Olds S-20 Bass Trombone

[Hobart]

Alrighty so, I'm looking around on Reverb for some rather bargain-bin bass trombones when I see an Olds S-20 pop up within a days drive from my house.
Although it was pricey at first, over time the seller has decreased their price to $700. It doesn't look bad, the case is in good shape, with no really obvious dents in it.
There are a couple other Holton TR-183's for a little bit more with a little bit more laquer wear, and even a Martin Manga bass trombone, but these are $900 and I'd have to buy the Holtons caseless and sight unseen.
I don't intend to play professionally, at least in the foreseeable future, as I enter college, but I'd like a lower-end bass so I can keep my skills honed. Would the Olds be good given the price, should I save up a bit more and buy one of the Holtons or the Martin Manga, or should I hold out until something better pops up?

[Elow]

I would just save up and wait until something pops up in the classifieds. I bought a conn 71H for pretty cheap and i would be completely happy playing that for a while. There’s a getzen dependent on ebay for a good ish price i think, might have sold. I’ve talked to the seller about the martin and it seems to be in pretty good condition, but if you want a solid single rotor bass i would get something a little less minty and spend that money on a double rotor.

[FOSSIL]

The Olds is not a good choice for a cheap modern bass trombone and the Martin even less so. If one of the Holtons is early (no brace with emblem in the F wrap) it might be worth a go....gotta be under $1000... I just sold a good 185 spec Holton for $1000...and that was more of a horn than any 183.

Chris

[hyperbolica]

To elaborate on Chris' comment, the S-20 has a dual bore (555/565) TIS slide, and the slide is the heaviest I've ever used (check the slide weight thread). It has a funky valve without an E pull. It has a more focused sound than more conventional bass trombones. I classify it as kind of a "tweener" horn, between bass and tenor, although more bass than tenor. If you can deal with all of that, it's not a bad instrument. You can use (large) tenor or bass mouthpieces in it with good results. I played mine on the bass part in an orchestral performance of Holsts Perfect Fool, and I was able to match the tuba toe to toe. It doesn't have the broad sound you might want in other kinds of works, but for that, it really laid it down.

A 183 would be a more conventional single bass. If the couple of hundred bucks difference is the only reason you're considering the Olds, I think you'd be happier with the Holton.

[Hobart]

Thanks for the advice, I think I'll just save up for one of the Holtons then. I'm not a fan of heavy slides, I think I'm gonna need the E-pull, and my school's bass trombone was an 80's Holton TR-181 I liked anyways. If the TR-183 is close to the same thing without a second valve, I'll probably take well to it.

[JohnL]

I would never recommend an S-20 as an "only bass" (i.e., the only one you have). Too far removed from the modern concept of a bass trombone. Same (only more so) for the Martin Magna (except for the bell flare, it's actually small the the S-20).

Spend a little more and get the Holton.