Kühnl & Hoyer Bart van Lier .480/88" MKII BZ

This is another BvL trombone having the same 480/88” bore profile, but being the “Personal” BZ model rather than the “Basic” one.

As far as I can tell, the main differences between them are that the bell is slightly larger, the Rose brass slide is lighter, and the balance weight is a two part design.

As you would expect with the bell and slide material differences, this horn plays in a more mellow manner, with softer articulations and a slightly warmer low end. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have any bite when required, and like the “Basic” model it blends and leads beautifully in a small horn section. I haven’t played it it in a big band setting, so I can’t comment on that.

I like the lighter slide, and find that in the context of the whole instrument it lends itself more to ballad playing especially when using a slide vibrato.

The build quality, solder joints, lacquer finish is excellent and the slide is a 10, but had to clean it it quite a few times before it gave its' best action.

I found that it wasn’t necessary to use both weights and after trying different combinations I settled with just the “KUHNL” branded one on it’s own in the lower position. I suspect that the standard round weight would work just as well..

The not so good.. Between buying the two horns, K+H changed the bell/slide lock design meaning that I can’t swop slides, this a shame because I’d liked to have tried the rose brass slide with the smaller bell of the Basic model. I could send the whole instrument back to the factory and have it converted, but I don’t believe it to be cost effective.

Is this horn for you? Like the Basic model, this is made for a specific task, I wouldn’t say that it’s an “all round” instrument. I'm glad that I have both models, but if I could only have one, it would be this BZ Personal model.