How to try out horns for cheap?

[quiethorn]

Looking to move from my .547 horn to something .500/8 or .525. There are so many options, it'd be great to be able to try stuff out for little to no money. Buying used horns online in the past tends to result in disappointment (seems like every slide these days is a "7/10, or even and 8 or 9 with the right oil" ), finding the right box and packing materials to offload stuff online, headaches, etc....

Is there a secret trick to trying out horns without the hassle of doing it online? I could just try to rent from local music stores I guess. They tend to have Yamaha 200/354 and various other student horns, but nothing medium bore and no "pro" smaller horns. The pattern seems to be give the kids small student horns then push them to 42b and other .547 horns soon after. What about the kid in jazz band who wants to rent a 2B/3B?

I'm in the Seattle area, but Craigslist has really dried up, probably COVID-related, so can't go that route for the foreseeable future.

[Burgerbob]

Big conventions, which aren't happening.

Large friend pools with good horns, which also isn't happening (not safely, anyway).

That's basically it.

[Vegasbound]

Talk to DJ, he has the unique almost mystical ability to match the searcher with the right horn and they are as he tells you they are from collectors to beater via utility

[Kingfan]

I wanted to see what a Duo Gravis played like before I bought one. I posted on this forum and a member was kind enough to let me demo his dad's DG. Maybe you can find somebody "Seattle-ish" to let you try out a horn. Make sure you and the person you are borrowing from take all sanitary precautions.

[hyperbolica]

To test a bunch of horns you'll have to go to a big music shop, one with a great used selection. I've stopped at Dillons in the middle of other travel.

The other option is a big music convention after covid passes.

I've spent a fair bit of money buying and selling and shipping horns. If you don't live near a great shop, it's hard to get exposure to good pro gear.

[ChadA]

As people have mentioned, post-covid things like state music ed conventions, ATW, ITF, Midwest, and other large conventions will be great for this. Retailers with large selections like Dillon, Hickeys, Windy City Trombones, BrassArk, and many others may be an option based on what their policies (and that of the local and state governments) are right now.

[elmsandr]

"For cheap"

Kinda the problem here. Easy answer... don't? I get it, money is tight all over, but maybe you cannot try out horns cheaply, maybe because of said tightness, you are left with fewer choices. It is rough, but that is part of the problem of not having infinite resources.

There is no secret trick to doing it on-line, just patience, some risk, and uncertain supply. Learn the market and buy things that appear to be a value (I use 'appear' because of the risk above). If you don't like it, move it on. Even in a poor market this can be done at a profit or a minimal loss with enough patience and persistence.

OR, just don't do it cheaply. Trombones ARE cheap. Spend some money on the search. Drive, camp, hotels, or whatever to buy and sell to find what you want. Budget the expenses as entertainment. Long time ago, I changed how I accounted for my trombone habit by lumping it in with eating out, movies, concerts, and such. With detailed accounting, I even got my wife to take a day out of our England vacation to go to Rath. Wish I had been able to talk her into the Contra while I was there, but alas I only got a mouthpiece.

Cheers,
Andy

[Model34]

You say cheap, but presumably you have the money to buy at least one horn you might want. If so, go to Amazon. If they have the model you want to try, order it. You have 30 days to return if not for you. I would return it as soon as you determine it is not for you as a courtesy to those dealers selling on Amz. that make this kind of test possible. Second, Hickeys has a 30 day return policy too on horn models they have in stock. Dillons has a 7 day policy. That may be all the time you need. This may cost some shipping. With a short list of target horns this shouldn’t be too bad. Certainly cheaper than shipping yourself to Dillons for an appointment. And hinfinitely safer than going anywhere in person.