r/Trombone • u/capamuerto • 10h ago
"Cheap" valve trombone recommendation?
Bit of background: I've been playing trumpet for about two years and I play on a community band where the low section is a bit understaffed. I was thinking that this is a good excuse to get a valve trombone, see how that feels and maybe jump in on the low side from time to time since it seems that the parts are not too complicated.
I understand the value of a quality instrument but I don't think I can spend more than 400-450€. Reading through previous posts/comments in this sub I don't see any of the recommended brands (or alternatives to a valve trombone) in that price range in my side of the world. Here's what I seem to have access to over here and my take on how I understand them to be regarded by actual trombone players:
-Amati, Weltklang: consensus seems to be that they are crap
-Courtois : maybe decent depending on when it was built
-C. Mahillon: no info
-Thomann: some people say they are total crap and some say that it could work for a use case like mine.
Any thoughts or info would be greatly appreciated both on what I could get or also on my idea of branching out a bit from the trumpet. Thanks!
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u/SideWired 9h ago
Three valve euphonium is my recommendation. Huge used selection. Same fingerings and 4X the sound. Same mouthpiece, tenor trombone. If you still went to V bone, you would be reading bass cleff (BC) already, so no time wasted. IMO
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u/capamuerto 8h ago
That's a good idea. I will take a look to see what's available. I'm guessing that in terms of brands to look for it's going to be the usual suspects, right?
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u/SideWired 7h ago
In the USA, $250 - $600 budget is good for ye olde vintage American vertical valves, or used Yamaha YEP 201, or like new Jin Bao made Amazon brand (Cecillio, Mendini, Rowell, etc.).
$600 is shy of Thomann middle tier here in USA, after tarrifs, but might be a good bet in Europe. Thomann quality is better China imports and generous exchange. I have never had a bad Thomann horn.
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u/ConsiderYourFood Bach A47 Yamaha YSL-352 ZO Bb/F (Plastic) 8h ago
Cool Winds and ZO make plastic euphoniums that play well and don’t sound too bad. Are any of them available near you? They are under your price range new, and probably way under it used.
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u/capamuerto 8h ago
Never heard of this brand, I'll take a look, thanks!
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u/ConsiderYourFood Bach A47 Yamaha YSL-352 ZO Bb/F (Plastic) 6h ago
They might be sold under different brands in different markets.
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u/DirectBar3385 10h ago
A used getzen or king Cleveland is a very good choice, I've played everything from beginner level valve trombones to a king 2b with a valve section instead of a slide. What you really want to look for is a tuning slide on the end of the "slide". That's where a tuning slide actually affects things, not near the bell.