My son's instructor has said that he is ready for an intermediate trombone and has recommended a Bach Omega or Bach Stradivarius 42BO, both with the open wrap F-attachment. The Omega is discontinued and the 42BO is a bit out of our price range, plus he is not quite at that level. The retailer in our town sells a Bach Soloist horn that is made for preferred dealers and sells around $1700. After looking at the BachBrass website, there is a TB200B that seems to have similar specs and sells for about $1329. Does anyone know the difference between the two horns. Is is a subtle or big difference and worth the extra $400. I have tried to contact Conn-Selmer, but have not received a reply as of yet. As I ask this, keep in mind that I am a flute player with no experience with trombones except for listening to it being practiced for the last 3 years. If anyone could help that would be great as this would be my son's 13th birthday present. Thanks.

A couple things..
1... how important is it for you to have an open wrap F attachment? Of the horns you mentioned the Bach42BO is the only one with an open wrap.
2... I doubt you'll get much help from Conn Selmer directly. You'll have more luck with a dealer.
3... Bach still makes good horns, but the consistency isn't what it used to be. If possible, bring an experienced bone player with you to try the horns out for you.
4... Like the "Soloist" line, the Omega line was also a line made for "select dealers" The Omega wasn't a bad horn, basically a slightly cheaper made Bach 36.
5... The Soloist and the 42 are different bore horns. They will feel very different. Many young players switch to large bore (the 42 is the large bore) way too early and end up developing bad habits trying to manage a horn that is too big for them. Consult your teacher again and make sure which one he/she really thinks your son is ready for.

Thank you for encouraging your son and being willing to supply him with a good instrument!
Also consider a few other models that could do very well for you...
Getzen 725
Conn 52H
Kanstul is making a great line of horns that isn't as expensive as its contemporaries but plays really nice. Well worth checking out.
Also consider buying used. You can get a lot more horn for your money that way. If you really want a new feel at gift giving time, maybe consider a new case for it? There's a guy out of Chester , IL that deals in tons of used instruments and really knows his stuff. His name is DJ Kennedy. He's got an absolutely impeccable reputation and very safe to do business with. PM me if you want contact info.

Thanks for the great info. I can see we have a bit more research and playing to do yet. Luckily, my son sees the importance of getting his birthday present a little bit later. We went through this last year looking for a tenor sax for my other son last year and it was exhausting, but we found it worth the wait while getting info and finding the different models to try. I would like to get the info on DJ Kennedy in Chester, IL. We may be down that way later in the year and it's always good to have the name of someone who knows their stuff. Thanks again.

I appreciate your situation. I am a HS band director of 30 years, play the trombone and have a son who is a pro on the trombone.
I have many students with the soloist instrument and it is good, but no where near a 42BO or 88-H that can be found used but very clean for around $1500. We (my son and I) own a custom built Edwards, Conn Christian Lindberg 88-H, Bach 42BO. The Lindberg (88H) ($2700) and Edwards ($3500)are by far a cut above the others.
How does this help you? Just last week I picked up a used Getzen 725. Getzen makes the Edwards horns, so I was intrigued. WOW! for the money ($900 new) this instrument plays with the best. It is open wrap, very free blowing trigger, nice sound center high C to low E (T7).

In my oppinion, hands down, find a Getzen 725 for your son. It plays with the Bach 36/42BO and is a much better horn than the soloist. You can find a new one on line from several dealers, possibly locally, and on ebay.
Best wishes, and thanks for investing in your sons musical development!
82% of all adults with graduate degrees participated in music in HS, and 70% of all adults who make over $150K a year did likewise. Lots of reasons why, but kudos to you for your forsight.

Thanks for all the info. I have been doing a lot of reading based on all of your recommendations. We did have the opportunity to purchase a Getzen 725 (Eterna II style) on sale for $1199 for my son from Music and Arts. The only problem we had was that the instrument had been on display for awhile and the tech had to detach the 2 pieces. Doesn't appear to be any damage done. I think the horn itself is 2 years old but new for purchase. My son did sound good on it compared to the others he tried and he liked the feel of it (aside from the giant case that will not make him any friends on the bus). We are taking it to his instructor to see if he feels it will work for my son. I want his instructor to coach him on it first. We may still search out the Soloist to try for comparison. Question: Is the 725 a good double duty horn for jazz and concert band? We will keep his old horn for marching.

Yes,
The 725 with the dual bore is a good jazz horn also. Best wishes!
(I thought the list price on the 725 was $995?)

My info is probably dated,
JR

Thanks! I think the list price on the Getzen 725 is~$1900 with the dealer price $1299 as far as I could find. I appreciate your help!!