[Dixielandjazz] Valve Bones - a personal view.

[Don Ingle]

I have played a Conn V-bone that I picked out of the line at the Elkhart 
plant in the 60's when I was still in the house band at Chicago's Jazz 
Ltd. on trumpet.
I had played valve bone as a double with the Ted Weems Band --  all the 
trumpet players doubled so there was a four trombone "choir" on some charts.
I took three horns back to Chicago to try out for two weeks, sent two 
back, bought the other and have used it ever since. (Those who have any 
of the LP's or CD's of the Sons Of Bix will hear it on that band (since 
we had the wonderful Bixian cornet sound of Tom Pletcher so other cornet 
players need not apply.) I also played v-bone with Joe Marsala in a 
quintette in Aspen, and onseveral L.A. gigs with Rosy McHargue - not the 
Conn then but an old hock shop Austrian horn I'd picked up for $40 in my 
Senor year at MSU. It played enough to do the job but was a stuffy horn 
that wore one out.
The Conn V-bone is built on an odd combination -- pistons - over-bored - 
are from a trumpet design, the 22-B; the bell is off a Conn 6-H 
trombone, (and hanging on to one all night calls from some arm muscle 
conditioning -- just lots of brass.) But that horn has a sound big 
enough to call in an elk in heat from a mountain away.
As to playing in tune - all brass instruments require you to use ear and 
lip control, as there are areas within any horn that are less in tune 
than others. The constant player learns to lip for these instinctively - 
especially the low D and C sharp on trumpet/cornet. Some horns have a 
trigger that will add length to the third valve tuning slide, but most 
players just lip it by practice.
As to other intonation and volume problems, go back to playing right  -- 
as in getting enough air into you to support the air stream -- suck it 
down to fill the bottom of the gut and use the diaphragm muscles to 
support it. Practice playing sustained long tones, soft to loud to soft 
again, and lots of them, and much of this problem will disappear. 
Fundamentals still count on any horn and especially a brass one.

Yamaha has made a decent V bone -- Reynold made them and they were, in 
my humble opinion, a waste of good brass. Each player must decide what 
sounds right and plays well for himself. Satisfy yourself first, then 
play your best and stand.
At least for a change there has been talk about V-bones  without the 
usual 'put down' as to not belonging in a trad band. Valve trombones are 
what they are - and in the hands of a player that puts in the time and 
effort, can be capable of very good jazz - in any jazz band, trad or 
not. (I evoke the memory of the Condon's with  Brad Gowans or Frank 
Orchard as my best examples.)
My opinions --- that's all they are. Having gicen them, I too will stand.
Don Ingle