SE shires Artist Model Series

[syahmasy]

I’ve recently purchased my very first trombone, through recommendation of my lecturers and people surrounding me, I’ve decided to go for the TBDR artist series. What are your takes in this? How bout the Alessi ones? Would really like to know from y’all

[MahlerMusic]

It always blows my mind when it comes to playing a new trombone. I have so many ideas in my head as to what something will sound and feel like. Having writeup and company marketing words may help your piece of mind but all that stuff goes out the window as soon as you start blowing into an instument.

Do yourself a favour and play as many instruments as you can or better yet make the trip out to your closest shop that has a lot of trombones in stock.

On my last business trip I made it to a famous trombone shop and just played everything I could get my hands on. I younger student was there too and I asked him why he picked one trombone over another and he said "that one just sang to me, I had a sound in my head and the trombone matched what sound".

[syahmasy]

Being in SEA the only options are closely to zero. They only take orders and the only demo instruments are usually student models so a bit hard. So yeah a lot of research has to be done and tbh i dont take a manufacturer’s word cause as you say its entirely on the holder and user. My choices were the Shires or the Courtouis but yeah decided to stick with the Shires for its modularity.

[GabrielRice]

I used to work for Shires doing customer fittings, but full disclosure: I was not there when any of the current artist models were developed.

My recommendation would be the TBSCA custom series with the 7YLW bell and TW47 handslide. I would opt for the dual bore or standard rotor over the axial flow valve. For my taste and in my experience, this will be the most down-the-middle, flexible instrument, and I would recommend it to anybody I couldn't work with to make a more customized fitting.

[BassBoneFL]

I used to work for Shires doing customer fittings, but full disclosure: I was not there when any of the current artist models were developed.

My recommendation would be the TBSCA custom series with the 7YLW bell and TW47 handslide. I would opt for the dual bore or standard rotor over the axial flow valve. For my taste and in my experience, this will be the most down-the-middle, flexible instrument, and I would recommend it to anybody I couldn't work with to make a more customized fitting.

The best advice you will get on this.

[conn88Hagmann]

I used to work for Shires doing customer fittings, but full disclosure: I was not there when any of the current artist models were developed.

My recommendation would be the TBSCA custom series with the 7YLW bell and TW47 handslide. I would opt for the dual bore or standard rotor over the axial flow valve. For my taste and in my experience, this will be the most down-the-middle, flexible instrument, and I would recommend it to anybody I couldn't work with to make a more customized fitting.

Can you give any insight into the double valve they offer? I’ve had dual bore and a standard and at the moment have axial, if I think the dual bore is the freest blowing only the lot. . . . But maybe the double cake is better?

Many thanks in advance.

[GabrielRice]

You mean the twin valve? I have no direct experience with it. A great trombonist I work with found it too open - and he had come from an axial valve. Ended up with the dual bore rotor on his last Shires and now plays an early Stephens trombone with a Willson Caidex valve.