TromboneChat

Simple question: would you change a King 606 for a King 3B. If so , why?

Yup. 3B is way better in every way.

Thanks, Aidan. Short and to the point.

My King 606 was surprisingly good. But my (former) King 3B was better; my King 3B-F is superb. (All "older" instruments.) I think I wasn't just lucky - King made many excellent trombones.

I have a 606, which I started on. There's a 3B for sale locally. It seems it might be worth looking at.

The only downside is that you are going to feel a lot worse if you scratch or dent it.

I own both 3B and an older 606 with the all brass (no nickel) slide. The heavier 606 produces much more core in its sound--making it sound very different than the 3B. I consider them to be horns with different purposes--not simply one being an upgrade to the other.

slideman, I have that older model, too. What you say is interesting, trouble is I can't afford to have two trombones. If you could only have one which would it be ?

My 3B spends a lot of time in the closet because I prefer the 606's core sound. Which to choose is dependent on the personal sound you are trying to create. A traditional jazz or pop music sound would favor the brighter 3B.

slideman, you've given me something to think about. I was planning to use it in a big band , maybe on 2nd or 3rd. Now I wonder if I might as well keep the 606. It would be the cheaper option.

If the 606 is in good shape (excellent slide and tuning slide) like the one I had, it suits your playing style, and you can only afford one trombone - why not keep it? I prefer the 3B (which is probably worth more $) - but that's me, not you.

Posaunus - . I struggle a lot when instruments and mouthpieces are labeled " beginner" or " student" etc. For example I went into a bit of a spiral when someone suggested I should "move on" from a particular mouthpiece because they classed it as a beginner piece. My 606 is in good condition and, I think, blows ok but there'll be a part of me that will wonder what it's like. I think I should at least have a look at the 3B but with more appreciation for the 606. After all, the grass might not be greener.

There are a lot of different 606s... I once tried one, from a student of mine, silver plated and with these old style braces. From the earlier period. It blew me out. It played better than my professional trombone back then.
I later tried a more recent 606, the standard lacquered one. Great horn but definitely not as good as the older one.
I used its slide as a match with a Yam 354 bell, and it did the trick until late ! My opinion: older so-called student trombones can prove themselves to be excellent instruments.

Windmill. Thanks for that. It’s all academic now as someone beat me to it. But all useful information for future reference and it’s made me appreciate my 606 a bit more, at least.

NotATrumpet wrote: Thu May 29, 2025 9:48 am Posaunus - . I struggle a lot when instruments and mouthpieces are labeled " beginner" or " student" etc.

I just traded my 2BL Jiggs for a recently manufactured 3B. I miss the super light slide of the 2BL, but otherwise the 3B is an excellent horn.

BUT! I'm coming from using Yamaha 354/200ADs as my main, and honestly, I would argue the 3B plays rather similarly to my 200AD (edited this portion after giving it a few more hours) - though the 3B excels in the high register above high Bb, has a great slide and a very flexible warm tone.

With the 3B being THE jazz horn, I have a new found deep appreciation for how good Yamaha "student" trombones are. One of these days, I'd love to A/B test the 354 and 3B against a Yamaha 891Z.