A Rare Beast

[putzgadol]

i had the honor to play alongside mr. crewe during a pso "community side by side" where

an amateur musician sits next to a member of the pso.

not only is he a remarkable classical trombonist, he is an outstanding jazz player. more

importantly he's jus a nice guy who liked my jokes

[guitarboyemk]

@ExternalGod actually tenor and bass trombone are both pitched the same. Swedpander is correct. What makes a bass trombone is in fact a larger bore/bell, or in some cases, the addition of a second trigger along with the size differences. Bass and tenor are both pitched in Bb. What makes this contrabass unique is the fact that it's in BBb, the same as a tuba, when they are usually pitched in F.

[venskus2009]

he cant play that on his bass trombone? i dont play bass trombone, but ive heard people on youtube cleanly drop an octave below that... i guess since he had it, he used it? still pretty damn awesome.

[ExternalGod]

Besides all the other crap I'm curious how much this thing would be worth in USD? I'm almost scared to know.. Especially since he put it on the FLOOR.. I'd have it in a glass case even when I'd be playing it lmao.

[ExternalGod]

Oh and without the Gb loop on bass trombones you can't produce a B1 natural. It will be a FALSE TONE.

[ExternalGod]

Swedpander

You are full of crap learn what you're talking about. Large bore tenor trombones have a bore of .547(usually) and have an F attachment... An extra loop on the side of the bell.

Just because the bore size is larger doesn't make it a BASS tenor or whatever you're saying they both are pitched exactly the same. Bass trombones are pitched lower than a tenor (duh) and contrabass an octave lower than bass. Now please go kill yourself.

[EdwardDLeonard]

I love that you looked in Bravo Franco first!

[Ch1k3n112233]

LOL tuba @ 1:05 "WHOAH........"

[trombonejazzer]

you know that is probably the most amazing trombone ive ever seen. having only 3 in the world and having 1 in your posession must be a privalge. i mean im honored just being able to see a trombone like that

[SkinnerFavre]

ballzy

[thewelford]

It's a cool horn; but the intro is too long.

[Patbad73]

There could be more than three if someone got off their lazy ass and made some more.

[dhuuhd3]

i play tenor bass in jazz band.......one trigger, are base trombones hard to come by? how much do they cost? where do you get a contra trom?

[tkhawkeye]

@dhuuhd3 I am a bass trombone player. Bass trombones are not at all hard to come by. Standard companies like Yamaha or Conn will set you back 1400 to 4000. A premium brand like Edwards or S.E. Shires start around that price and the sky is the limit. The average is around 5500. I love my Edwards. A contra bass, on the other hand, is very rare indeed. They are often custom ordered and not often sold. Look to start around 6000 (Miraphone) and they can cost much much more.

[pedropedaltones]

@dhuuhd3 Tenor Bass? What is that supposed to mean? aahahahahaha

[Swedbander]

@pedropedaltones A tenor-bass trombone is a trombone with the tube length (pitch) of a tenor trombone, but with the bore, bell and mouthpiece of a (true) bass trombone. It also has valve(s) to make it able to play the full range of the bass trombone. Today the tenor-bass (in Bb) is so common, and the true bass trombone (in F, Eb or G) so rare, that pretty much everyone calls it just bass trombone.

An analogy would be the contrabass trombones in F, which technically are bass-contrabasses.

[pedropedaltones]

@Swedbander Ok, thanks for the lesson. You learn something new every day

[bassdrumbone64]

I wish I found that in my "bass"ment raaaahahahahah

[58scallop]

is there any way I could get in contact with Murray Crewe? I am interested in making a wooden replica of this similar to my other playable wooden instruments.

[unidaddy]

@58scallop If you go to the Pittsburgh Symphony website and look up Murray in the musicians section I think there's a link to his e-mail address. Good luck! I have to admit that I though this comment was a hoax from a friend........I looked at your video of the carved horn and was astounded!!! Unbelievably impressive work!!

[vantagestudios]

I think the money he spent seems more important to him than the instrument itself.

[bassboneUNC]

@vantagestudios wow you cynical loser, respect the instrument.

[vantagestudios]

@bassboneUNC

Just callin' em as I see em. He seemed kinda puffy about it. Immodest.

[LLJtbone]

@vantagestudios It shows real lack of character for you to call somebody out, calling them a "cynical loser". He is voicing his opinion as he has a right too! I agree with bassboneunc, I think the guy is a bit stuck up about the horn. It's cool that it's that old but it's pretty impractical for every day use. It belongs is a museum plain and simple. And this is not disrespecting the horn!

[BKrystall]

The Contrabass Trombone has the same exact range as a BBb Tuba.

[Justintime4math]

That depends on a number of things, first, is this a Bb Contrabass trombone, or an F? Second, how good is the person playing it, I am a fairly experienced Tuba player and I can get to about pedal Ab/G just off the Piano, aka Ab0/G0 on Tuba. One of Stravinsky's pieces calls for the Tuba to play a 32' C (C-1?), usually done with a timed flutter tongue rather than by buzzing one's lips as is normally done.

[Drworm89]

It is a rare BBb Contrabass Trombone made by Conn.

[Justintime4math]

Ok so the best way to put it I think is that the have the same overtone series (or the same fundamental, which implies the former)

[TheStevetrom]

but the difference is that a contra bass trom is cool !

[boneofthewang]

That is soooo awesome lol

And I thought that a regular bass trombone was already the fart master

[Philbatrom]

its such a beautiful instrument

[LLJtbone]

That's one monster tbone. Interesting, thanks for posting that.

[metallibass95]

Is everybody on here aware that Miraphone produces the exact replica of that Conn Contrabass Trombone except Miraphone's is only available in yellow brass finish. It is the Miraphone MI57F Contrabass Trombone. And I have no idea why everybody wants to use trombone/bass trombone mouthpieces on that particular horn because tuba mouthpieces actually sound the best. The larger throat and deeper cup really darken and mellow the brightness of it and allows it to blend very well.

[kikeking01]

i have 2 trombones

[lagooned]

OMG... i want it.

[sgtpepper1138]

ahhhh CONN, what can you say

[mrp00nani]

Mahaphy Theatre in Florida i think o.o dont no how to spell Mahaphy

[Blitzhild]

That bell flair is beastly...they should have made it a vocabell xD

[captonmoo22]

How much does it cost ?

[Matt123ttam]

who needs tuba when you can have a contrabass trombone!!

[Bobofwestoregonusa]

tuba is bass, the contra bass trombone is great for those pedals and stuff, but its not a nice complement to most bands. Id love to have one in marching band, that would be awesome, or a jazz ensamble, but in an orchastra or something of that nature. Great for a jazz bassline though, or playing even possibly in place of the sousaphones in a show stlye marching band.

[OliverKahnNr1]

Basically a contrabass trombone is a contrabass tuba - a bass trombone is a bass tuba in B - a tenor trombone is a tuba in F. Anywhere close with those guesses?

[GunzTheDuel]

lets not mix conical with cylindrical.

[BlueCougar]

Sure, and a tuba is basically a cow. The contrabass trombone mixes far better with the trombone choir than the tuba does. The tuba mixes better with the french horn section. Those are two different instruments, with different timbres.

[Waffl3Pr0ducti0ns]

Wow... my friend played a trombone that was around 50 years old and i thought THAT was alot... this... O.o just blows my mind! Double slided too, and goes low enough to count every vibration XD. Nice... just... Nice

[Drag0ncl0ud]

I don't think it's quite low enough to count the vibrations yet. A over middle C is 440 beats per second so the second position A on this is 3 octaves lower (55 beats per second).

I'm guessing the low C on 6th position w/ trigger would be approx 30 beats per sec. still hard to count. I think two more octaves down would do the trick though.

[OliverKahnNr1]

If bass trombones can hit E1 with no triggers, this BEAST should be able to do E0 (seventh position, although I have no idea if slide positions match with double slides ones), if it is an actual perfect octave lower.

[jjohn211]

how much did he pay for it ... jw... and that is a beast lol

[saber7jrs]

1902!!!!! HOLY CRAP!!!

[Wilsox]

When I picked that type of horn up in 2003 ITF trombone festival I can only play two notes on that thing.

[moose1252]

How much did he pay for it? I thought the trumpet miss on the scale was kinda funny at 2:58.

[stopandthink22]

I wonder if that was George Vosburgh that screwed up that scale

[musicalkat01]

George does not screw up, dear.

[stopandthink22]

A couple things: 1. Everybody screws up, even Bud Herseth. 2. I don't think never screwing up is actually a good thing either because all it proves is that you are not taking chances, you're playing it safe, and i wouldn't really want that in my first trumpet : )

[yuichituba]

very well made mini-documentary. Such an interesting instrument. It does have its own sound.

[tepposal]

You should play the whole piece with that, not only the glissando;)

[Polishjazzman]

I played bass bone in jazz band in high school. That thing is indeed a monster. I'm now on a little '57 King 2B. A pea shooter in comparison. Thanks for the vid!

[franticslide]

What lungs...But a beauty...Thank you for sharing.

[beastful]

what kind of tuba is that?

[2007musiKman15]

Nice vid guys...but...Ill like to hear him play IT! thanXs like i said Great vid... Awsome tromBone!

[SuperbTrombonist]

I want One!!!!

[JasoniumGH]

wow. roger bobo used it! hes amazing

[contraplayah]

i didn't even know those existed lol. thats one mean trombone.

[godoofakeman]

contrabass trombone is really a tuba with a slide lol

[alildrumhappy]

i wouldn't doubt it.. lol..

[brigaw]

I would like it to replace tuba more often... hehehe

[GunzTheDuel]

i dont think you can really replace it since the sound is different. The tuba has a larger and fuller sound (cause of the bore size and the tuba being conical). A good example would be in "Ride of the Valkyries" when the entire brass section plays the melody.

[brigaw]

replace it as the bass instrument. Tuba is very very different, yes, i just really like edgy bass trombone notes whereas the tuba is mellow.

[BigFlipFlap]

Why not both? The mellowness of the tuba and the broadness of the contrabass trombone.

[alildrumhappy]

wow, i would love to have a trombone like that... i dont even play trombone... lol..

[smoothben11]

lol your nice lol @(-_-)@

[alildrumhappy]

now i can play.. my friend taught me... ha.. so yeah id love a contra bass trombone like that....

[bassbone1785]

contras take about the air; bass bones basically are tenor bones w/ bigger bell, more valves, and bigger bore. Typically.

[LouTube2007]

Very cool. Gotta love old horns.

[MexMuleProductions]

Don't you need a special license to operate one those those?

Great video...thanks posting!

[bbone07]

anyone know where i can buy one?

[4ndreasH]

I love that Bartok!

[silver3B]

Ah....it could have be worst, it could have been a contraAccordion. That's a lots of brass.

Kidding aside....pretty cool video. Thank you, Murray Crewe and the PSO for posting.

Anthony

[Burgerbob22]

Actually, contrabass bones aren't all that rare, just the old Conns are.

[bbone07]

god... i want one of them, lol wounder how much he paid for it o.O

[BigAssTuba]

I've always wanted a slide tuba!

[BigFlipFlap]

thats a cotra =o

[hgghaerge123]

THats a pretty rare trombone.