From horton.raymond at gmail.com  Thu Oct 19 17:32:21 2023
From: horton.raymond at gmail.com (Raymond Horton)
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2023 18:32:21 -0400
Subject: [Trombone-l] Is the Blessing Large bore still a good horn?
Message-ID: <FD2CE0C1-D404-4C8B-BEC0-AC38ADCB18F5@gmail.com>

Back in the 90s or so, when I had a bunch of students buying large bore trim bones w F attachment, I remember feeling that the Blessing was about 90% of the quality of the Bach 42B for about 55% of the price. Is it still true?

Raymond Horton
Composer/Arranger 
Minister of Music, 
Edwardsville (IN) United Methodist Church
Retired Bass Trombonist,
Louisville Orchestra, 1970-2016

From daryl at burchinteractive.com  Thu Oct 19 17:50:56 2023
From: daryl at burchinteractive.com (Daryl Burch)
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2023 15:50:56 -0700
Subject: [Trombone-l] Is the Blessing Large bore still a good horn?
In-Reply-To: <FD2CE0C1-D404-4C8B-BEC0-AC38ADCB18F5@gmail.com>
References: <FD2CE0C1-D404-4C8B-BEC0-AC38ADCB18F5@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <1AE08E55-2C12-4D64-9CE9-12E7BF87BAF3@burchinteractive.com>

When I was shopping for my college horn, I spent a couple of hours at Lentine?s Music in Akron, OH, trying out their wall of trombones. Landed on the Blessing B88 with F and rose brass bell. Absolutely loved the way it played. And almost bought it. But in the back of my head was all my teachers chiming in saying ?If you?re serious about playing trombone, you gotta get a Bach 42B.? (Which was +$500 more.) 

I caved and bought the Bach. 

Then, I get to my 1st lesson at Cincinnati with Tony Chipurn. And the 1st thing he says is?. ?Huh. You shoulda bought a Conn 88H.? DOH!! ????

Played the Bach for +30yrs and never really liked my sound on it. And upper register was always stuffy/challenging. 

Until recently, when on a visit to Nashville, I tried/bought a JP Rath. And have been loving it!

Lesson: Like wine, go for the one _you_ like.

-D-


> On Oct 19, 2023, at 3:32 PM, Raymond Horton via Trombone-l <trombone-l at trombonelist.org> wrote:
> 
> Back in the 90s or so, when I had a bunch of students buying large bore trim bones w F attachment, I remember feeling that the Blessing was about 90% of the quality of the Bach 42B for about 55% of the price. Is it still true?
> 
> Raymond Horton
> Composer/Arranger 
> Minister of Music, 
> Edwardsville (IN) United Methodist Church
> Retired Bass Trombonist,
> Louisville Orchestra, 1970-2016
> _______________________________________________
> Trombone-l mailing list
> Trombone-l at trombonelist.org
> http://trombonelist.org/mailman/listinfo/trombone-l_trombonelist.org



From chris.waage at gmail.com  Thu Oct 19 17:58:12 2023
From: chris.waage at gmail.com (Chris Waage)
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2023 17:58:12 -0500
Subject: [Trombone-l] Is the Blessing Large bore still a good horn?
In-Reply-To: <FD2CE0C1-D404-4C8B-BEC0-AC38ADCB18F5@gmail.com>
References: <FD2CE0C1-D404-4C8B-BEC0-AC38ADCB18F5@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <CAGGYxj5xY8OS1vGqE1x7RYNOmc0-x38i_E7PBfcc3RqSmHjHLw@mail.gmail.com>

My personal opinion, which along with $2 will get you a nice drink at Quik
Trip.

The old Blessing horns were made by the Blessing Company.  Budget-level
instruments, usually copies of other brands.  B-88 was a direct copy of the
Conn 88H.  I seem to remember hearing they bought Conn mandrels when Conn
moved to Abilene, TX, but I can't confirm that.  I do know their
double-rotor bass trombone was an exact copy of a Bach 50B3.  The
reassembled horn was floating around for sale back in the late 1980s or
1990s.

The "new" Blessing company is owned by St. Louis Music.  They used to be a
great company, selling guitars, basses, amps, etc.  I think they used to
own Ampeg, but again, that's trusting my memory so odds are I'm wrong.

The current Blessing horns are Chinese stencil instruments, so they're hit
or miss.  I tell my students that the Chinese-made stencil instruments are
much like gas station sushi - you might get some great stuff, you might get
food poisoning.

I'd avoid them.  Go with a good used 42B, 88H, B-350, etc.  The hard part
is convincing students that the "ooh, shiny" factor doesn't mean the
instrument is worth buying.

Again, my opinions - your mileage will vary.

Chris

On Thu, Oct 19, 2023 at 5:33?PM Raymond Horton via Trombone-l <
trombone-l at trombonelist.org> wrote:

> Back in the 90s or so, when I had a bunch of students buying large bore
> trim bones w F attachment, I remember feeling that the Blessing was about
> 90% of the quality of the Bach 42B for about 55% of the price. Is it still
> true?
>
> Raymond Horton
> Composer/Arranger
> Minister of Music,
> Edwardsville (IN) United Methodist Church
> Retired Bass Trombonist,
> Louisville Orchestra, 1970-2016
> _______________________________________________
> Trombone-l mailing list
> Trombone-l at trombonelist.org
> http://trombonelist.org/mailman/listinfo/trombone-l_trombonelist.org
>


-- 
*Chris Waage, DMA                      *
        Adjunct Instructor of Trombone, Euphonium, and Tuba, Temple College
        Freelance teacher, clinician. and low brass artist