Im thinking abt getting a new horn. But, Im not really sure what brand. At this moment i have a schmits. but, its not doing me any justice.(maybe its just me)so....what brand does everyone else like?

Uhmm, depends on what level you consider yourself...if you're a bit on the advanced side, get a nice bach. if you're around intermediate, get a blessing
well that's what i think

Id go with yamaha...Just an opinion but theyre well crafted and play very well.Good luck.The Stradivarius models are also good.

other than those horns, which are all production horns, there are series that can be custom made towards you. Such as Getzen Custom series, Edwards, Shires, and a few others. But heres a opinion I recieved from my horn teacher...She plays an edwards. She said that she's been to the factory and tried to look and customize Shires horns. She said they tell you what you need, and buy you into the horn (this is if you get custom). When you go to edwards/getzen factory (same people) they purposly don't say anything and just write down the combinations that you like, its not up to them, its only your opinion. But they start with the mouthpiece and go out. Almost everything can be customized. The leadpipes, the slide, the rotor, the tuning slide, and then the bell. There are a lot of options for each, but that requires a trip to the factory in Wis. and you buy from them, no one else. its expensive, but if you want a horn to last you forever, than I'd go custom with them (thats actually my plan) but those run $3000+ for those horns. Getzen Custom are the same horns (Edwards T350) but those don't have the number of options and you can buy those through mail to a music dealer and there about a thousand cheaper. But if your looking at manufactured horns, Conns, Edwards, Shires, Bachs, anything along those lines are awesome pro horns...thats my opinon...I'd research a lot before anything.

She said that she's been to the factory and tried to look and customize Shires horns. She said they tell you what you need, and buy you into the horn

I have been to the Shires factory several times, and this is not true at all. When you get there, they ask you what kind of horn you're playing now, and they want to know what you like about it and what you don't like. That way, they can set a horn up for you based on the characteristics that you described. Obviously, what they give you at first probably won't be exactly right. So then they begin to tweak things. If you say, "It sounds too dark and the sound is too big", they might give you a narrower slide or a lighter bell, for example. Or if you say, "the horn is too open", they might give you a tighter leadpipe.

Never once have they tried to sell me something that I didn't want. They never tried to buy me into anything. Sure, they're a business, and the object is too make a profit. But first and foremost, they want their customers to be satisfied. The want the trombonist to play Shires because he wants to, not because Shires wants them to.

I'm an intermediate to advanced intermediate player mostly with community bands, and I'm a King man. I currently have a King 3B Plus (.525 bore)with a Bach 6 1/2 AL mouthpiece. I have found this to be a good all-round instrument that can wail in a jazz number or be mellow and rich in a symphonic piece.
Just my opinion.

It's funny.. I just can't get into those .525 bore horns. Other people get great sounds on them, but I just can't get them to work for me. I'm considering buying a straight 36, but i'll need to get Doug Elliot to make me a different mouthpiece for it.
I love Kings as well. I own a silver 3B that, while quirky, is a great sounding horn. But for the orchestral stuff, I really do prefer a .547 bore in most cases.
Ultimately, the sad truth is, there is no one "miracle" horn that does every job equally well. They all do some jobs better than others. If you stay with the trombone and stay varied in styles, you'll probably end up owning more than one horn.

Yeah, Steve, I hear what you're saying. I don't like those .525 bore horns myself. Too big for jazz, too small for orchestral. However, I really dig the .525/.547 dual bore. It's possible to get a big sound like on a regular .547, but it's easier to play, especially in the high register.

bob, I was somewhat talkign about that. Myself, and I'm sure she did as well, didn't mean they'd sell you something that you don't like. What she meant was that Edwards don't do that. As I said, they just put you in a room and try out that and even if you ask for something along the lines as you said, they wouldn't actually do anything about it and just tell you to try it and not to give you anything else. Thats What I'm sure was to be translated out of that. But also you have to keep in mind that this is stuff I've gotten second hand, so I don't know the details or anything. I'm just trying to help out by giving opinions of myself and others.

gotta be careful with second hand information.
An example...Over on the Trombone Forum, every few months, someone asks a question about military music programs, and so many people chime in with second hand stories that are just plain wrong. People who have never been in, taken and audition or anything. It really frustrates me.
It's better to chime in with what you know, not what you have heard. Just my humble opinion.

Well, as I've said, I have visited the Shires factory several times. First, they ask you a few simple questions:

1)On the initial phone call to the factory to schedule an appointment, you tell them that you're in the market for a new so-and-so horn. (jazz, large bore, bass, whatever). They'll ask you if you're interested in anything specific so that they can have it on hand when you arrive. (maybe a lightweight red brass bell, or a dependent Thayer section). They always tell you to bring your current horn for comparison and contrast with their horns, and so that you have something familiar to warm up on.

2)When you arrive at the factory, they ask you what you like and don't like about your current horn, so that way Steve or one of his assistants can set you up with something they think that you might like. So you might play on the initial set up for about ten minutes, just to get a feel for the horn and to get into the sound concept. In the past, they might have left you while they go back to work in the factory, but more recently, someone always stays in the showroom with you to give you their feedback.

3)After playing that initial setup for a while, the assistant will let you know what he likes and doesn't like about that setup that you're playing. Whoever they have there is always very good at knowing what different components will do to alter the sound and feel of the horn, so they'll swap something out. For example, if you're playing on a narrow crook slide and you say that there's too much resistance and it feels kind of tight, they'll know that you might be better off with a wider crook slide. Or if you're playing on a red bell and the sound is too dark in the lower volumes and doesn't project well, they'll give you a gold or yellow brass bell to play on for a while.

4)If you ever say to them, "Hey, I'd like to see what that gold bell on the shelf will do for the sound", they will always be happy to swap it out. So I don't know why your teacher was saying that they made her play on certain setups and wouldn't grant her wishes. As a matter of fact, they'll even let you make the switch yourself. It's pretty easy to unscrew everything and take the tuning slides out, and then put everything back in. And if there's any trouble, you just go see them and they'll fix it for you.

That's the general jist of what a visit to the Shires factory is like. You're welcome to stay there as long as you'd like (expect for between about 12:30 and 1:30, when they like to go to lunch and close the factory for an hour, LOL)! Obviously I'm not going to go into further detail, as I could write pages an pages of my experiences there. But every one of my visits to that factory was interesting and educational, and I always left there with a very good feeling.

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One thing that I left out is that while they will make suggestions of what setup they think is best for you, the ultimate decision is yours. If the assistant feels that you sound best on a standard weight yellow bell, but you would rather have a lighter weight gold bell, he will respect your decision. Mostly, they want you to be happy.

I used to play on a King borrowed from the band I play in. Last week I purchased a Bach copy manufactured in the far east and finished in Germany. I beautiful, clear blowing trombone and excellent value at only £300.

Last week I purchased a Bach copy manufactured in the far east and finished in Germany. I beautiful, clear blowing trombone and excellent value at only £300

Is that about $450 to $475 USD? That's pretty remarkable. Where did you get it, and what brand is it?

It is branded by the music shop that I brought it from "Unison Music" in Canterbury UK, so they call it a Unison Trombone. You can most likely get the same on Ebay. The difference for me is that I got a chance to check it out and have a blow on it first. Not only that, I was able to query the loose tuning slide that the shop sorted for me.
BTW, the Bb&F bones with the trigger come out at £450, but I'm not bothered about triggers at this stage. I think you are about right with your guess at the USD price.

And you would vouch for its reliability, quality of material, and tone?