Conn 8H Elkhart Tenor Trombone Used

Item Details

This is a Conn 8H large bore tenor trombone made by the C.G. Conn company in Elkhart, Indiana, USA.  The serial number dates it to about 1965. 

From the collection of LA trombonist George Thatcher, this classic 8H is low miles and is in top condition.

The Conn 8H trombone, introduced in 1954 along with the F-rotor 88H, was the favorite orchestral model of Emory Remington, John Marcellus, Denis Wick of the London Symphony Orchestra, Ralph Sauer and Robert Marsteller and Loren Marsteller of the LA Phil, the Cleveland Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic and many more including Bill Booth, Bill Reichenbach, Dave Ryan, Abby Conant, June Satton, Christi Beliki, and onward...

Distinctive features of the 8H included its bronze and nickel hand slide, its red brass bell with unsoldered rim, and spring-loaded cork barrels...maybe because they thought we couldn't hold the slide away from the bumpers by ourselves.

The mouthpiece receiver on this hand slide is for long shank Brown & Sharp taper mouthpieces.  This is "Remington" mouthpiece style.  Shorter Morse taper mouthpieces like Bach do not fit well in this particular instrument.  I tried it and my short shank mouthpiece wobbled annoyingly.  The included long shank Schilke 51 fits fine.  Be aware.

Since the photos this trombone has received an ultrasonic cleaning and slide tune-up by Brass Mavens in Whittier, CA.  It didn't need much.

Condition:  clean and fresh, very good slide action, 100% chrome, no dents, evidence of dent repair to tuning slide, lacquer is good condition but has faded and has marks from handling.

Nice player, slightly more velvety and mellow than the accompanying 88H in this collection.

Includes original Conn hard case and gold plated Schilke 51 mouthpiece.  If you'd like to make an offer for the 8H trombone, please send us a note.

Biography of George Thatcher

George Thatcher, 1953-2024, trombonist, performed as a Hollywood freelance recording and symphonic musician, whose career has transverses a wide variety of styles as well as a number of continents. Since returning to Los Angeles in 1988, Thatcher has recorded for such motion picture luminaries as John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Randy Newman, Thomas Newman and Danny Elfman, on such film as Jurassic Park, Anastasia, Men in Black and the Shawshank Redemption. He records for television, advertising and records, having performed with such artist as Barbara Streisand, Natalie Cole, Neil Diamond, and Frank Sinatra. Thatcher's orchestral associations include performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Long Beach Opera, the Los Angeles Opera, Opera Pacific, the Pacific Symphony, and @the American Ballet Theater, San Francisco and Kirov ballet companies. His work abroad includes positions of principal bass trombone with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra, principal bass trombone with the National Symphony Orchestra of the S.A.B.C., and principal bass trombone with the Orchestra Sinfonica Municipal de Caracas. Thatcher records for Raptoria Caam Records as a solo artist and as principal bass trombone of the Viklarbo Chamber Symphony. An active symphonic soloist, Thatcher recently performed Maria Newman's Concerto for Bass trombone and Orchestra (Peccavi) with both the Viklarbo Chamber Symphony and the Occidental-Caltech Orchestra in Los Angeles. He also appeared as soloist with the Eastern Sierra Symphony Orchestra, the Palisades Symphony and the Chamber George Thatcher Orchestra at St. Matthew's, and has been featured at many well known music festivals nationwide. On the jazz scene, Thatcher has toured extensively with famed trumpeters Harry James and Al Hirt. While residing in Johannesburg, South Africa he recorded two original solo albums for the S.A.B.C. Thatcher's later compact discs include "Even Call Girls Get the Blues" and "Terrorist".

-Rene Laanen