Rath R4 Trombone

[BrassBird]

Hi folks
I’m new here. Currently playing a student Conn Bb/F trombone in a voluntary RAF concert band. The guys I sit next to are all playing Raths & sound amazing. My question is - if I upgrade my student instrument & have around £2k to buy another - what would you recommend? Many thanks

[Matt K]

Am I understanding correctly that you have enough for an R4 plus $2k on top? So like $7k budget for a tenor? Good news is you don’t have to spend that. Bad news is it won’t make you sound like your section mates, but it might help! And it might give you the extra desire to practice. A great trombone that’s easy to play tends to make one want to practice.

If you are going to buy a new trombone, I’d recommend going to the Rath factory for a fitting or at least co tact Rath. They are good at fitting people to either common setups. You may also want to consider the 400. It is Chinese made, but is patterned after a very common R4 setup.


I’m assuming you’re in UK given context clues but if you’re in the states it would be worth considering other brands. For that matter, it would be the the UK too, but if it allows you to do a fitting that’s probably your best option if it’s within your budget.

Edit: rereading it I think you mean you have $2k to upgrade not enough to upgrade and buy something else. Still might not be a bad idea to reach out to Mick. They also sell preowned horns there. If as I assume you are on the other side of the pond, a used Conn 88H might be a good option as they are quite popular there and a new R400 is Probably slightly too high for your budget. Preowned would be really the only option I would consider in that price range. (There are some instruments sub 2k new but they are often hit or miss).

[MStarke]

If I get it right and you have 2k to spend, probably the best and most "UK-compatible" way could be to get a used Conn 88h (maybe a good old Elkhart if you are lucky?) or 88ht (which is meant to be closer to the Elkharts). With unlimited budgets I would probably look again at the different Conn 88h variations, the Getzen Bousfield and of course the Rath options.

[MrHCinDE]

I wouldn‘t rule out a Bach 36b, Yamaha 882 or Holton TR-150/TR-158 alongside the 88h. I wouldn‘t totally rule out a Bach 42b either, especially with the lightweight (LT) slide. You might see a few used Courtois in that range as well.

With a bit of patience and by keeping an eye out on places such as Prozone, Phil parker‘s, Trevor Jones or Duchy Brass you should see a few options in your price range.

In your position I‘d probably try out a few used horns in my budget and see what works. If you‘re looking for new, the Rath R400 is a solid option and only slightly above your price range.

[StephenK]

I'd recommend trying before you buy. It's worth a trip, just to make sure you feel good with the instrument, whatever brand.

[RoscoTrombone]

There's a R4F on eBay (UK) for £2400 just now.

[BrassBird]

Thanks everybody