The trombone was developed in the 15th century and has not changed in essence since. The early trombone was made of hand-beaten tubing formed from sheet brass and seamed; the joints were not fully soldered up, but were made to be easily dis-assembled for cleaning and packing away the instrument; the joints were sealed with wax. The main acoustical difference from the later trombone was the smaller bell flare. The trombone in Britain the 16th and 17th centuries was known as the `sackbut' and this word is often used today for the early trombone whether British or not.
The mouthpiece in these recordings is (2696) Mouthpiece for tenor trombone (Büchel, Bonn, c 1984), a copy of the Schnitzer mouthpiece in Nice.
Previous ownership: At one time in the factory museum of Bohland and Fuchs, Graslitz.
Current ownership: Purchased in 1986 with assistance from the Government's Local Museums Purchase Fund, the National Art-Collections Fund and two other trusts.
EUCHMI Acquisition number: (2695)
Technical description: Brass. Flat bell stay loosely pinned at bell pipe end. Tubular slide stays; stay of outer loosely fixed at both ends and itself telescopic. String ring at bell bow. Weight of bell section 313.5g, of inner slide 273g, of outer slide 334.5g. When assembled, the tapered tenon of the slide section is inserted 32.5mm into the tapered socket of the bell section.
Inscriptions: Inscribed on bell garland "MACHT ANTONI SCHNITZE MDLXXXXIIII". Also stamped on bell "BOHLAND & FUCHS / GRASLITZ / 9".
Decorative features: Bell stay engraved. Bell section ferrules with foliage design. Slide section ferrules decorated with turned incisions.
Repair history: Sleeved under tear in mouthpipe, 333-367 from mouthpiece receiver end. The slide section is possibly later. The instrument was restored by Gottfried Büchel, Bonn, c 1984.
Usable pitch: With mouthpiece (2696) plays in Bb nearly 100 cents above A4 = 440 Hz; with modern-style sackbut mouthpiece plays at c 80 cents above A4 = 440 Hz; or in A at c 180 cents above A4 = 440 Hz.
New mouthpiece (2696) made for this instrument c 1984.
MYERS, A., 1997. The Horn function and brass instrument character. In CARTER, S. ed., Perspectives in Brass Scholarship: Proceedings of the International Brass Symposium, Amherst, 1995. New York: Pendragon, 1997, pp.249-250
Galpin Society Journal Vol. 39, 1986, p.145
Musical Instruments [multimedia]; Dorling Kindersley (Microsoft), 1993
Workshop drawing by R. Parks published by the Collection, 1994
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This page updated: 29.10.08