I bought a 55 y/o Conn Director straight tenor trombone off eBay a couple weeks ago. This was before I saw this video, but I gave it the suction test and examined the other components as suggested (very simple because there are no triggers or extra tubing), and it has passed with flying colors. However, I had seen and read that it is better to buy a used instrument of a good brand than a cheap new one (as this video also points out), but this will still "sight unseen" except for photos. Fortunately, for $125 + shipping I believe I have fine instrument on which I'm having fun learning to play. Thanks for this excellent video!

Thank you for making this video! My daughter has played trombone for a few years and this made looking at used instruments so much easier. Using the tips in your video, we passed on one that turned out to need work and found an intermediate yahama in great shape, which she is thoroughly enjoying playing. I don't think we would have risked buying a spendier used instrument without this sort of information, so thanks again!

I don't know why but I read the title as buying a 2 handed trombone

oiling and greasing it is important but something that is also important is clean clean and clean more before oiling New oil on old dirt is NO GOOD

3:18 it really hurts to see you holding the slide like that :/ lmao

thanks man! the trombone isn't my first instrument so when I went out to buy a trombone I didn't know what to look out for. keep making the great content!

Thats a superb video, thanks for putting it together. I just run pre-owned trombones and learned a lot new things to look at.

Thank you. This video was very informative and gave practical tips on how to buy and what to look for on a second hand trombone. The tips apply to buying a new trombone as well. Please keep up the good work and the informative content.

i bought a used trombone a long time ago and it was the worst trombone ive ever played, but it was my first. The first one kinda ruined buying a used one for me. I just bought a brand new bach 42bo and i love it, but because of the price i kinda wish i looked more into getting a used trombone.

all good stuff. I have played a few beater trombones that have seen a lot of action, and one of my slide tests is to lubricate the slide, then put the moving bit on the ground and rapidly move the bell section up and down as fast as I can. If the outer slide doesn't come off the ground, I find it playable. Maybe not great, but adequate. Of course, perfect slide is nice, but on every budget, might not always be possible.

I actually bought my bass trombone from eBay and honestly all around Im pretty happy with it. Bach Stradivarius double trigger, guess I lucked out finding a good one on-line

I have that Conn bass that you're using in the video and I love it

I just bought a Bach 42 F attachment from the 1960s in perfect condition and I am incredibly happy considering I saved about 2000 dollars.

Thank you Trent! This has really helped me! I am only a kid (ten years old) I play the trombone and the euphonium. I might be buying a second hand trombone so... yeah! Thank you!

Have you ever considered a valve/slide superbone? I'm looking to get one, and I'm trying to understand the preference between valve and slide. It had ought to be of some help to you, even if only as a series of trigger mechanisms.

Thank you so much I tried the slide pull and mine didn’t even pull so I bought a brand new one

All of my trombones( I have 3) have been used from a music store but I am finally able to buy a new prelude with a trigger brand new Edit: I now own 8. The prelude is holding up fairly well. Just bought a used bach 42 from reverb. Hopefully all goes well with that one.

Thanks for this informative video. Do you have any advice for people who are looking to buy a second-hand trombone online?

Is "Woodstock" a good brand for trombone to buy?

my yamaha i got for 100 is great then, the finish is gone and there are noticeable dents but everything else looks really good

The section between the bell and the slide broke (while marching) and it was a bad experience

My trombone is actually broken at the inner slide brace and I can actually separate the slides, and I con confirm that it is very challengening to move the slides and at times they will not move at all.

You need to check to see if the silver plating has worn off the inner slide stockings. You don't want it if it has.

I saw this too late. I already bought my first trombone off EBay. it's a Buescher Aristocrat from the early 1970s, so it's a high class Selmer Bundy. Not perfect, but playable for now and I can get a better instrument later if I need one.

After watching this video I will now probably consider the used trombones at my nearby store. They have that green spray for the mouthpieces so you can take the horns for more than a test drive. Maybe I can get a sick bargain. Thanks for the help.

Except for my first student horn, every horn I've owned has been used. Pro-level horns from Bach, King, Conn, etc. are almost always a bargain. I make a couple of thousand dollars a year reselling them that way. Used student-model horns require a bit more care to find a good one. Regardless of what you purchase, expect to put at least $100 into repairing any used horn you purchase, and consider yourself lucky otherwise.

how do you feel about a Wessex Trombone, it seems that a brand new one with an f attachment is about 850 us dollars

How much a trombone 3B?

what trombone are you using in this video?

1970 i got a beat up olds trombone for 100 bucks, the slide wouldn't run at all by itself. and for 8 yrs i played it 2 and 3 classes a day plus events. in early 80s i sold it in a parking lot with a conn stroboturner and shotgun 12ga 870 wingmaster with a nice slug barrel with riflesights. all three for 100 bucks. few years went by and i found a guy from the paper who sold used instruments, i bought trombone in an old looking case for 200 bucks, the guy told me it was a professional trombone, gold plated he said and no slide lock. the slide ran the best I'd ever seen. i rarely played it steady. then after internet showed up i did some research on it. it's a Selmer triple threat. it wasn't designed with a counter weight, i just has an S instead. It plays well.

Dont you need both hands to play trombone

If you're going for a used horn with a high body count, be my guest.

That ain't water...

This is coming from someone who buys jinbao trombones seriously

It is horrifying watching you pull out the tuning slides without pressing the trigger.