What is it?

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 11:53 pm

Looks to me like a 4 valve bass valve trombone, with a sousaphone neck modified to connect the bell and valves, and using a sousaphone bit for the receiver.

Just my opinion/feeling, however. Don't have anything solid to back that up...

Art Hovey · Post by **Art Hovey** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 11:57 pm

It's called a "cimbasso".
The one that I tried was not satisfying to play.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 12:57 am

Art Hovey wrote:It's called a "cimbasso".
The one that I tried was not satisfying to play.

Played like a brick with a mouthpiece stuck in it? That's been my experience, anyway. I wonder if a mouthpiece with a very small throat might improve things a bit.

bububassboner · Post by **bububassboner** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:07 am

Does it play in F or Bb?

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:43 am

Adam Peck wrote:A Cimbasso is a valved contrabass trombone. Is this a contrabass or bass trombone?

It looks like it's keyed in F/Eb. Not enough there for BBb to my eye. If it's Italian, could very well be Eb.

"Cimbasso" is a very subjective term--some folks consider a bass trombone fair game for the word.

gregsundt · Post by **gregsundt** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 10:41 am

That is, in fact, a cimbasso. Most are in F. These were invented to give an option to the first Tbone player in an opera orchestra if he really hated the tuba player (bell too big, out of tune, trenchmouth, etc.)

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 12:06 pm

These were also used in Italian marching bands as something convenient for the bass trombone player to march with. Some of those are in Eb.

skinnytuba · Post by **skinnytuba** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 12:55 pm

I've heard cimbassos were also used in pit orchestras for operas where the bass trombonist might not have had enough room for the slide.

Kyle Turner · Post by **Kyle Turner** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:18 pm

The use of the Cimbasso is on the rise. I recently bought one from Sam Gnagey. In the past couple of years, I have been called 4 or 5 times to play Cimbasso. The real surprise is that it is becoming popular on movie soundtracks. The other calls are for mostly older Italian Operas.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 10:51 pm

James Gourlay has written an interesting paper about the cimbasso and Verdi:

http://www.jamesgourlay.com/downloads/j ... _paper.pdf

Ace · Post by **Ace** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 11:09 pm

http://www.amati.cz/english/production/ ... _576Cg.htm