I have been playing on and off for years ( 17 yrs ). I am just now in a position to purchase a intermediate or professional horn. Any suggestions as to what is a good bone to consider? I wish I could try it out before I buy, but I live out in little town USA, and there aren`t many places to find a good new or used musical instrument.
I am relying on internet stores and E-bay for my next bone. I know all about the "Questionable" horns out there. I think I like the CONN 88H, any opinions? I`ve got about $800 to spend.
Thanks

Forgot to mention, I currently have a King 606....I hope to fing something with an F attachment.

i dont know what horn would be good for you, but i would suggest whatever you buy make sure you have at least 30 days to try it out. You dont want to be stuck with a lemon

88h is a great horn. Id also look for a getzen 1047f if you cant find the 88h for 800ish

Any opinions on the Yamaha YSL-356R $600.00?

Dont buy it unless you can try it out. even if the horns are the same model and make they will never play the same. So im just going to repeat myself.

Thanks much, and I don`t mean to be a pain but I don`t know much about picking out a good bone. Is the Yamaha YSL-356R considered an intermediate horn or is it considered a student model. What`s the difference?
I was at a music store getting my King refinished and the guy there tried to sell me a professional horn, I don`t recall what it was, but I do recall the price ($2500.00) and that it was like playing a completely different bone, I couldn`t believe how easily I could reach notes higher than an F above the staff. The lower notes were fuller also...I fell in love with this thing, but I know its out of reach for me.....will an intermediate bone make as much a noticable difference? or is the only way to know, to try it out? I only play at church for Easter and Christmas. The rest of the year I play on and off with a local band 3-4 X`s.
I really love to make music, and especially on the T-bone! My daughter just started taking bone lessons, Can`t wait till We can play duets!
The Yamaha YSL-356R I`m looking at has a "Rose colored Bell"? the guy is trying to sell me on the fact that it sounds better because of this....Is this Fact or Fiction?
Hope to try it out next weekend.

While there is a physical provable diference in tone, more of the tone comes from what you make the horn sound like than from the material it is made of. If you could blow/buzz exactly the same with out any ajustments the rose brass sounds darker, but we ajust so fast it doesnt make much diference. I have a dark sound and i play a silver horn (silver is asociated with bright) The yamaha horn your looking at I have never played but a friend of mine says hers "has no soal" It is woofey in the pedals but i think it sounds good in the uper reg.

Good luck

I actually posted this a while ago, but here it is again, important issue.

I took a physics of music class at SJSU a few years back and here is what I learned. Contrary to popular belief, the type of metal used makes very little difference in tone, sometimes not even noticable depending on the player. The physical effects of the metal vibrating as you play does not change nearly enough with those changes in brasss for a noticable difference. Bell shape, the angle of bends, brace placement, and the player themselves makes a much larger difference. This is strictly a physical explanation, in reality, there is a difference. Maybe it`s partly subconscious, if you expect there to be a difference there will be. In my experience, I have noticed a little bit of a difference swiching back and forth, but I`m not convinced that it was the horns themselves and not me thinking about it. Also remember, these differences are more between brass, red brass, gold brass, and the like. When you add silver, it does brighten up. (or it should...)

So for me, it makes such a small difference, that when choosing a horn, I look at many other things before metal composition. You can still get an extremely deep sound out of a brighter metal, and you can get a thin peircing bright tone out of a darker metal. I play a Bach Strad 16m for jazz, with the gold brass bell, and it isn`t darker then the normal brass color. And, when I was testing Edwards equipment before I bought that, I tried all the same equipment, but switched just the bell from the brass to the rose brass. The difference that was there was not noticable, until I really paid attention to it, but not enough for me to justify spending more or less for a certain bell color.

That said, I prefer the darker rose and red brass colors. They look pretty sick. And, if it makes more of a difference for you than me, there ya go. It really is all personal.

Erik thats funny you mention all that. I remember when i was getting my Edwards fitted for me at the factory they kept switching my bell and and tuning slide materials and the two of em were in the room trying to figure out which one made a difference. I said i thought it sounded the same they agreed but what made the difference was how it felt. I liked the way a rose brass bell with a brass tuning slide felt. Thats whats important on a horn. How it feels. So be concious of things like that not about metal composition like erik says. i hope that made sense and helped.... im tired

Thanks for all the info....I will definately try out the potentialy new bone. I have noticed that when I play a silver Bone I feel more comfortable playing in the higher ranges...which is where I play mosely anyway.....Anyway, Thanks everyone for your input...and now,...The search continues!

Hi I have just got into music college and with my experience looking round at all the bones......if you`ve got the money.....and can afford to wait for it to be made.....you want to get an Evolution II made by Antoine Courtois, Paris, they are specially designed by Chris Jeans, you can`t buy them in the shops special order only. its Hand-Made....double bell which creates a deeper tone and makes those powerful bits that lil bit easier, its 24ct Gold which again deepens the tone. It has a detachable bell, meaning if you ever do want to play anything different a simple two minute change of bell saves a few £££`s. The trombone comes with 3 different lead pipes which are interchangeable with the option of buying more from courtois or other manufactures as they are created to industry standard sizes. It also includes a Hagmann Valve....worth £1500 alone. The trombone comes to a total of £4500 (approx $6750)but is well worth it. However its only downfall is its deep tone is a little over powering in jazz groups, and in some lighter orchestras again sumtimes using silver lead pipes is needed.