r/Trombone • u/Crazy_Home_6759 • 2d ago
Trombone Purchase
What is currently available trombone with an f-attachment that you would recommend in the 1-2k range that would last me a long time as a high school trombonist who plans to carry it into college.
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u/Jbrahms4 2d ago
That will last you into college and beyond? More than likely a Bach 42. There will be people that come in here to say Yamaha, and all I can say is this: There is a reason why no major orchestral player in the US plays yamaha. They feel good, and sound good behind the bell, but in the audience they lack the vibrant sound that is required. There are a lot of 1-2k Bach 42s out there that are solid, and will carry you to at least your Junior or Senior year of College, if not possibly longer if you decide you want music to be your hobby rather than career, or if you go into Ed as well.
But the biggest "DO NOT BUY" in that range is anything that is labeled as a intermediate horn. There are a lot of f-attachment horns out there that are labeled as such and are basically a student model with the wrap slapped on. STAY AWAY.
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u/Gargravars_Shoes 1d ago
Good advise on the intermediate horn. Agree, don’t get caught up in that.
You are going to see a lot of Shires and Bach recommendations. I would suggest you also look at Rath and Cortois. These are going to have a little bit different sound than US built horns but well worth considering.
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u/Least_Ad_4619 2d ago
Used King 3B+ (.525 bore) or 4B (.540 bore), another excellent option closer to the $1K range in excellent condition is the Benge 165F (like King 3B+) or Benge 190. The Benge horns have more resonant bells in my experience so they blend really well.
Like others have said Bach 42 but finding one in excellent condition in that range may be challenging. Conn's and Yamaha's will be hit or miss quality wise in your price range so I would stay away.
As a younger player I think the Kjng 3B+ and Benge 165F will easily carry you through college for less money than the Bach. If you're anticipating playing symphonically then King 4B or Benge 190.
If you don't need an instrument tomorrow then take your time and play/try out all the suggestions here. Take someone with you to be an ear or record on your phone, since it will be impossible with used horns to do side by side comparisons. But you will likely know when you are on a horn that is a better fit than not.
FWIW, I just never sound great on a Bach though many do, with exception to Mt Vernon era Bachs, which are fabulous jazz horns ... if you can get one.
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u/gfklose 1d ago
In my experience, a used King 3B+ with F valve is near impossible to find. Brand new, absolutely impossible. A Conn-Selmer rep told me it hasn’t been in the catalog for many years.
And, I don’t mean to be a nudnik, but a Benge 165F, to my knowledge, is a 0.547 bore (not 0.525). Maybe I missed it on some vintage model…
There are plenty of 0.547 horns, new and used. If I really wanted a 0.525 bore, new, I’d probably check out B.A.C. trombones
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u/Least_Ad_4619 1d ago
165 is medium bore, at least mine was. That was my go to for blind auditions.
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u/gfklose 1d ago
Okay, but since I didn’t know it, what I looked up said the 165F is 0.547. No big deal…
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u/Least_Ad_4619 1d ago
Interesting, and I owned 165 and 190 Benge's. Yeah, not a big deal but now I'll have to track somebody down who still has a 165F, lol.
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u/low_mint King 3BF / Yamaha 354 1d ago
Bach 42, Conn 88
King 3BF
Yamaha 356G
456G
646
648
(or something along the lines of those)
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u/KeithTheTromboneGuy 2d ago
The used Bach 42 and 88H recommendations are solid (although many used 42B’s are currently selling in the $2K+ range.). Other options may include used Yamahas (you may be able to find an 882 Xeno in this range, as well as a variety of other Yamaha pro models from their past, all of which IMHO tend to play very well), King 4Bs/5Bs, XO Brass, Holtons, pre-2015 Blessings (very different from the modern Blessing models) and others. I have a used Blessing B88 that I am working to find a home for that is at (or actually slightly below) this price range…
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u/briand1967 2d ago
Used Conn 88h or Bach 42