Bass Trombones

Bass Trombones

Most modern Bass Trombones are pitched in B♭. Its tubing length of 9 feet (2.7 m) is identical to that of the tenor trombone, but it has a wider bore, a larger bell, and a larger mouthpiece. These features generate an overall darker, weightier tone that speaks with a more assured authority in lower registers when compared to the tenor trombone. Modern bass trombones also have one or two valves (the latter being by far the more common) which, when engaged, change the key of the instrument. This allows the player to bridge the gap between the first partial with the slide in the first position and the second partial with the slide fully extended in the seventh position. These valves may be configured in a dependent or independent system. In a dependent system, the first valve lowers the key of the trombone to F. Bore sizes of the bass trombone are generally larger than those of large bore tenor trombones. Typical specifications include a bore size of 0.562 inches (14.3 mm) in the slide and 0.580 inches (14.7 mm) through the valve attachment tubing, with a bell from 9 to 10 1⁄2 inches (23 to 27 cm) in diameter. Bass trombones with just one valve often have a long tuning slide which allows the valve to change the key to E rather than the usual F.

At Trevor Jones we typically stock Bass Trombones from manufacturers such as Conn, Holton, and Vincent Bach.

Instruments listed as being in stock are available to try if you are able to visit us or to buy online.
Instruments listed as “to order” can be purchased online but we recommend contacting us for an estimated delivery date before ordering.
All of our instruments are checked and set up before we send them to you.