Buying a new trombone at Phil Parker's London: some reflections

 

Buying a new trombone at Phil Parker's London (2021): reflections

Trombones seemed to have changed a lot since I last bought one (about 20 years ago!) and I had a fun morning trying out Phil Parker's large stock (probably the biggest in UK) in London. My ancient Conn 88H needed a replacement  hence my trip. Choosing a trombone (or any instrument) is tough and pretty subjective - so what follows are only my personal observations mostly based on the sound they made (the most important aspect for any instrument).

   It struck me that the trombone-make landscape has changed quite a lot and that the more modern instruments (Shires, Greenhoe and Rath) seem to be much better (more solid) built than say the new Conns. Prices also seem to have gone up. Below are my reflections on some of  the trombones I tried in order of personal preference (focusing on the sound) after a lot of agonising:


1. Greenhoe GB4-1G. Solid instrument with rich tone in all registers - light and good slide. (the version with the in slide tuner seemed to have quite a heavy slide and I couldn't hear any tonal difference) - excellent F side.

2. Shires Alessi Custom - Rich and warm sound - very well made  - similar in quality to the Greenhoe. I did try another of Shires' trombones which was also impressive.

3. Rath R4 - felt a little lighter than the above two but also had an attractive tone and excellent slide. I was keen on this instrument (excellent value for money) but for me the valve lever seemed to be too close to the left hand. It seemed too far forward. Parker's said it could be fixed in the workshop. This also has the option of being turned into a straight trombone with a goose neck - another plus.

4. Yamaha 8820 - This was good value but somehow not as tonally attractive as the others - especially in the louder dynamics - well-made though.

5. Conn 88HT-0 - I tried a couple of Conns and they both seemed a bit flimsy and lacking in tonal depth - certainly inferior to my aging Elkhart

6. Yamaha 448G - I tried this as I have a couple of pupils who are reaching the stage were they need a better instrument. I thought this was well-made with a good sound. Excellent value for an intermediate instrument. Another good option that one of my pupils plays is the Conn 52HL if you can find one.

  If you are trying out instruments to buy - my advice would be to give yourself plenty of time - ignore the brands and any hype, and just listen to the sound. I suggest playing the same music with all the instruments. I used Mahler 3, Mozart Requiem and Ravel's Bolero. Parker's were really helpful and at one point I had 9 instruments on stands and kept trying them against each other. It was a most enjoyable and educational morning. 

  I have found that the Bach Artisan 5G mouthpiece works well with the Greenhoe for me and is worth trying. The top notes seem to be more secure and it seems to have a richer sound.

In terms of beginner trombones the Yamaha 354E is a good buy  (especially second hand which is a good option) - you can get cheaper ones (like Phil Parker and John Packer which are good value) but this will last longer. 

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