TromboneChat

Hello,

I have a 13 year old daughter who has decided to follow both her dad and her sister in playing the trombone in our school music program! Currently she is using the same Yamaha that her sister used in grade school but she is now ready for her own step-up trombone. When her sister was in high school, I was excited to acquire for her an exceptional condition Conn 88HO-CL - but when she graduated and declared she wasn't going to continue playing in college, I decided to sell it to another student at the school. Fast forward thirteen years, here we are again and I'm shopping again for a reasonably priced quality instrument (and kicking myself for not just taking a chance and keeping the Conn just in case).

I was looking at both the Back 42BO and the Conn 88H again...are there others that I should be considering?

Thank you in advance!

Yamaha 620 (or 882 or 682 or 648 or 448 or 548)
Holton 150, 158, 160
Benge 190F (or C)
King 4BF or 5B
Olds Opera O-23 or O-25

There are some Chinese made horns that might fill the bill from Wessex Tubas, JP-Rath, Eastman, and a few other vendors. Definitely a cut below the Bach, Conn, Yamaha, etc. but also much less expensive.

There are probably a few more that I'm forgetting.

tosharri wrote: ↑Thu Oct 20, 2022 3:44 pm Hello,

I have a 13 year old daughter who has decided to follow both her dad and her sister in playing the trombone in our school music program! ... she is now ready for her own step-up trombone. ... I'm shopping again for a reasonably priced quality instrument.

I was looking at both the Back 42BO and the Conn 88H again...are there others that I should be considering?

Thank you in advance!

Nothing wrong with a Bach 42B or a Conn 88H - they are classics. Standard (rather than open) wrap would be fine. Lots of decent samples available on the used market. Apparently your daughter is determined to play a large-bore tenor with F-attachment. But I strongly recommend against marching with such a trombone - unnecessarily heavy, too vulnerable to damage. Can she get away with marching with a "student" trombone?

Other "quality" options in used trombones in that size range: Yamaha (various models - all generally fine and readily available), King 4B, Benge 165F or Benge 190, Holton TR-160 (all "professional-level" instruments). You can also find nice "step-up" trombones from Conn, Bach, and Yamaha. Suggest that she stay away from the Olds models - nice trombones, but "different", and work best with Olds mouthpieces only. TromboneChat classifieds would be a good place to start shopping.

Don't discount the .525 bores. My Bach 36 will do everything, I've even used it on bass in an emergency!

Pezza wrote: ↑Thu Oct 20, 2022 7:14 pm Don't discount the .525 bores. My Bach 36 will do everything, I've even used it on bass in an emergency!

Ergonomics are important for a 13 year old. I got our daughter a Benge 190 around that age because I thought it was time for her to move beyond her little horn. The Benge was uncomfortable for her hands. I sold it to one of her section mates who loved it and wound up getting a 525 bore horn for our daughter. She played that for a year, but kept coming back to my 3BF. I found a great deal on a 3BF SilverSonic and she's played on that ever since.

Fast forward to this coming Tuesday and she will be performing on it again this year with the OU Trombone Choir. #prouddad

--Andy in OKC

A big .547 horn is probably too much horn for a 13 year old kid, boy or girl. Nothing wrong with a 3BF or a 36B. Actually, I'd wager that there is everything right about those choices.

A good small horn and really good mouthpiece is something that might last someone their entire life, even if they get a large tenor later on.

If you must get then a large tenor, the 88H or narrow Yamaha or Shires models seem to be what works best for girls and lots of women. The narrow slide puts the mouthpiece in the right place for them, where it might be too narrow for a fat necked male.

I have had a lot of good fortune with my students of that age playing a King 607F or a King 608F (gold brass bell). These are the .525 intermediate level horns offered by King. For years, used 607 and 608 models could be found for sale at very reasonable prices ($300-400) and fixed up to work rather well. If the student advanced steadily with this horn, they would move on to a .547 horn two or three years later. Many times, my students held on to their Kings and used them for special needs (jazz, musicals, etc....).

Unfortunately, I think that many other people know about this model. The price of used 607 and 608 models has gone up considerably in the last two or three years. Still, if you shop around, a budget-price one will pop up occasionally. The most important thing to look for is the knuckles around the rotary valve. If they are crushed or cracked open....STAY AWAY!

The Conn 88 and Bach 42 are not ‘step up’ they are pro horns

What model Yamaha is she playing? Is it holding her back in anyway?

Is it her teacher who has said she needs to change?

Vegasbound wrote: ↑Mon Oct 24, 2022 1:21 am The Conn 88 and Bach 42 are not ‘step up’ they are pro horns

What model Yamaha is she playing? Is it holding her back in anyway?

Is it her teacher who has said she needs to change?

Yes, that her instructor is the one that recommended she get one with the F-Trigger. She will not be marching with it - this would only be for orchestra (they march with Baritones and/or Marching Euphoniums)...she's not quite 5', but she was even considering marching Tuba lol...she's got some weight lifting in her future!

Thank you so much for all of your advice! Anyone else willing to weigh in I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I wouldn't even consider anything else, I'd just get a used Bach 36b. 42b is unnecessarily large. Pros play 36b. It's all the horn she'll need ever, very versatile, and the best of available options. Readily available used too.

hyperbolica wrote: ↑Mon Oct 24, 2022 9:06 pm I wouldn't even consider anything else, I'd just get a used Bach 36b. 42b is unnecessarily large. Pros play 36b. It's all the horn she'll need ever, very versatile, and the best of available options. Readily available used too.

I disagree. I would also consider a King 3BF - slightly smaller and lighter than a Bach 36B. Also readily available used. Also played by many "pros" because of its versatility and quality. In addition to being "user-friendly" for a 13- to 16-year old girl, either a Bach 36B or a King 3BF would be plenty sufficient through high school.

Considering her size, I would stay away from any model where the thumb goes around the brace to activate the trigger, the exception possibly being the King 3B. The issue is not the weight, but the stretch of the hand - it can quickly become very uncomfortable.
My recommendation would be a Bach 36B with a lightweight slide, or a Conn 88H if she really wants a large bore.

A used 36B is probably a good all-round option.

If your daughter can physically deal with a large bore horn, you can also consider a Shires Q Series, as well as the models already mentioned.

My parents bought me my King 3BF when I was 13. I played it through college - both wind band and jazz bands. I still have it - and love it.

--Andy in OKC

I'm coming back to playing after 15 years and enjoy hearing the love for the King horns here ... all I've ever played since elementary school back in the 70's.

Crazy4Tbone86 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 23, 2022 9:11 am The most important thing to look for is the knuckles around the rotary valve. If they are crushed or cracked open....STAY AWAY!

Hi Brian, could you elaborate on what the implications of playing on a horn with banged up but not crushed (maybe repaired) knuckles might be? Thanks.

Once you arrive at a choice for your daughter, I have a recommendation for a marching and/or jazz band horn to "save" the nice one.
Here's the link: https://www.dillonmusic.com/used-holton ... sn-410986/

I used to own this and it's well made, light as a feather, rings out great in all registers. I only unloaded it because the bell taper felt small for me. I like a fat tone. Nice horn.