Yamaha 356R

[Matt K]

One thing to consider about those Jupiters is if they play like the ones I've tried, they have at least some resemblance to Kings and so may play like the Benge 170 you already have. Hard to say without playing blind, and I could be way off base. I'm mostly going off of what I've heard from others.

If you do want a .500 bore horn, the Yamaha YSL354 is also certainly worth throwing into the mix. Often, they are pretty nice horns and can be found at a much lower price point than almost any other horn out there. In my opinion, the 354 plays closer to the 356 than most of the other horns you listed (including some of the "pro" Yamaha models). So the transition might be easier if playing both horns. And that will probably let you save some capital so you might have a little left over to help out with buying something that suits their preferences as they develop.

[PaulT]

When I first got my 1632 during early Covid hiatus, it was all I played. I was in my basement and I was having a blast with it.

When the smaller band started up again, I brought my fun new 1632.(There are only three trombones in the smaller band and I switch back and forth with another fellow between 1st and 2nd.) My new 1632 was fun and fine, but in some situations, I found myself missing the extra "beef" my 891 could bring on some of the pieces, especially when I was on second. So, I went back to my .508 891. One less baritone in my row, could have been a different story.

On the other hand, when the larger city band started up, the one I had been playing my .525 bore Yamaha in, I brought my 891 (.508) the first practice. I was one of two trombones playing second. It worked great and I stuck with it and my .525 has stayed home this band season, I'm using the .508 for everything.

But again, if I had a Yamaha 356R, and I were going off to school and hoping to play in some jazz and pop bands, and I had the chance to get a second horn, I would want to get .500, an honest to goodness lead jazz horn. Then I would have all the jazz/pop band bases covered.

[Doug Elliott]

You're making much too big a deal about the whole situation. He's totally fine on the 356 and the Landgren. Leave it alone, he really doesn't need anything else, now or maybe ever.

It sounds to me like maybe there's something wrong with the Benge, it shouldn't be that much of a problem.

[Kdanielsen]

You're making much too big a deal about the whole situation. He's totally fine on the 356 and the Landgren. Leave it alone, he really doesn't need anything else, now or maybe ever.

It sounds to me like maybe there's something wrong with the Benge, it shouldn't be that much of a problem.

Yes. This ^

[Diana6]

Yeah, I hear ya... The 356R is fine except that it is heavy and uncomfortable. He does not complain about it but he changes his hand position constantly and the bell angles straight down... it is pretty obvious. Hoping a Neotech strap will help. Just wanted options... like maybe one straight, lighter weight .508 that he could use for everything, so he wouldn't have to take two trombones to college.

[Doug Elliott]

I would be happy to take a quick look by Skype and see what's going on.

[BGuttman]

Yeah, I hear ya... The 356R is fine except that it is heavy and uncomfortable. He does not complain about it but he changes his hand position constantly and the bell angles straight down... it is pretty obvious. Hoping a Neotech strap will help. Just wanted options... like maybe one straight, lighter weight .508 that he could use for everything, so he wouldn't have to take two trombones to college.

In this case you might look into the King 3B with F. It's a versatile horn and is held like a small tenor (thumb around bell brace). It probably weighs about the same as the Yamaha but the different way of holding may be the difference. I know a lot of people who opted to go 3B-F as their only horn (but they are all in my generation where that was probably the best choice at the time).

Or the Neotech grip (it's not really a strap) may be all he needs to make the Yamaha work.

[PaulT]

The good stuff said about the flexibility and appropriateness of he 356R is all true and it would be a great horn for him to bring to school. And one horn is plenty to bring to school. And the Neo-Tech grip will help the playing comfort issue immensely, (at least it did for me).

But, I sure understand the desire to send your kid off to school with "the just right horn". I bought three new trumpets for my kid during his school years, the third one being really no different than the second one. And now that he is playing trumpet in the N.D. National Guard Band, he is primarily playing the horn the Guard gave him and there are two Yamaha Zenos and a nice Getzen in the closet.

Yet, I don't regret a single step of that horn journey. Ok, the third Yamaha wasn't needed, but, man, we had fun on that ride. And, as I have a grand daughter that has just started trumpet in 4th grade band, if there does end up being an extra horn in the house, it will find a home.

In that light, the 891Z is a wonderful wonderful horn, and I noticed this morning that Quinn has just listed a couple mint demos on ebay. That is how I got my 891. It was a mint demo from Quinn, and I will swear on a stack of Rubanks that to all appearances, it was brand new and factory fresh. It was as mint as mint can be. And I have never regretted a single penny of the $1,800 I spent on it, not for a minute, not for a second.

So, if you were so inclined, a bid of $1,500 might snag one of them. An offer of $1,800 might insure it.


(what I would not do is pay $1,800 for the dinged demo 1634 at Dillons. Maybe a $1,000. A mint 1634 went for $900 on this forum last year. And if and when Quinn gets a batch of mint demos, (he did once) they will likely start at $1,400 and go down to $1,200 pretty quickly. There just doesn't seem to be many 1634s around just now.)

[PaulT]

Just a something to think about... if your son is pretty good on the trombone, you could check with the National Guard Band in your state and see if they are any openings/upcoming auditions for a trombone player. It worked out well for my kid. He enjoyed the experience, made some money, and now the Guard will pay for med school.

[PaulT]

Incidentally, this trombone, the Yamaha YSL-893ZD Nils Landgren Model,

https://europe.yamaha.com/en/news_event ... mbone.html

which is being discussed here and elsewhere currently, has a dual bore slide, .500/.525, the same as your son's 356R. (comes with the same mouthpiece, too)

[eagleGT]

I don’t know what the music department is like where he intends to go to college, but where I went to college, nearly all the trombones were non-majors or music Ed majors who only had one “good” horn and (except for marching/basketball band where they might use their beginner horn) used that horn for everything. So in jazz band it was almost always .547 trigger trombones. They may be happy to have a willing participant and not care as much about what equipment he is using.

[djkennedy]

Japanese market:
353OR and 455G

Both are essentially the straight versions of the the 356

Hello the straight version of 356
Usually Japan only
Great slim case. Too
I think I have one here
A player in NOLA got it played it for awhile
They came back and traded it for a 3B