I used to play trombone 20 years ago in an amateur orchestra but more or less gave it up and moved on to a professional career as a guitarist and studio owner. I ended up selling my old Yamaha trombone a couple of years ago.
Recently I started thinking about taking up the trombone again for fun and when I discovered these ultra-cheap trombones from Thomann I decided to try one.
First impressions were ok. The slide was a little bit scratchy (and filthy!) but I expected that from a brand new instrument. A few weeks of playing + repeated cleaning/lubrication and it is now flawless. The slide actually feels VERY nice, every bit as good as the Yamaha I used to own. Impressive for such a cheap instrument! The locking nut for the slide/bell connection is not very good though. It often slips up when I'm playing. Very poor construction.
The mouthpiece (a 12C) was too small for me so I had to buy another one, adding considerably to the total cost. Still, it does make sense to include a 12C with a trombone targeted at beginners as it's a suitable size for many children.
The sound... Well, it's not too bad but it's definitely not as rich sounding as my old Yamaha. I can't really complain at this price though. I don't think it will be possible to find a much better trombone in this price range (unless you're buying used) but anyone serious about their playing should probably invest a little more and get a higher quality instrument instead.
The included softshell case is very nice. Much better quality than the typical "free" gigbag. The included cleaning accessories are also decent quality. Not sure if anyone would need the poor quality white gloves though, unless you do like me: Use them to clean the factory muck of the slide and toss them. And what's with the rubber ring near the slide receiver lock nut??? I've seen similar on other cheap Chinese manufactured trombones but I can't see ANY functional reason for them whatsoever. Are they perhaps meant to be put inside the locking nut to compensate for the poor constructrion? Seems like a really bad idea if that's the case...
Still, I'm impressed that an instrument of such decent quality can be sold at this cheap price. Even with all it's shortcomings it is still quite decent value. Back when I started out on trombone 30 years ago it wasn't possible to get a trombone this cheap. But on the other hand the instruments we started out on back then were definitely better quality than this so I guess it depends on how you look at it.
If you're a beginner, need a beginner trombone for a child or just want an ultra-cheap trombone for fun this might be a very nice option. If you're a professional or a student with high ambitions, spend a little more and get a top quality instrument instead.
