I have been looking around at all sorts of cool trombones and I can`t seem to make a decision. One thing is that I don`t relly know that much about trombones. I mean I have played one for 3 years but I don`t know the specifics about which ones are better than others. I have a Bach 42BO, and I think its pretty good... but I am looking for something maybe better. I of course want one with the F-attachment or trigger. Some brands that I was interested in were Blessing and some of the better Conn trombones. But any advice here would be helpful.

I don`t have an F-attachment (I have a Holton regular student horn), but my friend has a Blessing with an F-attachment and a rose bell and it sounds wonderful and looks wonderful too. I`d get one with a larger bore so you`re air support will become better, along with tone.

-Nao

the best company is king !!!!!!!! i have one and benn using it for 6 years !!!!!!!!look at pawn shops for cheap bargins

I do not really want a cheap trombone I am willing to spend money for good quality...

You have a Bach 42. Why do you want another horn? If you have a good Bach (which are hard to find) you probably will never need a new instrument. If you are not satisfied with your current horn, it is probably the instrument is not a good one. Bach`s have a tendency to mostly be pretty bad with an outstanding one occasionally. If you are really looking for a new horn, I like Yamaha`s and Conn`s, though if you can find a good Bach, those are good too. The only other thing that it might be is that the horn is too large for you. If you are just recently starting out (within the last 5 years) a full .547" bore might be too hard to fill. In that case, look at a smaller bore (.525") horn. The equivilant Bach is a Stradivarius model 36.

Try looking for the Conn 88H-0. It is an awsome horn!

I am in high school right now and am fortunate enough to have Brook Mays allow me to take two horns(Conn 88H-O and the Bach Strad. Model 42)home to try out for a few weeks to test them out. What luck I am having, huh!?! They both have the typical .547 bore and triggers on both and a rose bell on the Conn. I was extremely impressed with both of them but it really came down to the long run for me. I am in a marching band and had to remember that while the Conn in nicer looking than the Bach, I would be sent home crying after maybe a whole weeks worth of damage on that Conn. While I do refuse to allow the Bach on the practice or playing field it is just good to be "safe than sorry." Even though I do have a Conn 18H Student horn that I can use on the marching field, it put into perspective for me that I just really need to think of price. While a $200 difference isn`t much when discussing a horn of this caliber, I felt that I would be paying more for the exact same thing(seeing as they both sounded the exact same). Plus, to top it off, one of my fellow band trombonists is having trouble with his Conn 88H-O which he only bought not even half a year ago. I personally like the Bach.

DO NOT BUY A HOLTON OR A BLESSING!!!!!!!!!!! I have been playing on a Conn 88H-SGX which is awsome (although it is extremely pricey it is worth it) any of the Conn 88H series or the Bach Stradivarious series are good, if you can get a 88H-CL because they have awsome rotors. If you do not have enough money for those try going for a King.
-Stephen

Why does it always have to be Conn, King, Bach or Yamaha........ Just try the trombone before buying or ask if you can lend it for a week or so. DOn`t rely on the brand but on the sound and how it works out for you. I started playing on an Olds Special from 1972 and it still works out for me very well. I just bought me an other Olds and it does the trick just better for me. I don`t say you must buy an Olds but choose for sound and not for brand
Micha

Because brands DO make a big difference. There are only a few brands that make excellent horns. Bach, Conn, some Kings, and a few Yamahas are decent. Then you have your high end costoms, Edwards and Shires for example. You get to a certain point in your playing carreer when you only look at the very best, and when you get there, there are only about 3-4 brands you would want, depending on your playing genre.

If your just starting out and young, anything with a slide that moves works. As you get older and more mature, you start deleting certain brands from being in your "decent" range. Especially if your looking at being a pro. You really have to look at the ganre you are getting into as to what horn you get. I am a classical player, so the best thing for me, and my favorite after testing everything, was Edwards.

Back to the point. If you have a Bach 42BO, and you like it, stick with it. That`s a great horn. Like what was mentioned earlier, Bach has a tendancy to make ok to crappy horns, but if you find a good 42, it could be the best thing you ever play. ALl companies are really kinda like that though, you have to hunt through the crap to find the good ones. Unless of course you are going through the custom shop. But in a sense, again, it depends on where you are in your playing carreer. I played an ok 42 for years, and it served me great. I loved it. Until I got to the point that I just needed the best there was. And on to Edwards I went. But, if I didn`t go Edwards, I would have gladly searched endlessly for that awesome Bach 42. I just love those horns.

Personally go with edwards or shires. I guess it depends on what your playin intrests are but I really like the edwards and shires horns(there bucks though) if you want a good "production" horn "king 2 3 4 b and conn 88 series are really good horns, so are the getzen horns. I personally have an 88h o gsx killer horn, a king 3b silver sonic and a getzen 1047f custom. All great horns.

My suggestion is, go to the music with the widest variety of trombones and try them all. Go there with 3 or so etudes that you have practiced and play them on all the horns even on 2 identical horns. After you try them all out remember which ones you liked. Then go do this at ANOTHER place . Eventually you will find the right horn for you. But from the sounds of moving on to custom horns such as edwards and shires is not right for you at this time. I suggest moving on to custom horns when you have stopped with embochure alignment and thing like how you blow. Because the more you mature in your playing youll grow out of your old setup on your custom horn. So look into a GOOD pro line horn.

Good Luck and happy hunting.

Well put, Mas.

i`m a freshman 1st chair in our highschool. and was 14th in the state of ga last year.and 2nd in the county jazz band. i have a getzen 747 the slide and tuning slides are great. best slide any of my teachers have ever seen other than my private teacher who has played for bout 30 years said if he wasn`t getting a edwards custom he would of gotten a getzen 747.

You know ive never much been in to production horns......but....
I played the 88h cl gsx o reciently and that is a killer ax. It responded like a peashooter in the high registers and i was able to make it rock like a monster base too. for an all around horn it is really good. the options package can go away and it is still good watch out on there smaller roters they have a tendancy to vibrate and/or ring sometimes.