go this route if I wanted a boutique modern small bore with F, the voight valve is wonderful.

Thought about the Thein Maxim with F. Would be kind of like a Bach 8 with valve. Was quoted over $7K. Ouch.

Williams 7 valve range sounds like a bass trombone. Wonderful lead jazz horn with access to that bass sound palette? Have never heard another small bore f come close.

Stephens .525 is on route to me— trying that first! Lol.

A 6H with an F attachment is an excellent idea.

Wouldn't the Shires Marshall Gilkes Model with F attachment fit the bill? The specs would all be the same.

[johntarr]

A 6H with an F attachment is an excellent idea.

Wouldn't the Shires Marshall Gilkes Model with F attachment fit the bill? The specs would all be the same.

Kühnl & Hoyer makes a “Bart van Lier” model, .512 bore with an F-attachment. The braces look very comfortable and you can adjust the trigger paddle. I would love to try one. In the past, I had several young students playing on rented Kühnl & Hoyer altos and they were solid horns and easy to play. Has anyone tried one of the van Lier models?

[octavposaune]

I have seen a MV 16B,

The F attachment was absolutely NOT. A 36b part. All wrap.parts were one off hand bent pieces and the wrap did not have an E pull, the U bend part was super long to fit in the narrow chassis of a 16. I dont remember the custom lever but it was very non ergonomic and the narrow slide sucked.

I suspect people have made 16Bs with 36 valve sections but this factory job was not that.

I bought some .547" rotor stuff from Kanstul in 2011-2012 to build a 16COM for myself and got side tracked for the last 12 years since working with Instrument Innovations. Maybe I will build that someday.... Anyways, many trombones have valve tubing bores about 30 thousandths bigger than slide bore, so with a .509" bore I thought .547 would be OK.

Benn