1979 Yamaha YSL 648

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While this isn’t the first horn I played  (that was an Olds Super like this one), it is the first horn I owned. My folks got it for me when I started high school.

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The Yamaha 648 was a copy of the venerable Conn 88h and one of their early forays into professional level trombones .

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The nickel plating is pitted and worn on my horn, but you can still see the elegant lines and attention to detail employed by Yamaha .

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The 648 is a Bb/F tenor with a .547″ bore and a 8.5″ diameter bell.

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The very restrained logo and model of the horn is found on the upper slide.

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This horn had some problems with the slide pitting in the 80s so I had the inner & outer slides on one side replaced. you can still see the repair 30 years later.

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The classic 88h  wrap. The 648 doesn’t have the same level of ornamentation but it does have a lovely, clean esthetic .

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I’ve traveled some with this horn.

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My Dutch “People’s Petition” Ban the Bomb sticker that was on my case for most of my military career.

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My Yamaha 648 when I was about 16.

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The 648 in studio.