Best Trombones for the Money
Trombone is the instrument that lies between a trumpet and a tuba. As a matter of fact, “trombone” is an Italian word that means “large trumpet”. It is basically a metal tube bent into an S shape. It can cover up almost all music genres, from classical to reggae. With the array of models out there, though, it can be daunting to choose which one to pay for.
As with buying any kind of instrument, beginners tend to start with the small or student model. But with the trombone, there’s not much difference between the beginner models and the intermediate ones.
Whether you’re a beginner looking for your first trombone or an advanced player ready to upgrade his, you’ll find the right one on this list.
Best Intermediate Tenor Trombone
If you’re ready to step up your musical game, then it is time to upgrade your trombone. This would mean you’d have to start using an F trigger with a Bb slide. One of the most trusted model is the Mendini MTB-31 Intermediate B Flat Tenor Trombone. Besides being lightweight and having the great sound quality, it is also affordable.
It has a bore that measures 8.5 inches, allowing the instrument to produce great projection you’d usually here in an orchestra. Moreover, the bore provides enough resonance for a fuller, brighter and warmer tone. Its slide is nickel-plated, which is a good material to make any instrument durable and safe from dent. The whole package comes with Cecilio 92-D chromatic tuner, pro-deluxe durable hard case, a pair of white gloves, and a cleaning cloth.
Top-Rated Standard Trombone
For beginner student, especially the young players, a trombone with a smaller bore horn is the best choice because it takes less air to produce a decent tone. One of the best few is the Yamaha YSL-354 Series Student Trombone, which has a bore that measures 0.500″ and an 8-inch bell diameter. Its inner slide is made from chrome-plated yellow brass, making it durable and giving the intrument a quick and sensitive response. Its outer slide is impressive as well, as it maintains the accurate diameter throughout its length. This construction esures airtightness and esceptional durability. Moreover, this adds resonance to the overall sound.
The Yamaha YSL-354 boasts a specially designed one-piece inner slide stockings that guarantees airtight slide construction. This is also why students and teachers alike find the instrument having a smoother slide action and better alignment than other student trombones. It is also very lightweight, and the playability benefits all beginning students.
Best Contrabass Trombone
Contrabass trombone is typically a large trombone in F, usually having two triggers, and to an instrument in BBb having a double slide (four tubes on the slide, rather than the standard two). It has a very deep voice that will blend beautifully in an orchestra.
One of the highly rated contrabass trombones is the Miraphone MI57F because of its excellent sound in the lower register. It is in the key of F, which most trombone are. It is quite long and a little awkward to hold for the inexperienced player. It is also constructed with two valves: one is in the key of C, and other one is in the key of C-sharp. Together, they give that nice sound at major arpeggio in the first position.
