TromboneChat

I’ve just spent 3 days at the Adams factory in Thorn, Holland.

I can’t quite believe the place, people or the instruments. I knew they were good form the toots I’ve had here and there over the last 4 or so years, but the instruments and the care and attention to detail is off the scale. At least of what I’m used to. And the guys there -
Nothing is too much trouble. . The whole
Experience has been amazing!

Just incredible. . . I’m sold!!

I had a good experience with them at the Salt Lake ITF a couple of years ago. Great horns and nice people at their booth. I loved their sterling silver alto w/B flat valve. They bought the alto design and tooling from Glassl when he retired. I also remember liking a tenor similar to one in the pictures in the previous post - red brass stem and sterling flare for the bell. Good horns.

Jim Scott

I have only briefly played one of their Euphoniums when I visited Thomann some years ago, but that was a great instrument. Played fantastically well.

Congrats to a really nice experience! It seems that there are some great instrument builders around Europe, alas unevenly distributed.

@OP: Did you buy a new horn of some kind?? If so: Show us!!

I currently own an Adams E3 Euphonium and previously owned an Adams TB1 Sterling Silver with the Open Flow meinl valve. I have since moved to a Bach A47XPS. The TB1 played well, and the horn definitely felt heavier built than the Bach, the one thing I just couldnt gel with was the valve. Other thing I found was the Adams TB1 is really similar to the Conn 88H as far as characteristics. Great horns, great build quality.

I own a TB1 with the Meinlschmidt valve. At first it was a love-hate relationship, but when I bought a new slide it changed our relationship for the better.
I went from a yellow brass dual bore to a nickel single bore and it fits me better.

I also tried 3 of their euphoniums (E1, E3 and E5 if I remember well), the sterling silver bell is really awesome on these horns.
Their trumpets are also pretty good (loved the callichio-style, hated the A4 but I don't like large bore trumpets).
Their flugelhorns are perfect to me. When I'm on the market for one, it will be an Adams for sure.

^ Those euphoniums were most likely the E1, E2 and E3. An E5 would be news to me!

Yeah, I checked and it as probably E1 and a pair of E3 (brass and silver bell).
It's a flugelhorn that had the number 5, I tried the F1, F4 and F5.
Too many instruments...

I used my new E1 0.70 euphonium on a gig tonight.

Just awesome.

Has anyone played the bass??

I was at Adams in February 2024 to try out their basses when they were trying new designs for one of my colleagues and Adams trombone artists, Alejandro Belmont (you can see his equipment on the Adams website) and it was mixed. There was 1 combination that was great and the rest I thought didn't play that well. Keep in mind these were "prototypes". The finished bass Alejandro has now is great, plays similar to a Bach, nice orchestral sound, and good colour.
As always, try before you buy, and good luck out there.

I visited Adams recently and tried a couple of basses that they had on display, none of them came close to my 2016 Bach 50 sound wise. I have played on Hagmann valves on a Rath and preferred them on a Rath compared to an Adams. Hagmann valves are the only option that Adams offer on their Basses, no idea why they don't offer them with a meinlschmitt as with the Tenors.

They do offer multiple bell options which is good but I didn't get on with them.

Great store to visit though!

Alejandro's bass has rotary valves. I'm not sure if they are meinlschmitt or the rotax valves from Wilson. But maybe it's not an option they advertise

No regular tenor trombones though without F attachments

SamBTbrn wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 9:52 am I was at Adams in February 2024 to try out their basses when they were trying new designs for one of my colleagues and Adams trombone artists, Alejandro Belmont (you can see his equipment on the Adams website) and it was mixed. There was 1 combination that was great and the rest I thought didn't play that well. Keep in mind these were "prototypes". The finished bass Alejandro has now is great, plays similar to a Bach, nice orchestral sound, and good colour.

PXL_20240228_132940902~2.jpg

As always, try before you buy, and good luck out there.

Do my eyes spy basses with axial valves?

bassbone1993 wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 6:18 pm

SamBTbrn wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 9:52 am I was at Adams in February 2024 to try out their basses when they were trying new designs for one of my colleagues and Adams trombone artists, Alejandro Belmont (you can see his equipment on the Adams website) and it was mixed. There was 1 combination that was great and the rest I thought didn't play that well. Keep in mind these were "prototypes". The finished bass Alejandro has now is great, plays similar to a Bach, nice orchestral sound, and good colour.

PXL_20240228_132940902~2.jp

As always, try before you buy, and good luck out there.

Do my eyes spy basses with axial valves?

Yes. 2 of them had Thayers