A nearly irresistible opportunity for a thread jack was avoided by this thread hop.
That is a problem for sure. When I sold my business my "gold watch for 22 years of dedicated service" was a good trombone and a good rifle. I'd never had either. I was just plain lucky on the trombone, but the rifle was more that I had a serious rifleman for a friend. Both turned out to be just what I wanted.
Which trombone did you get, slideman? I'm still playing the King 3B with an F-attachment that I bought in high school in 1972. Has a few dents, and the slide needs water spray more often than it used to, but it still sounds good.
The 3B is a highly-regarded horn, particularly the older ones. I'm betting yours will be hard to improve on other than treating yourself to an appointment with
The Slide Doctor. The dents are character, but a good slide is fundamental. I suspect you will be surprised how good it can be and how affordable top-of-the-line slide action is.
Apparently there is a shockingly wide range of quality in trombones, and other brass instruments. Each and every one has such a distinct personality that good musicians can play dozens of them before finding one satisfactory... or find none satisfactory. The standard mantra at the Trombone Forum is that you cannot know without playing the individual horn. Fortunately I didn't know this when I ordered mine... well, either that or I am easily pleased. Doesn't much matter, does it? I either got lucky or don't know what I'm missing.
I had a good idea what "voice" I wanted to have, read a bunch and ordered a
Conn 88HCL with .525 upper and .547 lower thinking it might play more like a medium bore rather than sucking the wind out of this non-serious returning trombonist. I read good reviews of this horn, this particular valve, decided on the livelier 'rose brass" bell and my special touch, the rare dual bore option. I ordered it from the local music shop who came quite close to the best Internet price I saw. My first at bat was a home run.
It is gorgeous to my ears, which of course, are the only ones that really matter... the rest of the audience can leave... I can't. Turns out others like the sound. I've played some with a community band, a combo I had for a year, a couple of church groups, but mostly my version of the karaoke trombone... my little collection of
Jamie Aebersold Play-A-Longs.
Through his Jazzbooks site/business, I recently found some his
Minus One series that are even more fun than the Play-A-Longs as they are played like a stage band or studio band would actually play it, but the lead part is simply removed, waiting for you (me actually) to read the part. Real cool with the stereo cranked up.
