bloke wrote: Mon Oct 06, 2025 1:36 pm
I was way up in the nosebleed seats but I'm certain that the trombonists were playing the traditional German-style trombones (with the F-attachment rotor mounted several inches back from the playing slide receiver...such as this:
(clear/bright sound...less effort / more clarity / sounded like trombones, instead of sounding like English baritones being overblown)
Also -- the snakes.
IIRC, fancier snakes were used when times were good, less fancy snakes when times were tough, and if it was East German... verboten besides a minimal amount of snakes not to be fancy, but to keep appearances.
I had a chance to buy a German trombone like that (with a NICE fat kranz, fancy snakes, great shape) from a music shop in NYC back when I lived there. It was fun to play, and listed as "bass trombone", which the bell size supported that classification, but otherwise it was more like tenor-bass. I liked it a lot, but as a tuba player, I doubted if it was worth buying.
I think it cost about $800, and I nearly bought it, but decided to think about it. I talked to a trombone friend if it was worth buying, and thought he said "don't buy it, even if it was the last one on Earth." Woof. Saved myself $800 and a lot of hassle there.
Some time later, I came to find out he actually said "buy it, like it was the last one on Earth." It's been about 15 years and I've never seen another one.
Not like it would have been suitable for regular use, but still...
Whoops.
