TromboneChat

I am looking for a trombone for my son, who is a beginning player. I can across a Conn that I cannot identify. It is a Conn with a F attachment and has "C.G. Conn", "Artist" and "LTD" on the bell. I am attaching a pic of it. Can anyone help?

If he is really a beginner this may be a bit much for him. The usual starter instrument from Conn is labeled "Director".

There should be a model number where the slide joins the bell. It's usually one or two digits followed by H (H stands for slide trombone). My best guess might be a 52H, but pictures of the shape of the F-attachment could help a lot.

Does your son have an instrument now and wants something better? Or is this the first instrument just starting out?

Lots of thigs that can be important in your choice

This is his first instrument. We were wanting to get a good used trombone that he could use until high school and let him decide if he wants to get a new(er) one then, but since posting, I've learned that the band director prefers all the trombone players to get the YSL-448G, so we are scrambling now to try to find a good used Yamaha.

BoneDad wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2019 5:47 pm This is his first instrument. We were wanting to get a good used trombone that he could use until high school and let him decide if he wants to get a new(er) one then, but since posting, I've learned that the band director wants all the trombone players to get the YSL-448G, so we are scrambling now to try to find a good used Yamaha.

Really? A band director wants to put beginning players on over priced intermediate large bore tenor trombones?

What a waste. For one thing, for just a little bit more, you could get the full professional YSL-620, a much better horn, IMHO.

Why all the same horn? Are they marching already?

My response to the high school band director would be, if you want that particular one, the school should provide it. If a band director is insisting on that, I would seriously be questioning their skill as a band director. As a music educator, that kind of stuff seriously ticks me off.

To identify that trombone - if you pull the handslide out a bit there will be a model number ending in"H" on the top of the outer slide

And the band director is an idiot

No, they won't start marching until 8th grade (he's in 6th grade now).

I am also looking at the used 620s, but we had not quite budgeted $1,500 for just a starter horn.

BoneDad wrote: ↑Wed Sep 04, 2019 12:42 pm No, they won't start marching until 8th grade (he's in 6th grade now).

I know when I started playing trumpet many, many years ago my first horn was an older Conn (looked terrible but played great) and at the start of 9th grade I moved up to a nice new Claude Gordon Benge (back when they were making them in LA). It's kinda what I had in mind for our son until we spoke with the director.

I am also looking at the used 620s, but we had not quite budgeted $1,500 for just a starter horn.

As a trombone dad myself, I wouldn't spend $1500 for a starter horn either. Based on advice from the old tromboneforum when I did this years ago, I'd look for a decent used Yamaha YSL-354, which can be had for less than $200. It's a well-made small bore horn that tends to be pretty consistent from horn to horn. It will be easier to play for a young student starting out which is critical on getting students to stick with it. If he advances and wants to stick with it, then maybe look at getting something else in the future.

After we got my son a large bore a couple years later, we kept that Yamaha for a beater for marching band (which is really the way it should be) and for playing lead in jazz band. It eventually got traded in for a King 3B for jazz and then he just borrowed school horns for marching band.

I agree with all the advice above about starting on a student horn.

Also, as a beginner player, he probably is yet to develop an instinct for holding onto the slide above whatever else is happening around him (e.g. stands falling over, music starting to fall off the stand, other kids colliding with him when setting up etc.) Until that instinct is fully developed (probably at least a few months) be prepared for some damage to the slide which will need repairing and cosmetically may never be the same. The disappointment from this happening will be less if he's not playing what was bought as a new or "as new" instrument.

Dave

Thank you all for the great advice. It really helped to hear your thoughts.

A kid starting out has no business with a large bore instrument. Let them develop their chops over time then move up.

Stick to your guns. Have your band director explain his/her reasoning for being specific about what horn to get. IMHO, a good used student horn is what I would start a kid on. Avoid the new Chinese clones on ebay - they may be shiny, new, and cheap, but won't last or play well. Yamaha YSL-354, King 606, etc. that hasn't been beat on. I bought and sold several good Yams, Kings, Holtons, and Getzen student horns for under $200. If the director insists on an F attachment horn, a used King 607 is a good horn of the same bore that can be had for less than the Yamaha. Several are on ebay right now. Good luck which whatever horn you buy.