AboutColin Murray Expertise I can answer about trombone equipment (instruments, mouthpieces, used horns, etc) and
trombone (especially bass trombone) playing. If I don't know right away, I have an extensive
network of experts to call on. I can't help you get a date.
Experience 25 years as professional bass trombonist (playing in big bands,orchestras, theatre, etc), 20 years as brass repair technician and retail and wholesale sales. Bass trombone instructor at Humber College, Toronto. Creator of website www.mrequipment.net - all about brass and woodwind gear and the people behind it.
Organizations National Association of Music Merchants, American Federation of Musicians, International Trombone Association
Education/Credentials B.Mus, L.Mus (Performance) McGill University, Montreal
Expert: Colin Murray Date: 6/19/2008 Subject: student rombone
Question Hi and thanks for taking my question.
Background:
My son (4th grade) just finished his first year of trombone playing snd seems to like it. I rented the trombome and am now looking to purchase. I am sure e-bay is cheaper than the place I rented. I have 2 questions:
1) It is a King Trombone and the only number I can find is 167585...what model number does this correlate to?
2) What would be a sensible upgrade...both brand and model
Thank you!
Answer Hi Rob,
Ebay MAY be cheaper, but unless you know exactly what you're looking for and/or the trombone is coming from a trusted, recommended source, you could be asking for trouble.
Student trombones aren't that rare, and you may be best to try locally first, either by asking your local school band director, a private trombone teacher, a band instrument repair technician or online with Craigslist or Kijiji. As long as you're looking at a good name-brand trombone (King, Bach, Yamaha, Conn, Getzen, Holton are some) and you can see it in person, and it's relatively free of dents and scratches, the case is in good shape and, most importantly, the slide moves freely, then it's hard to go wrong. For a horn in excellent shape, you can expect to pay about 70% of its new selling price (and hopefully less).
Some older student model trombones, like older Conn 18H's or King Clevelands can be a good deal when you find them on Ebay, but if you pay $200 on Ebay, and it costs $100 (or more) for repairs, it's hardly a bargain.
I wouldn't worry about "upgrading" just yet. If you want to get a really good student model trombone with a good slide and a case that's easy to lug around, I like the Yamaha YSL354.
The King 606 (which is likely the model you've been renting-the serial number doesn't tell me the model number) is a also a very good instrument.
I hope that answers your question. Feel free to write if you have any others.
Colin Murray
www.mrequipment.net
"It's not HOW you play, it's WHAT you play!"™
