Instruments

A general rule for purchasing musical instruments is “you get what you pay for.” You will find a plethora of professional quality instruments on ebay or elsewhere for the cost of $250-500, but be aware that there is no standard by which a horn can be labeled professional. Brands such as Maestro, Cecilio, Noteworthy, Selman, Berkeley, and Wurzbach sound very reputable, but I have never heard of any musician playing an instrument produced by these companies. These are in fact cheaply produced copies of well-designed instruments offered by other manufacturers. They are lacking in quality metals (or even satisfactory metals), accurate intonation, quality of sound, and mechanical function. Local music stores will not fix these instruments, and I can promise that they will need repair at some point. Paying a little more will create fewer problems in the future and provide a more positive musical experience for your young musician.


Trombone

There are two options for beginning trombone students; you can either rent an instrument or buy one. If you wish to purchase a student model trombone, I suggest you look for a used Yamaha YSL354 or Bach TB300. These are both higher quality student instruments that retail for about $1000 new, but you can find them used in the price range of $150–$250. These are plentiful on ebay or classified sites (craigslist, Online Trombone Journal...), but please make sure that you are in fact buying a Yamaha or Bach instrument and not a cheaper instrument with a cleaning kit made by one of the aforementioned manufacturers (a common ploy).

Though an inexpensive student trombone is sufficient first few years of playing, a more experienced student should move up to a better quality instrument with an F attachment. Most music stores offer intermediate level trombones, such as the Bach Omega and Yamaha Allegro. However, I do not recommend buying one of these “step up” trombones because a serious student will inevitably tire of a mid-level horn like this and want to move on to a professional instrument. From a financial standpoint these don’t make much sense either, especially when you consider the fact that these intermediate models carry a price that is very close to that of a professional instrument. A used pro horn usually costs between $1200-1500 which is the same or less than a new intermediate model. Below are some of the professional trombone models I recommend, all of which are available used and new from many online retailers including Woodwind and Brasswind and Dillon Music. These horns are large bore (.547) tenor trombones with an F attachment.

•Yamaha YSL–882OR or YSL–882GO
•Bach 42BO (or with any of the multitude of valves available)
•Conn 88HO (I do not recommend the more expensive CL2000 rotary valve)
•Getzen 3047AFR and 3047AF


Euphonium

For Euphoniums, I do not recommend buying a student model euphonium. These instruments are quite pricey ($1600-2000), and are frankly not worth much as a student progresses into middle school and high school. Some music stores may offer you a wonderful deal to purchase one after renting for some years, but unless it is less than $500, I would try to work out an arrangement to buy an intermediate level instrument at a discount. I do recommend the purchase of intermediate model euphoniums, due mainly to the extreme cost of professional Euphoniums ($5,000-$7,000). A serious high school player will be successful on one of these intermediate horns. The only exception to that rule is someone planning to enter the professional music field. Below are a list of intermediate model euphoniums, all of which are also available with silver plating.

•King 2280
•Yamaha 321
•Besson BE165

Tuba

If you are going to purchase a tuba, please talk to me and we will find an appropriate instrument for you.