Marching horn suggestion

[Diana6]

It looks like I might have to buy a trombone for my son to march in High School. He was issued a Conn 88H for concert band but there are no other straight trombones for him to use to march. His Old Special is too nice to march, so I am thinking about finding a bargain Ambassador or Yam 354.

Are there any other good options that I should look for that can be found online for bargain prices? He wants a lighter, good projecting horn. He plays the 1st trombone parts and he would use it for his 4 years of High School.

[BGuttman]

King 606. Also there was a 605 sometimes called Cleveland and sometimes called Tempo.

Conn 22H (same as King 606). There are actually a whole slew of Director models: 16H, 18H, 20H. Stay away from odd numbered Conn Directors -- they were sometimes made in China with poor QC.

Holton TR-602 (or 601). An earlier version was called Collegiate but some have friction fit between bell and slide which might be a big problem on the marching field.

Bach TB-200 or Omega. Avoid the Bundy and treat any TB-300 with caution.

Reynolds Medalist

Boosey and Hawkes Emperor or Oxford

There are a few Asian instruments out there but I don't know model numbers.

[ObsessedTrombonist333]

Does your son’s band have any marching baritones or euphoniums? If so I would find one of those for him or contact the school about it. If not, I would personally recommend a Yamaha 354. They’re excellent horns for their price and using one for marching band would be fine. They project well and if he plays a lot of lead parts it should fit him well. I was in a similar dilemma before I moved to my school now where I’m currently marching baritone, and the older 354 I used was a great horn.

[Matt K]

I have a few options... if you email or PM me to ask what I have available i can take a look tonight.

[Posaunus]

I am thinking about finding a bargain Ambassador or Yam 354.

Good choices.

Also any other affordable small-bore vintage Olds (Super, Special, Studio, ...) - all robust and generally easily repairable.

[harrisonreed]

If the 88H is provided by the school ... it is possible to march with. I march with an 88H in the military, but I'm also not on a football field doing field shows.

[BGuttman]

Harrison, there is a BIG difference between military marching and High School Football shows. The latter include a lot of maneuvers that will place a slide at risk.

Having marched with both, I'm not an advocate of marching with an F-attachment trombone in most cases. You don't get an improvement in the sound commensurate with the hazard to the instrument. In fact, the smaller bores often carry better on the march.

[doctortrombone]

Stay away from odd numbered Conn Directors -- they were sometimes made in China with poor QC.

Maybe some odd-numbered Directors were bad, but the 23H Director is an American-made horn that will out-play any of the other Director models. They're hard to find, but worth looking for.

I second the recommendation of the Yamaha 354. They're inexpensive, and they play well, but make sure the inner stockings are in good condition.

[Tromboned]

I actually purchased a used Blessing BTB-8 for marching with my college band at reunions and alumni functions. (I believe it is a Conn 8H copy) I agree with Bruce in that I would never want to march with an F-attachment due to weight and the thumb paddle doesn't give me enough control.(in addition to the abuse) I am a fan of marching with large bores as that is what we had in school and I find I now over-blow smaller bore horns on the field. Best of luck in your search.

[Diana6]

My son is telling me that he has the parts that are down an octave and require the F att.? I'm not a musician.

Should we look for a medium or large bore straight trombone? Are there any lighter weight med. or large bores out there that are inexpensive? Is the Blessing BTB-8 something he could use for these lower parts?The band director has not been helpful... we are on our own.

I guess he can play the the parts that the other trombones are playing. I'm clueless and even though my son is a really good player, he is somewhat clueless too, lol.

[BGuttman]

How low do his parts go? Below the bass staff? Take a look at them.

If he really needs to march an F-attachment I'd recommend the Olds Ambassador with F (A-20) since it's pretty gutsy and can be held like a tenor (thumb around bell brace) which will help support it. For that matter, any Olds wiht F (original Olds from California) will work. Alternate: Bach TB-200F (or Omega). If it has to be large bore, a Holton TR-150 or older King 4B/5B.

[Matt K]

I'm selling a YSL 646, which is a medium bore w/ f attachment that I could probably get to you in budget.... but really if the school is requiring parts they should be providing an instrument. Making you fork over money for an F attachment horn is just not necessary for the marching field. People take marching band way too seriously...

[Diana6]

So, after some questioning, I think he can play a small bore, no F att.. I wrote another post explaining that he has an 88H from the school for concert band, but everyone here said not to use it for marching. My son is on the smaller side and weighs less than 100 lbs. so that's also why I wanted him to play a straight horn.

I am eyeing a few trombones for sale online. There are so many though that do not show pictures of the inner slides. Also, why would so many people post blurry pictures to try to sell something?

Our marching band is not very serious but the school does not have any extra trombones right now. At least they gave him a nice F att. for concert b.

Thanks for the help guys.

[Posaunus]

Check with "greenbean" (Tom) to see if he has any of these Yamaha trombones left. He's a thoroughly honest and honorable seller!

I have 2 or maybe 3 Yamaha 352/354 trombones that need to go away.

$100 each plus shipping.

[Diana6]

Okay thanks. I am checking to see if any of the Elementary Schools in the district has an extra trombone first.

[Tarkus697]

I can second the King 606. I have one that I use for parades and alumni band with my college. Paired it with a Faxx 12C mouthpiece and it screams.

[Matt K]

I am eyeing a few trombones for sale online. There are so many though that do not show pictures of the inner slides. Also, why would so many people post blurry pictures to try to sell something?

Can't really tell what the condition of the slide is by looking at the inners. Even a wear on the stockings isn't a big deal usually (worst case scenario, a tech could rotate the tube slightly to an area that hasn't been worn yet as the wear marks are almost, if not totally, exclusive to the upper side of the tubes due to gravity). Problems often occur due to alignment, dents, bent tubes, or corrosion on the outers. None of these will show up on a picture very easily if at all. When you buy a slide, always ask about condition and get it in writing (e-mail) and buy with PayPal or some other service that offers buyer protection. If they have erroneously described the slide or answer that the slide does not have any dents and it does... PayPal will reverse the transaction. (That's why I caution people against using Friends and Family on Paypal. That 2.9% is well worth the protection).

Pictures might be an issue with the device you're using it on. Sometimes they'll look fine on the screen they're taken on but then not show up well on a computer. Person who took the pictures probably doesn't know they're not okay on your machine. If you see one like that, my experience is that someone will be happy to take additional pictures if its brought to their attention.

[Posaunus]

I am eyeing a few trombones for sale online. There are so many though that do not show pictures of the inner slides. Also, why would so many people post blurry pictures to try to sell something?

Can't really tell what the condition of the slide is by looking at the inners.

This is why, if you purchase on-line, you should buy from an honest, trusted seller - like Greenbean!

[BrassedOn]

My son is telling me that he has the parts that are down an octave and require the F att.?

Should we look for a medium or large bore straight trombone?

A lot of good advice on this post.

For me Two approaches to the problem.
1. Get the lowest price decent horn just for marching. Set a budget for what could be a that gets the player through a couple of seasons. Not disposable, but no heartbreak or financial loss if damaged badly. Good for clumbsy kid like me at 13 And this sounds like your situation, with out the clumbsy kid part.
2. Buy the best straight horn you can, and protect with your life on the field. Because that’s what bone players do their whole lives. A general rule is always play the best horn you can afford that meet your playing needs. In this case lead while marching. So no, not advocating marching a Shires or Lawlor.

Straight horn, yes. IMO, not too humble, there are few reasons someone marching 1st bone in HS should use a F trigger horn. Maybe a short armed person. But not just because there are some Cs Bs and Fs. We all need to be able to play standard range notes on a straight horn. And its a stretch for us all at some point. If I had a low C or F on some awkward spin move, I’d play up the octave or leave it out. Plenty have marched with triggers, and you might stumble on a used King 3B with a trigger or a Yamaha trigger under $1000 or $700 sometimes. Not needing repairs. But if Really cheap, probably damaged slide. For growing kid, a little weight on the trigger won’t kill em but makes marCH moves like horn up a little slower and harder.

I would not gamble on a horn that were not currently in playing condition. Touch up a slide, maybe. But if slide takes any effort to move, then keep looking.

PLAY LOTS OF HORNS.

Plenty of cheaper option for straight horns. I scanned Craig’slist where I live in Austin, which is a big enough city. And I saw 4 horns under 300 that would be worth checking out. Student line King Bach and Yamaha. Mind the models on other posts. I’d start with Yamaha but plenty of choices. For student line instruments,
At best, 1 out of 10pawnshop horns is both a good price and plays well FOR A STUDENT horn. They price based on books and sites that list horns and values but not accounting for actual condition and characteristic of the horn in front of you. But you absolutely bargain. And unless it is really the right horn, I play and come back later to make the buy near closing time. I’ve had better luck buying from parents of students who have moved on from their starter horn or quit band. Because it is just an object to them. Less intrinsic value.

Small to medium bore for lead. This is about diameter of the actual pipe. 1st players need to play high loud and efficiently. And lots of .490 .500 .508 bore horns, and some .525 too. Some .525 or,larger lIke King 4b and maybe some Yamaha might take a large mouthpiece shank because it’s a large receiver. Bach 36 probably small receiver?

I’d look for lacquer finish given the choice. Silver plate will wear and tarnish with sweat and sun and acid from skin. Leaguer can wear and can still be cleaned and even resprayed.

Option 2 is to buy BEST horn you can. I’m thinking of other playing situations where the young player would use a straight horn , like jazz band lead. Then I’d want a great playing Yamaha or King or Bach intermediate or pro model used starting $1000. You may get lucky with $800 Or less for something high grade.

Whatever you buy, check the slide slide slide. And if you don’t have good resources in the school find a private trombone teacher.

[Diana6]

Thanks for all the advice... much appreciated.

For now, my son is borrowing a trombone for this marching season. It's an Ambassador (L.A.), so older and a beater. The slide is pretty good after a good cleaning. We will keep looking for a good bargain horn to march though.

[Leanit]

Olds Ambassador is the one to choose anyhow. Sounds great, doesn't weigh much, and can take a beating. I actually even favor the newer/cheaper Fullerton ones.

[Diana6]

Update...

The school's 88H that my son decided to not march with (because of it's weight and value), was picked up by another student... for marching, ugh.

My son said that while playing on the bleachers at the last game, this student somehow let go of the slide (outers) and it flew right through the seats to the ground 25 feet below. My son was really mad, as this is the 88H that he will use for concert band.

My son's borrowed Ambassador is working out fine for marching.

[Matt K]

Update...

The school's 88H that my son decided to not march with (because of it's weight and value), was picked up by another student... for marching, ugh.

My son said that while playing on the bleachers at the last game, this student somehow let go of the slide (outers) and it flew right through the seats to the ground 25 feet below. My son was really mad, as this is the 88H that he will use for concert band.

My son's borrowed Ambassador is working out fine for marching.

Ugh!! Yeah we've heard the same basic story a million times which is why most of us are really adamant about NOT using expensive horns for the activity. Hope they can get it straightened out (figuratively and literally) for your son to use in concert band