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King Duo Gravis Bass Trombone

Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2020 4:33 pm
by ParLawGod
https://trombonechat.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=16828

I've known a number of tubists who use these for jazz horns. Saw this for sale and figured I'd share.

Re: King Duo Gravis Bass Trombone

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 9:31 am
by tclements
That's a great price. I'm trying to sell one, but I need to get $3,000 for mine (that's what I paid for it). PLUS I had mine made into an independant system, Bb/F/Gb/D.

Re: King Duo Gravis Bass Trombone

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 11:10 am
by bort2.0
What does "Gravis" mean, anyway?

Every time I see one of these I think to myself "yep... it's got two Gravisses" :facepalm2:

Re: King Duo Gravis Bass Trombone

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 11:31 am
by bone-a-phone
bort2.0 wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 11:10 am What does "Gravis" mean, anyway?
I think it charitably means "weight" or "heavy" or something to that effect. https://latin-dictionary.net/definition ... ve-gravior There was a story behind how that model got the name, although I can't remember it.

These are relegated to doublers now, as true bass trombonists consider them small for some reason. I owned one for a while and probably should have kept it. Nice horns if they are maintained. The valve tubing is the same size as the slide (562 instead of more common 578 or larger) which I think is where the reputation for being small comes from. Plus, stock, they came with an E valve (instead of D), a badly un-ergonomic double-thumb trigger set up, and they are dependent (instead of independent). So it has a lot going against it in the eyes of some.

$1400 is a good price for a DG with split triggers. $3000 is a bit off the scale. Must be a nice silversonic or something.

Re: King Duo Gravis Bass Trombone

Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 1:07 pm
by DandyZ629
These are great instruments. I certainly wish more bass trombonists would dump the "euphonium with a slide" sound concept. Thankfully some of the very best out there are starting to reject that sound concept, or have never lost it. It's supposed to sound like a trombone. It's supposed to have some bark and bite.

Re: King Duo Gravis Bass Trombone

Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2020 8:09 pm
by bloke
gravis (Latin) I believe...??...means "heavy/weighty".