Conn 80H Special New Symphony
Date: 1933. Owned by Gary Sloane
This is a very rare trombone: very few of these were ever made, possibly only two. It is my understanding that this instrument was custom made for Vincent Clarke when he was principal trombonist in the NBC Symphony of the Air, under Toscanini. The slide is marked 78H (see separate listing), the bell section is marked 80H SPEC. The "regular" 80H has the tuning slide in the slide, but since the 78H doesn't the tuning slide here is in the bell. My own guess is that the bell section is a combination of a 78H bell section (for the bell tuning slide) and an 80H bell section (for the F attachment). Originally it didn't have a slide lock, but it has been refitted with 88H-style spring barrels and an interchangeable leadpipe.