Trombone & Euphonium Reviews & Advice

New Year!

2012-01-10T23:36:00.001-05:00

Well, 2012 is finally here! (As a side note, I do personally believe we will be here to see 2013) This is going to be an extremely exciting year for me! I'm graduating High School this spring, marching drum corps in the summer, and starting college at Duke University in the fall! Wow.

As a result of all this, there are some serious financial commitments to be made for both marching and attending college at Duke. So I'd like to remind readers about the donate button on the side to help support me and my blog.

Also, I recently started an Etsy store, Wild Card Wallets, where I'm selling wallets made of playing cards. These wallets are slim, unique, customizable, durable, cheap, and most of all cool. Below is a picture of one of my wallets. Please consider supporting me by buying a wallet from Wild Card Wallets. Thanks!

pBone Review

2011-12-22T22:01:00.000-05:00

Finally! The long awaited review of the pBone has arrived! Once again, a huge thank you to Andrew's Music for providing me with a yellow pBone for review!

The pBone has been around quite awhile now. It was originally developed and sold in Europe and was essentially off limits in the USA. The company did not want to ship to the US because of the extra costs as well as the fact that they would sell out of stock in literally less than a day.

However, in the summer of 2011, it was announced that Conn-Selmer would be the exclusive, worldwide distributer of the pBone. A couple months ago, the US got our first shipment of pBones and they have been much anticipated and thus been selling extremely well.

However, what is the performance value of the instrument? Sure, it's a novel idea to have a plastic, colored trombone, but is it functional? Does it sound good? Will one be able to use it? I'll address all of that in this review.

What you get:

pBone (two parts, as per the norm of trombones)
Plastic, matching color mouthpiece
Gigbag
pBone Care Card

Shipping:

I really had no concerns about shipping with this horn. I mean it won't get dented and should hold up to a lot more abuse than a normal horn. It came in the box pictured below and considering the horn I am very confident in the fact that the horn will not be damaged upon receiving it. On behalf of Andrew's Music, their shipping was very quick and I was extremely pleased in the time it took for the horn to get to me from Texas.

Specs:

Plastic bell
Fiberglass slide with brass stockings
8.25" bell
.500" bore
800g weight.

Lets set this straight, this horn does NOT have a carbon fiber slide. Any website claiming that it does is simply wrong. Just thinking about it, there is no way they could use a carbon fiber slide at this price point. (Though carbon fiber slides do exist, just look up Spurling).

Appearance - Well there is nothing like this anywhere else. Sure, you can get colored mouthpieces elsewhere but the pBone is the only colored plastic trombone on the market. You will definitely draw some looks with this horn in your hands. Not suitable for all situations but definitely a fun horn and a great way to get people interested in your playing. Overall, in most non-formal performance situations, I think the pBone could be cool.

How does it play? - This is the single most important factor of an instrument. If a horn doesn't sound good, I'm not going to play it in front of people or risk developing bad habits by using it because it looks cool. That being said, this horn sounds so much better than I thought it would! I was very impressed with the horn's playability and sound. I will admit, it doesn't sound like my 42BO, but it does sounds on par or better than almost every student model I've played. And quite honestly, for good players, student models don't sound too shabby at all. The horn gets a bit airy in the lower register I found but it only took a practice session or two to get my embouchure used to that and automatically adjust. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the sound of this horn and the way it works. Should I ever have a fun performance in front of a child audience or something, I would definitely consider using this horn.

Slide - The slide is the hardest part of the trombone to get right. The reason is very simple, you have a set of two long tubes which need to be fit two another set of two long tubes and need to have a tight enough fit to not allow extraneous air to escape while not so tight as to restrict the ease of movement. Factor in the length of the tubes and that requires a lot of precision. When you first get the horn, the pBone's slide is very scratchy and tight. However, with use, the brass stockings essentially shave off material on the inside of the outer slides and as such they become fit to that individual inner slide. You can definitely hear the slide at first but it has gotten marginally better over the past week or so. Therefore, I'm hoping that continues. You also do not need to use slide lubricant on this slide. I tried using my trombotine on it and honestly it didn't make much of a difference. Maybe it will have more of an effect once the slide is worn in.

Mouthpeice - Okay, I'll be honest here. Do not use the included mouthpiece. I found it to be essentially crap. It makes the horn sound much more airy and it's simply not a good mouthpiece in my opinion. Get a good, quality metal mouthpiece for this horn. It makes the sound much better and makes it play much more easily. The included mouthpiece is usually labelled as 12C-ish. However, it felt much more similar to a 6.5 for me. The quarter test (shown below) also puts the rim size as more similar to a 6.5 than to a 12C.

Also, this is not a mouthpiece made by Kelly. The material feels completely different, the sound is much less focused, and is just much less quality than that of Kelly mouthpieces.

6.5 AL small shank on left, pBone mouthpiece center, and Bach 12C on right.

Gigbag - This case is spectacular for the instrument. It is very simple, light, and easy to use. It's two main compartments with an inside pocket for the mouthpiece. However, I typically just carry my metal mouthpiece in my pocket when transporting this horn. Just in case. The bag really doesn't provide any protection as the horn doesn't dent and a bit of extra padding isn't going to do much if there is enough pressure to make it crack. This case is the perfect example of less is more. It's easy to use, light, and exactly what's needed for this instrument. Bravo.

Uses - So, essentially this is a plastic horn that plays just as well, if not a bit better than a student model brass horn. So why should you want one? Honestly, I would highly encourage serious trombonists who have the money to buy one, to buy one. It makes the perfect "beater horn." You can travel with this horn with absolutely no fear of getting any dents in it or anything. It's light enough and small enough in the bag that you don't have to worry about lugging around a huge case or being weighed down by a bunch of stuff. I can honestly say that whenever I travel from here on out and want to practice while on the trip, the pBone will be my go to horn. The pBone also makes a good horn for private lesson teachers for when their students have a horn in the shop or they want to demonstrate a concept on a small bore horn. This is also a great option for those schools that teach band in elementary school. I have experienced teaching third graders that could not do well because they could not hold their horn. Using the pBone will definitely eliminate that problem. Also, this horn is much more durable than a brass horn. That means that the school could even buy a set of these and use them as school-owned horns for a very long time. On top of all that, these horns are much cheaper than their brass counterparts and as such it's a great way to expose a child to trombone playing on a good horn without putting down a fortune.

Pros:

Durability
Price
Quality for money
Weight
Draws attention
Easy to transport/travel with

Cons:

Is not appropriate for all performance venues
no tip at the bottom of the slide can be annoying
Mouthpiece

Price - $149 Please use Andrew's Music for buying one online if you choose to. They have made this review possible. Red, green, yellow, and blue are available. Andrew's Music also mixes colors which I have not seen from anyone else.

Overall - This is an incredible horn. Don't put this out of your mind just because it's plastic. It is not suitable for all situations but I would bet that every trombonist could find their own uses for it to make it worth it. This horn is so much cheaper than anything else (besides foreign crap which doesn't last). If nothing else, it's worth it for the durability and travel. I never have to worry about picking up dents on my brass horn through traveling. Besides all that... this horn is fun to play. There's no other way to say it. And if you can make playing fun, you'll practice longer and get better quicker. I highly suggest trying and buying this horn, I've been extremely pleased with it.

*I would like to once again thank Andrew's Music for supplying this horn for review. Please use them for buying online as without them this review would not have happened. I am very grateful for their support of my blog.

The Arrival of the pBone

2011-12-12T19:33:00.000-05:00

**12/22/11** If you are looking for a review of the pBone it can be found here: http://euphbone.blogspot.com/2011/12/pbone-review.html

Well, on Saturday I finally received a pBone. It was supplied by Andrew's Music for review. I must say, I am very impressed by my initial impressions of it. I received a yellow one and have been having a blast playing it. I'll post some sneak peak pictures here but unfortunately my full review wont be out til next week. This week I have a lot of school work and the second Phantom Regiment camp this weekend. Therefore, I won't have time to write up the review until next week. However, I promise it will be out by the end of the day next Thursday!

On another note (no pun intended), I used lights on my trombone for my recent orchestra concert. I play bass and the tuba player and I decided to use lights and match outfits for the concert. So here are some pictures of my trombone with lights on it!

Finally!

2011-12-04T18:38:00.001-05:00

**12/22/11** If you are looking for a review of the pBone it can be found here: http://euphbone.blogspot.com/2011/12/pbone-review.html

Well, I typically don't post twice in the same day, but I think I have good reason this time.

Andrew's Music has agreed to have me review a pBone from them!

This is obviously very exciting news as I've been wanting to review one of these for a very long time. My first post about these was almost a year ago! I am very grateful to Andrew's Music and if you are looking at getting a pBone, please buy it from them. Everyone has the same price but Andrew's Music is supporting me and without them my future review of the pBone would not be possible.

As a side note, Andrew's Music is the only US based dealer of the pBone that sells pBones with mixed colors. That is: with one color slide and tuning slide and another color bell. Here is their Yellow/Green mix and they have another with opposite parts (obviously since they wouldn't have a bunch of yellow bells and green slides laying around unused!)

Again, a huge thank you to them for making this future review possible!

pBone and a New Blog

2011-12-04T09:19:00.001-05:00

**12/22/11** If you are looking for a review of the pBone it can be found here: http://euphbone.blogspot.com/2011/12/pbone-review.html

Hey everyone, well just as an update, I am still working on trying to get my hands on a pBone. With Phantom Regiments membership dues I am not able to buy one to test it. I have been looking to get one from a dealer in exchange for marketing (after all, I am the number one hit on pBone review searches!). However, I am also putting in a donate button as of today. Do not feel required to use it by any means. 100% of the money that is donated will be used for either Phantom Regiment dues or buying products to review on this site. Each review takes me around 10 hours usually, but I love doing it. Once again, don't feel obligated, but as a heads up, it is going in today.

*Edit: Andrew's Music has agreed to supply me with a pBone for review. If you are buying a pBone, please use them as they have made this future review possible.

If anyone has any connections with a dealer who sells pBones, please let me know or let them know about me. pBone generates a large traffic flow and I want to be able to provide a review for it.

In other news, this week saw the beginning of my most recent blog, "Clancy's Phantom Experience." As the name implies, this blog will be where I post, in depth, about my experiences with the Phantom Regiment. I still will give updates here, but the other blog will have much more detail. Check it out and let me know what you think! the URL is http://buickclancy.blogspot.com

Hope everyone is doing well!

Phantom Regiment Camp

2011-11-27T15:08:00.001-05:00

Well, no sense making you wait... I received a call back for the Phantom Regiment! That means I am well on my way to becoming a Buick.

I had an amazing time at camp. Working with the staff there is truly an incredible experience. I was a bit wary because of all the music staff changes, but they're all great people and instructors. The music we got to play through was really fun and definitely very intense.

My arms are very sore from holding the horn for so long but I honestly can't wait to go back for the December camp! I definitely have incentive to start running and cycling more now as well. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T07:33:00.001-05:00

Hi all and Happy Thanksgiving to my US readers! This morning I am taking part in a five mile "Turkey Trot" in my town. If you wanna read more about that I suggest heading over to my other blog http://ironbuick.blogspot.com later today or tomorrow to read about that race and how I do.

Tomorrow morning I'll be leaving for Phantom Regiment auditions so this will be the last post of the week. Sunday I'll have plenty of time in airports to get you a quick update and overview of the camp and how i do.

Once again, Happy Thanksgiving!

End of Marching band, iPhone, and Drum Corps

2011-11-20T18:31:00.001-05:00

Well last weekend was the end of high school Marching Band. Green Hope Marching Band travelled to indianapolis to compete in the Bands of America Grand Nationals. Performing in Lucas Oil Stadium is truly an amazing experience. I was awe struck when we first came out of the tunnel and I got to see the stadium from field level. We had the best run of our season (I'll post a video in the comments once I get home) and it was an awesome way to end the season. We also got to watch the top 12 groups in the finals competition. Congratulations to Broken Arrow especially for their first place finish. All of the finals groups were simply amazing.

This week I also got an iPhone 4S. I absolutely love this phone. In fact, I'm posting from it right now. Hopefully this means you'll be seeing posts from me more often!

This coming weekend is the first audition camp for the 2012 Phantom Regiment. I'll be attending and hopefully receiving a callback. I will definitely give an update on Sunday when I have all the waiting time at the airport!

Hope everyone is doing well and has a great holiday season!

Hiatus

2011-10-18T20:34:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone,

I am sincerely very sorry for this break in posting. I have been wanting to write a post for a long time and simply haven't had the time. Between school, marching band, and college apps I have very little time to do things I enjoy doing and choose to do. Luckily for the blog, almost all my college apps are in and marching band only has about 4 more weeks left. That means that I should be able to get back to regular posts soon. I am still out looking for products to review and have definitely not forgotten about this blog. I hope you stick with me as I am planning on picking up the posting again soon! Thanks to all my readers, I hope to be posting more soon!

Sincerely,
David Clancy

OcToBrass Review

2011-08-04T00:36:00.001-04:00

Recently I received a complimentary OcToBrass from Chason's music for a review. Right now, my camera is malfunctioning so I cannot add any of my pictures, however I will add them soon. Specifically i received a Trombone/Euphonium LS OcToBrass kit. It came with a polycarbonate OcToBrass, leather case, fingering chart, DVD, clip on tuner, key ring flashlight, and a green 5G Kelly Mouthpiece. This invention is marketed as the ultimate buzzing tool. Do I agree with this? Lets dive into it a bit.

Design - This tool is essentially an ocarina with a large shank mouthpiece receiver on it. The ocarina itself is a product of Mountain Ocarinas (polycarbonate, key of G). For those of you that don't know, an ocarina is a flute like instrument with 8 tone holes on the top and 2 tone holes on the bottom. There is also a resistance valve on the mouthpiece receiver that allows you to adjust the resistance to match your horn's. There is also a cord which allows you to make a fashion statement and wear your OcToBrass around town. It is also very light. All in all, the design of this tool is not bad. Simple, yet effective.

Design rating - 4/5

Ease of Use - From here on out my review is rather split between using this as a buzzing tool and using it as an ocarina. I'll first go with the review as an ocarina. This instrument is very cool. The tone is very pure without being too shrill. However, it is very loud. Do not expect to use the ocarina in places where quiet is needed. I have enjoyed using the ocarina function of the OcToBrass. It is cool to do as a brass player. When one starts buzzing on this though it gets a little iffy. It takes quite awhile to adjust to playing with it. The tone of the ocarina and buzzing loses the purity of the ocarina alone as well as buzzing alone. I'm not sure if this is due to the octave difference or what. Buzzing alone on the OcToBrass is fairly useful because it can be used to match the resistance of the horn. Then again, I like to use buzzing as a breathing exercise and breath control exercise.

Ease of Use - 3/5

Functionality - I'm really not sure what to think of this device yet as a buzzing tool while I can see the benefits (the video demonstration looks awesome) i just can't seem to produce the same results. I guess its just a matter of practice on the ocarina side of things. The quiet buzzing mode is nice. However, the tone is distorted when only buzzing due to the air escaping the tone holes. Personally, my ear is better at pitch accuracy with the normal buzzing tone as opposed to through the OcToBrass. The functionality as solely an ocarina is great though. Personally though I'm not fully convinced of the actual effectiveness of the tool. Is it cool? Yes. But, on trips I think I would rather only bring a mouthpiece. For me, a mouthpiece is all I need to keep in shape and I feel as if the OcToBrass tries to do be a sort of "Jack of all trades but master of none."

Functionality rating - 2/5

Accessories - Ironically, I personally find the accessories of the kit more exciting than the actual OcToBrass. It comes with a lexan Kelly Mouthpiece (either 51D or 5G). I've already done a review of these mouthpieces, and really like them. These mouthpieces are light, cool, and don't suffer much at all in tone. Oh, and they're very durable. The kit also comes with a clip on tuner. This tuner is really cool and accurate. It is perfect for checking your pitch while playing in a group setting and can't play alone. Or checking tuning on that one sustain note in a phrase that just doesn't sound right. Very useful, small, and accurate. I love this tuner. The keyring flashlight is totally unrelated, yet very functional. Overall, the accessories of this kit are very useful and very nice.

Accessories rating - 5/5

Price:
OcToBrass kit - $99
Clip on Tuner - $19.95
Kelly Mouthpiece - $26
Mountain Ocarina - $24.95

Overall - This is an interesting tool. It is a very nice ocarina which is very fun to play. However, combining it with buzzing makes it difficult to learn and gives it a sub-par tone in my opinion. This is a really cool idea and I really did want to like this product. However, it simply took me a long time to learn and offered less than stellar performance. Perhaps over time it will grow on me, but right now I can't say that I enjoy buzzing in my OcToBrass. If this were up to me and I had to buy products I would rather buy the mountain ocarina for about 25% of the cost since the ocarina is what I find to be the most useful and fun about the OcToBrass. However, I would highly recommend getting the tuner as well. It is definitely worth the $19.95 and functions flawlessly.

Overall rating - 2/5

Afternote - The owner of Chason's music is a great guy. It has been a joy communicating with him and I can really tell he loves what he does. The products he develops seem to be very innovative and very cool.

pBone

2011-07-11T14:39:00.001-04:00

**12/22/11** If you are looking for a review of the pBone it can be found here: http://euphbone.blogspot.com/2011/12/pbone-review.html

Well, today is a short update. I've been busy lately with music stuff and my recent interest into changing my physical lifestyle (go to http://ironbuick.blogspot.com if you are interested in hearing about it). I finally got around today to asking around for dealers that will have the pBone in stock. I've been getting search hits from this for awhile and been very interested in these instruments ever since I found out about them. These don't come available until September 2011 in the US but I'm really hoping I can get one of these in the first shipment. They appear to run at $150 per instrument and I think thats fair, even though it is higher than the original UK price point. So be expecting a full review of a pBone once I can get my hands on one (hopefully September!).

*Update: Andrew's Music is supplying me with a pBone to review! Many thanks to them!

Lignum-Tech Mouthpiece Review

2011-06-29T10:17:00.001-04:00

Mouthpieces are metal right? Not always. In addition to brass and stainless steel, other materials are being used. Awhile ago I did a review of a lexan mouthpiece from Kelly. Now, I'm pleased to announce this review is of a wooden mouthpiece from Lignum-Tech in Ingersheim, Germany! I received a 5 AL mouthpiece (large shank) in Madagascar Ebony. Lignum-Tech only recently came out with their trombone and euphonium line so its still a little limited size wise but it has very popular sizes that should work for most tenor trombone and euphonium players.

Shipping - I was very impressed with the shipping of this mouthpiece. The box that it came with was very secure. The whole box was almost completely covered in tape which is a very good thing when shipping something like a mouthpiece. Inside the outer box was a smaller, black formal box that fit snuggly in the outer box. And finally, inside this black box was the mouthpiece inside of a soft mouthpiece bag. The whole packaging system was very well thought out and very secure. I find it highly unlikely that the mouthpiece could ever be damaged with his packing system. Also, the shipping was very speedy for coming such a long way.

Shipping rating - 5/5

Design/Comfort - The feel of wood on your chops can be daunting to think about. After all, could you imagine putting one of those woodworking projects you've done on your embouchure and buzzing? Well put those doubts aside, this is the most comfortable mouthpiece I've played on. The wood itself is covered with a high-performance coating from Heyday's (organic anorganic hybrid polymer). The surface is slick, more so than my gold plated mouthpieces. So if you like being able to move your lips around easily, this will be very beneficial for you. The piece is made from a single section of wood and it is all wood. This means that even the shank is wood so I would be more careful than usual inserting and removing the mouthpiece. The material also means that the piece is lightweight and good for extreme temperatures as there wood is less conductive than metal. The Heyday's surface also means that you do not need to do the annual oiling like older wooden mouthpieces do. The mouthpiece itself seems to be very close to the Schilke 52 and Dennis Wick 5AL it is compared to on the website so you can trust all of the comparisons. This is definitely one of my favorite mouthpieces I've played from a feel and comfort standpoint.

Design/Comfort - 5/5

Tone - Tone and sound are always the most important factor in a mouthpiece because, lets be honest, that is what the audience hears and we are performing to please the audience. As always when you alter the material of a mouthpiece, the sound is also altered. The Lignum-Tech mouthpiece produces a warm, mellow tone. The higher harmonics (overtones) are dampened so do not expect this piece to have a piercing sound. I would definitely use this in most situations for wind bands and especially in small ensembles. Don't expect a powerhouse out of this mouthpiece but do expect a quality, warm tone which is useful for a lot of ensemble playing.

Tone - 4.5/5

Pros

Warm, mellow sound
Comfortable in both hot and cold temperatures
No annual oiling
Unique
Slick feel (some could find this as a con but personally, its a pro)

Cons

Rather expensive
Not suitable for when a piercing sound is needed.

Price - 159 Euros (about $230 at the time of writing but this also includes 20% VAT). You can ask for a quote or order here.

Overall - I am very impressed with this Lignum-Tech mouthpiece. It is a very comfortable piece to play on and produces a warm, rich tone. It is simply a beautiful sounding and looking mouthpiece. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a versatile ensemble piece. Lignum-Tech is currently the only wooden mouthpiece manufacturer to my knowledge and quite honestly, I would not want to compete with a product of their caliber. Very well done Lignum-Tech!

Overall - 5/5

Photos

(blurred information for privacy)

Tips For Buying Your First Trombone

2011-06-28T13:55:00.000-04:00

Chances are that if you've opened this article, you (or your child) are someone who is interested in learning to play trombone. If so, congratulations! You have chosen an amazing instrument, capable of playing everything from jazz to ska. You have also probably entered into the unknown territory of purchasing an instrument. Fear not, I will do everything I can to steer you in the right direction!

First of all, you've probably seen brands such as Tristar and Cecilio on eBay. These prices have insanely low prices. My advice is stay away! You may get a decent horn from these guys, but you also may get a horn that is unplayable. The truth is that there is no concept of quality control with these brands and the instrument wont last. You're better off with going for brands which I'll go more in-depth into later in the article.

Terminology

You have probably been exposed to many different terms which you are unfamiliar with in your search for a beginner trombone. I'll try to explain what each one is and what it does.

Bore Size - The bore size of a trombone is the diameter of the tubing of the instrument, measured in the handslide. Basically larger bores will produce a darker, warmer tone. However, they also require much more air to play. In general, your first trombone should be a small bore (.500" or.509"). If you are an adult beginner, you may want to look into a medium bore (.525") however, I would still recommend a small bore instrument for your first trombone.

Bell Size - Bell size is usually directly related to bore size. It is is exactly what the name implies, how wide the bell's diameter is. A beginner horn should have a bell size of 8" unless you are using a medium bore where it may have a size of 8.5"

Shank - Shank refers to the size of the opening of the leadpipe. This determines whether the instrument will take large shank or small shank mouthpieces. Your first trombone should have a small shank as all small and medium bore horns have a small shank receiver.

Material - Trombones generally are made of two materials: Yellow brass and Red brass. Yellow brass is the material used in many trombones, including almost all student trombones. Yellow brass produces a strong fundamental sound which keeps its tone well at all dynamic levels. Red brass produces a warmer sound and is more flexible in the colors of every dynamic. Generally, yellow brass is what you'd want for your first trombone.

Key - Tenor trombones should be in the key of Bb. This means that the fundamental note, in first position is a Bb. If you get a trombone with a rotary valve, it should be in the key of Bb/F. Trombone is a non-transposing instrument even though its fundamental pitch is a Bb. This means that when a trombonist plays a written C, a C is sounded.

F - Attachment - This is the part of a trombone which is most easily identified as "the extra tubing around the tuning slide." With this option, you have a trigger which essentially turns first position into sixth and second into seventh. I would recommend not getting an F - Attachment on your first trombone. A straight trombone is much more free blowing, plus you truly learn the last two positions with a straight trombone.

Which Trombone is Right for Me?

Assuming you are a beginner I would recommend a straight, small shank, yellow brass,.500" bore, 8" bell trombone. This trombone will be the most durable and will be the easiest to produce a good sound on. Here are some models I would suggest.

These are new trombones, price is something to be noted. Generally with instruments you get what you pay for.

YSL-354 - This is the Yamaha student model. This was my first trombone. It is very durable, has good build quality, good tone, and great reliability. In my opinion Yamaha makes the best student model on the market, however it is more expensive than other models.

YSL-350C - This is an interesting Yamaha model. This is nicknamed "The Short Bone" in the trombone community. It has a trigger which puts the instrument into C eliminating the need for sixth and seventh positions. This is ideal for a young musician who can't reach or someone who needs a smaller instrument to travel with.

Getzen 351 - This is a great option for a student model instrument. Very nice student horn, and cheaper than the Yamaha.

Blessing BTB-1280 - This is another great model. Not quite as good as the previous options but still a very viable option and cheaper than the other three.

Giardinelli GTB 512 - I have not heard much about this horn. However, everything I've heard is that it's a great horn for the price. The cheapest option of all my recommendations.

Used horns

Used horns are a great option for beginners. They are much cheaper than new horns and often play just as well. Also, they will hold their value well unless you do major damage to them.

Any of the above are good used. Also, you can probably find pretty good deals on older instruments such as: Conns, Olds (any straight horn), and Kings.

If you'd like to talk to me about your trombone purchase, please feel free to contact me through the website below. I'll be glad to help you with anything trombone related!

Good luck in your first trombone purchase and in your pursuit of playing this great instrument!

Schiller Elite Compensating Euphonium... Price Cut?

2011-06-15T22:43:00.000-04:00

So in my review of the Schiller Elite Compensating Euphonium, I listed price as one of the best features of the horn. However, recently I have come across the same horn, bought from the same manufacturer, at an even lower price! Al at Big Bottom Music NW is selling the same horn at $700. Thats $185 lower than what Jim Laabs sells their horn for! If you're looking to buy a Schiller, I'd suggest going through Big Bottom Music NW to get the same horn at an even better price!

Synchronizing Metronomes

2011-06-10T14:59:00.000-04:00

Here is a very interesting demonstration of physics using metronomes. All 5 metronomes are set to 176 BPM. Due to slight differences and variance in mechanical metronomes each one is at a slightly different speed. However, when you put them on a board on top of two cans, they all get in sync! Then pulling them off the board again lets them become out of sync. Very interesting!

Low Brass Forums

2011-06-06T18:39:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, so recently, there has been an active, good low brass forum start up. The site is http://lowbrass.org and it is mostly amateurs passing around some advice and personal experiences. Right now, the members are a great set of people I can't wait to see where the site goes. Come join us! My username on the site is EuphBone

Kelly Mouthpiece Review

2011-05-31T22:22:00.000-04:00

Have you ever thought that I'd be cool to have a mouthpiece in a color such as red or blue? How bout crystal clear? Maybe even glow-in-the-dark? If so, then Kelly Mouthpieces are a product that you must check out. Kelly Mouthpieces are made from lexan which is a type of plastic, this means that they can offer mouthpieces in a wide variety of colors. For trombone and euphonium they have the standard sizes of 12C, 6.5AL, and 51D for small shank. They also have 5G, 51D, and 1.5G for large shank. They even have 5G and 51D for european shank. The product I received from Kelly was a crystal clear, large shank 51D mouthpiece.

Shipping - My mouthpiece was shipped to me in a standard packing envelope with the mouthpiece inside of a plastic bag inside. One effect of the piece being plastic is that it does not dent (well, I'm sure you could if you really tried, and heated the mouthpiece, but this is under normal circumstances). As a result, had this shipping method been used with a brass mouthpiece, I would be appalled. However, unless you catch a postman who is really, really angry that day, I highly doubt you'd have any issues with the piece. So I would consider the shipping job safe for what it is. Shipping was also very prompt.

Shipping rating - 4.5/5

Design/comfort - Wow! If you've never used a lexan piece before, I would highly suggest at least trying one. It is a very comfortable feel on your embouchure. Not to mention, it will feel comfortable no matter what the environmental temperature is! I put mine in my freezer for over an hour, took it out and immediately starting playing on it in my trombone. The difference in temperature was barely noticeable. As for the design, I have no complaints, very high quality of build and the dimensions feel the same as my Schilke 51D. One final advantage to lexan is that it is hypoallergenic. This is invaluable to those who are allergic to brass or silver.

Design/comfort - 5/5

Tone - I know what you're thinking. I can hear it through the computer. You're thinking, "But, plastic obviously can't sound as good as a traditional metal mouthpiece!" To be perfectly honest, going into this, I wasn't completely sure what to expect from this mouthpiece in terms of tone quality. Yes, the tone is different. However, I would not consider it worse, just different. The sound isn't as bright and sounds a bit more diffuse than my Schilke. I would have no issues using this mouthpiece in a wind band setting for performance. I plan on posting a sound comparison between a few of my mouthpieces (the Kelley, Bach Megatone, Schilke, and Monette) within the next few weeks, so that way you can hear for yourself what each piece sounds like.

Tone - 4/5

Pros

Cost
Unique
Variety of colors
Comfortable, especially across temperature ranges
Specifications are accurate to those we are used to
Very durable/doesn't dent under normal circumstances

Cons

Many players look down upon plastic (with little basis in truth I might add)
Some argue that the core of sound is lost, however in my personal playing I have not experienced this to a significant degree
Colored mouthpieces may not be accepted in some venues, i.e. Orchestras. However, this has the possibility of changing in the future.

Price

Large shank - $26

Small shank - $24

Both from kellymouthpieces.com

Overview - This concept for mouthpieces is brilliant in my opinion. Lexan mouthpieces have many practical advantages such as they are hypoallergenic, a poor conductor of heat, and they're lighter. On top of this, lexan opens up a wide variety of colors for the performer. The sound difference that I noticed was significant enough to be noticed, however I would not go as far as to say its worse. It is simply different just as all materials are. Kelly mouthpieces are a great option for those on a budget, students who can be rough with equipment, and those looking for a unique piece. I would definitely recommend trying a lexan piece. I'm very happy to add this mouthpiece to my arsenal and it will definitely be getting use, especially for outdoor gigs in winter. Great job to Kelly Mouthpieces!

Overall rating - 4.5/5

Photos - I don't have many as my camera had a lot of issues trying to pick it up due to it being clear so almost all of the pictures I had were blurry. If I manage to get anymore good ones, I'll update the post.

Beginner Trombone Mouthpiece Advice

2011-05-20T22:21:00.003-04:00

Mouthpieces are the part of a brass instrument which directly contacts your embouchure or lips. Being the first part of the instrument that the air and sound passes through, it is an important part of the instrument. In this article I'll help guide you through what mouthpieces are and how to choose one that will suit your needs.

Mouthpieces are also a very personal choice and many players can get into heated conversations about the differences in mouthpieces and what is better. In reality, some mouthpieces work for some people and others work for others. This is due to a variety of factors including: concept of sound, range, natural embouchure, etc.

Parts of a Mouthpiece

Rim - The rim of a mouthpiece is the part of the mouthpiece which contacts the embouchure. In most cases it is slightly rounded to improve comfort. The inner diameter of the mouthpiece is also an important measurement in determining the right size of mouthpiece for you.

Cup - This should be pretty self-explanatory. The cup of a mouthpiece is the inner part where the lips vibrate and sound is carried through the mouthpiece and eventually out the bell. Cup depth is the other important measurement in determining the right mouthpiece for you.

Throat - The throat of the mouthpiece is the smallest aperture (opening) in the mouthpiece. It is found at the bottom of the cup. After this point, the diameter will continue to increase throughout the mouthpiece. You can also find this spot by looking down the backbore of the mouthpiece. Throat size is basically standard for mouthpieces at the beginner and intermediate levels. Higher level musicians will learn what size throat they like to play on. This mainly affects the airflow through the mouthpiece and instrument.

Backbore - The backbore of the mouthpiece is the opening behind the throat of the mouthpiece. Usually it is shaped like a funnel, increasing the bore all the way to the end of the mouthpiece. Some manufacturers will sell mouthpieces with different size backbores, but as with throats, this should not really be changed from standards for beginner and intermediate players.

Shank - The shank of a mouthpiece is part below the cup. From the outside, it should look like a cylinder. For trombone and euphoniums there are two main shank sizes and one less commonly used one. The two main ones are small and large shank and the other is medium or european shank. These determine which instruments it will fit. European shanks are generally only used on euphoniums and baritones.

Bach Nomenclature System - This is the most common way that mouthpieces are sized. The Bach system consists of a number and then a letter. The number refers to the relative size of the inner diameter of the rim. The lower the number is, the larger the diameter of the mouthpiece. The letter after the number is generally a relative size of the cup. For most of the small shank mouthpieces this letter is a C. The large shank mouthpieces are generally a G.

Mouthpiece Suggestions -

Bach 12C - This is the standard beginner mouthpiece. It is a relatively small size. This is what almost all beginner trombones come with. After playing awhile, most people will switch to larger pieces. Some jazz artists will play on 12C's but no one that I know of in an orchestra or wind ensemble will play a tenor trombone with a 12C.

Bach 6.5AL - This is a typical mouthpiece to step up to. This is usually the 2nd mouthpiece of trombonists. It is larger than the 12C and also comes in both large and small shanks. Most large bore instruments will come with a 6.5AL as the stock mouthpiece. It is a good mouthpiece to get used to the larger instrument. I would recommend switching to this after about 2-3 years. The larger size will facilitate better tone and more flexibility in most musicians.

Bach 5G - So you've made it to the 6.5AL and are looking for a different mouthpiece. You want something with more room. Maybe you have a.547" bore horn now and are looking for the best mouthpiece for it. The 5G is a standard size for students on large bore horns. It is a mouthpiece with a decent sized cup and rim that allows for a comfortable, full range. Many first trombonists in symphonies use this size piece. It is a very nice all around mouthpiece and I highly recommend it to intermediate players who have been playing on a 6.5AL. After you make it to this piece you should be noticing what you like and don't like in mouthpieces and you should be able to make informed decisions after this point as to what to use.

Bach 1.5G - So now you want to move into bass trombone territory? Bass trombonists use large mouthpieces in order to reach pedal tones with a full sound. The Bach 1.5G is a good first time bass mouthpiece. It's not as massive as a 1G but it gives you plenty of room to work with.

Types of Mouthpieces

As a beginner or intermediate, I would suggest you stick with conventional mouthpieces. That is silver plated brass mouthpieces from a manufacturer such as Bach or Faxx. These will give you the least trouble while you develop your own playing style and preferences. Once you make it to the 5G point you may want to experiment with different materials and shapes. When I bought my first 5G I went with a 5G Megatone because my concept of sound is very warm and focused. Megatones add weight to the mouthpiece and open up the throat which results in less resistance and a change in the timbre. Also you can try other materials. For instance, gold plating on a mouthpiece will often make the rim more slick allowing your lips to move more. Stainless steel has no plating and is more slick than gold. The biggest thing though is trying as many mouthpieces as you can before purchasing when you're ready to start experimenting with different types.

For what its worth, at the time of writing, I play on a Monette TT-4L. This mouthpiece is very heavy, gold plated, and has a very open throat. You can even pass a standard wooden pencil through it!

I'm more than happy to talk with and help people with mouthpiece selection. If you would like more information on any mouthpiece or would like me to make a personalized suggestion for you please contact me through one of the links below or by sending an email to trombone.euphonium@gmail.com.

Bringing Color to Music!

2011-05-13T15:35:00.000-04:00

Many of us have had our band directors or orchestra conductors tell us to about the colors of sound music. The technical term for this is timbre (pronounced TAM-ber). However, one company producing mouthpieces in Wisconsin, USA, is taking this phrase literally. Kelly Mouthpieces sells lexan mouthpieces in popular sizes for all brass instruments. These mouthpieces are produced in a wide variety of colors on account of them being plastic. They have everything from wedding white, radical green, crystal clear and even glow-in-the-dark!

In the near future I expect to be receiving a complimentary crystal clear 51D from Kelly mouthpieces. As usual I will do a full review which will be posted about a week after I receive the mouthpiece. In the meantime, here is a video of James Stretton performing Bugler's Holiday by playing 12 parts. Neil Morley is a guest musician for a whopping 2 notes. Stretton plays all of the parts on kelly mouthpieces.

Mouthpiece Materials

2011-05-06T22:44:00.000-04:00

Mouthpieces are one of the most personal aspects of equipment for playing trombone and euphonium. Many people often have strong opinions as to what they like and don't like. In this post I will quickly cover the main materials of brass mouthpieces.

By far, the most common mouthpiece material is brass. However, nearly all brass mouthpieces have plating on them.

Silver - Silver plated brass mouthpieces are the most common type of mouthpiece for brass players. Silver is a fairly comfortable metal which is fairly efficient as a conductor so it warms up quickly. On top of all this, silver is not a very expensive metal so plating the mouthpiece doesn't cost that much.

Gold - Gold plated brass mouthpieces are also another option. Gold plated mouthpieces can be fully plated in gold or have only the rim and cup plated in gold. The gold plating does not go directly onto brass, but rather onto a silver plating. Gold feels more slick than silver so your lips will tend to be able to move on the mouthpiece more. Some people like this, others can't stand it. Also gold is one of the most efficient conductors of heat so it warms up very quickly. However, gold is expensive so many times musicians will only have their rim and cup gold plated to save cost.

Stainless Steel - Stainless Steel (SS) mouthpieces have been gaining popularity recently. Stainless steel mouthpieces are more slick than gold plating allowing your lips to move even more on the piece. Also, a mouthpiece from a stainless steel blank has no plating on it, this means there is nothing to wear off. Also, stainless steel tend to last longer and be more durable than mouthpieces made from brass blanks. Giddings and Webster is probably the largest manufacturer of stainless steel mouthpieces.

Lexan - Lexan is a plastic which some companies use to make mouthpieces. These mouthpieces can be flashy colors and even clear. Kelly Mouthpieces is most well known for these pieces, however Doug Elliot also makes lexan rims for his custom mouthpieces. Lexan is a poor conductor of heat which means that when its cold outside, the mouthpiece won't feel that cold. This makes these pieces a useful piece for outdoor venues such as marching band. However, lexan is not as resonant as metal so the sound will be a bit more dull.

Titanium - This is a rather rare material. Titanium has been experimented with for many years and currently Giddings and Webster is probably the largest manufacturer of these pieces. I have never played on a titanium piece so I cannot speak from personal experience. Titanium is also a very difficult material to work with and as such it is priced high.

Wood - Again, this is a rare material; however, wood mouthpieces have been around for a very long time. Old instruments such as the Alp Horn traditionally use wooden mouthpieces so these have been around for literally hundreds of years. Lignum-tech is about the only manufacturer of wooden mouthpieces specifically for brass instruments that I could find. Again, I have not played on a wooden mouthpiece but I cannot speak from personal experience but some players like the feel of wood.

Hope this helped! Let me know if you have anymore questions!

Comics!

2011-04-26T20:00:00.001-04:00

I love band humor. Unfortunately there is not much on the web that is new and original for band humor. "Whats the range of a tuba? 20 Yards if you have a good arm" is only entertaining so many times.

However, recently I discovered a website where John Bogenschutz regularly posts new material in his comic series which he titles Tone Deaf. These comics are absolutely hilarious and completely original. I highly recommend checking them out! Great job Mr. Bogenschutz!

This comic is the property of John Bogenschutz. The original can be found here

Don't forget to "like" our Facebook Page!

Exciting news!

2011-04-24T00:23:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm currently having conversations with an instrument dealer. There may be more instrument reviews coming on the site in the not too distant future! Very excited about this possibility.

To those who celebrate, Happy Easter!

Practice Mutes

2011-04-14T21:25:00.000-04:00

Ever been in a situation where you wanted (or needed) to practice yet the situation required that volume had to be low? Thats where practice mutes come in.

Practice mutes are mutes that usually look much like straight mutes which are inserted into the bell. Their purpose is the keep the volume low as to not annoy those around you. However, most practice mutes are notorious for causing intonation problems, inconsistency in partials, excessive resistance, and generally causing bad habits.

Here is an article reviewing 5 of the most common trombone practice mutes. The mutes tested are: Wallace, Softone, Humes and Berg, Dennis Wick, and Yamaha Silent Brass.

http://www.trombone.org/articles/library/viewarticles.asp?ArtID=166

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir 2.0

2011-04-07T20:12:00.000-04:00

Eric Whitacre has always been one of my favorite composers. "Lux Aurumque," "Sleep," and "October" are some of my favorite pieces by him.

He has pulled off the incredible. This evening he released the video of the Virtual Choir 2.0 singing "Sleep." The choir consisted of an amazing 2052 voices! Wow! This video is very powerful. The music is beautiful and the video fits very well. When they zoom out to show all the singers, its breath taking.

10 Trombone Tips

2011-03-29T16:21:00.002-04:00

Here are some great tips on how to improve your tone quality and sound on trombone! While most of these tips are fairly widely known, it never hurts to review! Not to mention you might find something out that you hadn't known before, or didn't know the reasoning behind it. These come from Jim Beckel, Principal Trombone, Indianapolis Symphony and Adjunct Professor of Trombone at DePauw University.

The article can be found here: http://www.depauw.edu/music/resources/tipsfromtheexperts/PDF/TromboneTips-Beckel.pdf

Although these are written for trombone, they apply to euphonium as well so euphonium players should check it out as well!