hi i've been playing trombone for 3+ years and i just started HS. normally i would continue by joining the jazz band there, but my parents wanted me to (actually more forced me to) take a language class, and we can only have one elective. i can stop taking the language class in about a year or two, and during that time i don't want to forget how to play the trombone. i don't mean to brag or anything but i was one of the top players in my old school, and i feel that if i don't continue all that will have been for nothing. so i've been looking up cheap but good quality trombones all over the place, and i've found a few- there was on amazon for about $175, new. i was considering buying this when i noticed that it was a beginners trombone. then i looked up on musiciansfriend.com and i looked up trombones there, and there were intermediate trombones, and professional trombones. i'm not looking for a really expensive bass trombone, just a tenor trombone. now my main questions are: 1) whats the difference between a beginner, intermediate, and pro trombone? and 2) where can i find a low priced but good quality trombone? any suggestions?

Check out the Dillon Music website or the Online Trombone Journal Classifieds. That's a very good place to start.

thank yoooou

Just to clarify, you said that you were looking for a tenor trombone rather than a really expensive bass trombone. A bass trombone is not automatically better than a tenor trombone. They are two separate instruments which are meant to be played with different sound concepts. A bass trombone will sound broader and deeper than a tenor trombone. In a way, the bass trombone bridges the sound gap between the tenor trombones and the tuba.

Also, stay away from anything Chinese or Indian. Those trombones aren't even worth one penny, IMO. The slides rot out really fast, and the metal falls apart in your hands.

hahaa ok thanks for the heads up oh and btw, whats the difference between a beginners trombone, intermediate, and professional? i cant really see much difference between them

Many of the professional trombones are handmade with better materials than beginner trombones. Professional trombones are usually made with softer metals that vibrate more, thus contributing to a better sound. Beginner trombones are made with harder metals that are harder to dent, and tend to sound kind of sterile. I'm sure that there's more to it than that, but I just described the general idea.

In addition to the last post, as the trombones get more advanced to intermediate, and eventually to proffessional, the bore size gets larger. The bore of a trombone is the diamater of the inner tubing. If its larger (professional) it is more difficult to blow through, but when done properly produces a larger, warmer, more symphonic sound. The Beginner trombones bore sizs is anywhere from .508 or .525. As you move up to intermediate it becomes .525 to .547, which is more like standard. This is just something to keep in mind. What you had is probably a .525. Id shoot for a .547, it'll get you a bigger, more mature sound.

.547? ok thanks, and thank you bobsacamano too for all this help

Well, keep in mind that professional models have a range of all bore sizes. For example, the Bach 6, 8, 12, and 16 models are all small bore professional trombones intended for jazz. Same with the Conn 6H and 100H, King 2B and 3B, and so on. Shires, Edwards, and Rath, which are top of the line modular trombones, also offer small bore models of .500 and .508 bores, and even smaller in some cases.

If you don't play in a symphony orchestra, the .525 would probably be the best bet. I have a Shires .547, but I'm actually scaling back to a .525/.547 dual bore slide because I don't do much in terms of orchestral work. The new smaller slide I'll be getting will blend in better in my brass band, and will also be easier to play.

I cringe when I go into a music shop and hear someone tell a customer that pro = bigger bore. that is a very common misconception, but unfortunately also untrue. "professional" as bobsacamano stated is purely to do with materials and workmanship. or are you telling me that my silver 3B is a student horn because it's a .508 bore????? I don't think so.

wait ok so this is in reply to bobscamano's post:

what im really going to use the trombone for is mainly jazz, so .525 is recommended?

unfortunately, even then it's not that simple. if you're gonna do mainly combo work, a .525 will do great. if you're gonna play third part in a big band, it will do great.
if you're gonna play the lead chair (and some will disagree with me on this), a smaller bore will blend better with the trumpets.
of course some big bands use all large bore horns, but they're the exception (Dave Holland Big Band comes to mind)
eventually, it comes down to the section and the blend. sounds to me like a 3B would be a great choice for you. if you sit the lead chair in a big band, the .525 may not cut it for you. then again, maybe it will. I tried using a .525 for lead and I just didn't feel the sound worked as well.
ideally we would all have a small bore, a med bore, a large bore, and a bass. but for those of us financially impaired that just isn't possible. if the horn is gonna have to do it all, (wind ensemble ,etc) the .525 may be the way to go. but if you're doing jazz exclusively, consider something smaller. just a humble opinion.

well i play lead, with about 5 trumpets, one bari sax, two tenors, and 4 altos (if that helps at all). but i dont know if im going to get lead this year (new school) so lets say i get about second chair or so, then move on to first chair in senior year (this is just a what if situation), would you recommend just buying a smaller bore than .525 just in case i DO get first chair?

It would help if we knew what model you have been playing. That way we could better point you in the right direction.

well lets see....i clearly remember the brand was "olds", and when i tried putting my hand over the bell, it was maybe about an inch to an inch and a half away from the tips of my fingers (middle finger is about 3 inches), and im not sure what kind of bore it was...