Intermediate Horn Recommendation

[Excessivelyloud]

Hi all!

I am currently advancing forward with my trombone playing, and am looking for a good medium to medium-large bore f-attachment trombone to upgrade to as an intermediate horn to play should I get into university. I would not be a trombone major however, just a composition major with trombone as my instrument. I have a small selection of horns I have narrowed down that are within my current budget of 2500 aud (about 1900usd), but I do not know enough about them to make an informed decision. I am coming from a ysl152 which sufficed me for all of my high school years.

Also, from where I am in Australia, I do not have as much option to look for second hand. I always like to try in person before I buy, so I haven't really considered buying international.

The list I have are:
A second-hand king 607f
A brand new Eastman ETB428MG
A brand new Yamaha YSL-456a

My main questions are:

How is Eastman as a brand? I have seen many mixed reviews online about the company, and a lot of recommendations to find better second hands. As stated however, this option is much less available to me, so would it still be worth going for?

Is there anything in particular I should look for when testing the second hand king? I have been told to be careful of the valve linkage, but I have not used any valves before and am not exactly sure what it should feel like.

I am hopefully going to be testing all these horns to get a feel, but I feel it would be better to get more opinions from people more experienced than I.

Thanks!

[BGuttman]

I hope some of our Ozzie friends can help you. There should be some better options in Oz for your price point.

The King 607 or 608 have string linkages and you should make sure the strings are properly installed and not frayed. Given you are used to a straight horn without a valve, the 607 or 608 should "feel" better since you still have the bell brace between thumb and forefinger, thus supporting the weight of the instrument there. I would hope you could find a King 3B-F or 2125F within your price point -- they are much better Kings.

Instead of the Yamaha 456, consider a used 646, 648, 682, or 684. These were the pro line models before the Xenos or the 620/640.

Eastman now owns S.E. Shires, and has had a relationship for a number of years now. A Shires influenced instrument could be excellent although not all Eastmans are Shires-influenced. I'll let someone who knows describe that model.

If you can manage to find a nice used Benge 190F or 175F, Holton 150 or 158, Conn 79H or 88H; these are top line instruments and would put all of your options to shame.

Good luck.

[mbtrombone]

Former American Music Major perspective if you are planning on going to a University in the US: I would recommend skipping the medium bore horn if you are going to be a classical player. Go for the large bore option. Along those lines I would also consider looking for the “mainstream” horns like a Bach 42B, Conn 88H, or maybe a Getzen 1047F. There are plenty of other horns out there that will be great, but I feel like the majority of Trombone Performance Majors use the horns listed, or something more boutique horns like a Shires, Edwards, or Greenhoe. There are other brands also that are popular Rath, Courtois, or Thein in Europe that you will see every now and then in studio class. In the three studios I have been in the majority of horns have been in order from popular to less: Shires, Bach, Edwards, Getzen, Conn, Greenhoe, Yamaha, Courtois. None of the studios I have been in have had any other horns that I can remember.

Now as far as studying in Australia I would suggest finding out what people are playing in the universities/conservatories in the country that you are interested in. Might be easier to fit into a studio you want to be in if the professor recommends a certain horn or maker. Most won’t, but it might be able to guide you a bit. Hopefully others will have some ideas as well that are from Australia and have studied there.

[Excessivelyloud]

Thanks guys!

Based on responses I got here and elsewhere, I'm going to go try out a Conn 88H tomorrow.. hopefully all goes well with it!

[Posaunus]

I'm going to go try out a Conn 88H tomorrow.. hopefully all goes well with it!

Good choice. Hope it's a good one and that you love it. You may want to experiment with a few different mouthpieces in the 25.4-25.5mm Cup I.D. range to find out what works best for you, but don't let the options drive you crazy - find one that works pretty well for you and stick with it. The 88H is versatile and durable. Play it with pleasure and maintain it with love.

[NickHomes]

What do you think of the Courtois Mezzo series (A260/A280)? Do you think it is worth more than a Yamaha 448 for example, Bach or Jupiter 1150 of the same price? Has anyone tried them? I don't know if it would be considered an intermediate horn...

[comebackplayer]

The Yamaha is probably your best bet in Australia. I think you get better prices on them than in the US.

I also like Taiwanese brass instruments--Jupiter and Carolbrass.