Why would you want to own an antique or vintage trombone? Well, for one thing an antique trombone has been played before and has a history that’s unique to that instrument alone. Antique trombones are valued based on their brand, condition and overall quality. If the instrument has a unique history, such as being used by a notable musician this can greatly increase the value of the antique trombone. High-quality brands and high-end models of antique or vintage trombones obviously have greater value than unknown or inferior trombone brands.
Generally an antique student-quality trombone would be worth considerably less than an antique concert-quality instrument. Wear and tear on an antique or vintage trombone can substantially decrease its overall value. Antique trombones usually continue to have great sound quality. It’s like you’re playing history when you hold an antique or vintage trombone in your hands and mouth. It’s a beautiful thing. A trombone aficionado can truly appreciate an antique trombone like the ones we have at the Brass Exchange.
Now, if you have a student-quality antique trombone, it’s not going to sound as good as a concert-quality trombone. The main trombones today are Soprano in B-flat, alto in E-flat, tenor in B-flat, bass in B-flat or F and contrabass in BB-flat. All sound different and have different qualities. You will have to decide what you need for your purposes.
If you’re lucky enough to acquire an antique trombone, you can be sure that it’s a treasure. As a lover of music, you’ll love that antique trombone. Take good care of it. Keep it clean and out of harm’s way. Buy a case for it if you don’t have one and keep that case in a special place when you’re not using it. When you are using it, remember you’re holding a piece of history. Play it with purpose and love. You may be like many individuals that get great energy from playing their antique trombone. It will be like you’re playing your way through time and space with your music. It will flow so elegantly from your fingers and your mouth.
It can be a heady thing to hold an antique trombone. As you glide with the slide, you’ll be doing what an other musician has done before with that very instrument. You’ll realize your place in musical history. Yes, you have a place in musical history with an antique trombone. You are a continuation of a musical tradition that has gone back to the middle ages.
The predecessor to the trombone emerged not long after it occurred to Medieval Europeans that their signaling devices, which have become the modern trumpet, could be altered somewhat to make music.
The first evidence of a trombone has been found in the Burgundy region of France and dates back to the 1400s. In the 15th century, the slide trumpet was altered into the s-shaped sackbut with a double-slide mechanism so it’s kind of the father of the modern trombone. Italians called these large instruments trompones. They were more delicate than the modern-day trombone.
In the 1700s trombones became a part of orchestral music and saw a resurgence in their popularity. Religious music was still their primary usage. However, as time went on, great composers like Bach, Wagner and Beethoven used them in their works. Trombones have always been popular in the United States. They are a big part of the jazz movement and continue to be used in high school marching bands and popular music.
Are you in the market for an antique trombone? Check out the shop tab on our website: https://www.thebrass-exchange.com/trombones
