Schiller bass trombone: an initial review, Part 1
One-line summary: For me, this instrument is an excellent deal and I’m very happy with the result; but there are some caveats and considerations for others that merit consideration.
The details …
Over a year ago I got the lust to get a bass trombone. In the early/mid 90s I’d had a Holton TR-181, learned enough to be at least mediocre on it, and played it some in community band. Then a lot of time passed when I got away from playing, and when I went back to the tuba I ended up selling the Holton and turning the proceeds into a good flute for my daughter. But I really like trombones (you can, theoretically, play them in tune) and decided that at this point in my life I’d like to get another, even if I only fiddled with it on an occasional basis.
The Holton was a BIG horn: 10” bell and a slide that was quite wide. I always found it uncomfortable to play for very long, and this was before a number of the more recent “hand supports” had been developed. So my thinking for some time was to get a single-valve bass – like an old Conn – on the grounds that it would be lighter and more pleasant to use. I was committed to this view for some time, and for months compared horns in terms of their specs, and watched for what was available. When the time came and I had the money, I changed my mind. The change was for a couple of reasons. First, I couldn’t find what I wanted in a single-valve horn for a price I was willing to pay. I wanted one where the low B-natural and C-natural would be reliable, at least with slide pulling, and they just don’t make those any more. I missed a couple of possible purchases of old Conns, and then (only the past couple of months) started to think in a different direction. I decided that if I was going to have a bass, I should have one where I knew I could cover the entire range with some facility. This meant a double-valve instrument. I would have preferred a dependent-valve dual thumb trigger model, but these aren’t very common. I found one, but just a bit too late to buy it – it had been sold. So I finally caved, decided that I’d look for a “smaller” (than the Holton) Chinese bass trombone, and bite the bullet (and the bullet brace).
Once I made that decision, I decided that – for my purposes, and given my budget, and given the functionality that I wanted – I’d go on the low end of Chinese. In February I’d tried a used Mack Brass bass trombone (clone of the Yamaha Xeno 830), in excellent condition and with a bullet brace and a Douglas Yeo mouthpiece. I could have had it for very good price. But at that point (a) I didn’t yet have the money to spend, and (b) I was still in the grip of the single-valve ideal. Also, when I played it a bit, I felt that it seemed a bit stuffy. That could well have been me (not having played for so long), but I’ve since seen reports that others have felt the same about the Yamaha horns and their clones. Anyhow, I passed on it.
I decided that instead I would go for one of the Chinese clones of the King 7B. Both the original King and the clones seemed to have very good reputations as good “small” bass trombones. Versatile, but not exactly what you’d want for symphony work. That fit my goals. In fact, one of my goals was a horn that I could at least play tenor parts on and have them sound reasonable. The 7B clone seemed to fit the bill.
The next choice was where to get it. Several sources offer it – at pretty widely varying prices and (probably) varying degrees of “finish” or quality to some degree. But I’d decided to go “low end” and looked for one from a reasonably reliable source at the lowest price I could find. This turned out to be the Schiller MSCH60 from Jim Laabs Music. I knew (based partly on reports on this site) that Laabs had something of a spotty reputation in sales, quality, and customer support; but I figured I could tough it out and fix any minor problems I might encounter myself, and deal with any major ones in the unlikely event there were any. I also (again -- couldn’t resist) looked at a single-valve bass that Laabs offers (unusual in the clone realm) that appears to be a Yamaha 421G clone, but Troy Laabs strongly recommended the (lower priced!) double-valve horn. I went for it. It arrived two days ago: $585.
For those who may be interested in a similar pursuit of trombone destiny, I offer the following PRELIMINARY REVIEW. I will probably offer another one once I re-learn how to play the beast …
What I like:
Price. $585 for a bass trombone? Are you kidding?
Appearance. It’s pretty. Mildly rose brass bell. There are virtually NO visible imperfections in any of the solder joints or the finish. Being really picky, there are maybe two brace bases that show a very fine line of discoloration along one side. Really picky. No loose joints or joints out of place. No visible solder. At least as good in this way as my Mack Brass euphonium. The bell is engraved with “Schiller”, the Schiller “crest”, and “Frankfurt Germany”. I tried addressing it in German, but got no response. I don't speak Chinese. No further comment on that.
Delivery. Very fast. Less than a week (including a weekend) from Wisconsin to central North Carolina. Very well packed.
Sound. It’s got (to my ears) a nice bass trombone sound. It’s not the sonic artillery piece the Holton was. It’s got a 9.5” bell, and the bell section doesn’t open up like the Holton does. The bore size is actually just slightly larger than the Holton (.563 compared to .562), but that bell section makes a huge difference.
Slide. The slide seems great. I’m using “Yamasnot” on it at the moment. I’ve seen one professional say that the 7B clone he has (I don’t know its source) has the best slide he’s encountered on a Chinese trombone.
Openness. The 7B has a reputation as a free-blowing horn, particularly for an inline valve instrument. This seems to be true of the clone.
The mouthpiece that came with it. This is truly a shock. It’s advertised as a “genuine Schiller mouthpiece” (maybe from Frankurt?), and I’m sure it is – even though there isn’t a mark on it indicating brand or size. I have the following bass trombone mouthpieces kicking around here: Wick 3AL, Wick 2NAL, and Schilke 60. The no-name default mouthpiece works better for me on this horn than any of the others. I always used the Schilke 60 on the Holton. On the 7B clone, it just doesn’t work so well, especially in the high register. Okay in the real low range, but kind of dull elsewhere. Too deep, I think. The 2NAL isn’t bad. But the no-name will work for a while. I THINK it’s a clone of a Bach 1 1/2GM or 1 ¼ GM – based on measurements I made. After tooting on the horn for a couple of days I just ordered a Doug Yeo Replica. I expect it will be at least a bit better than the pseudo-Bach and than the Schilke 60.
Valves (modulo minor problems noted below). Very smooth and they seal tightly. When you oil the bearings you can use slide pulls to suck the oil into the bearings. When you pull the slides, you get a very distinct pop. The bumpers appear to be silicone. They'll get replaced by neoprene, but not immediately.
Threads. Threads (valve caps, other connectors) have been one of the banes of Chinese brass instruments. These seem fine. I’ve had no problems with them at all and they don’t seem soft.
The legs of the tuning slides for the F and Gb attachments are PERFECTLY aligned – and those
things are LONG.
See Part 2 for the rest of this review.
Last edited by ghmerrill; 08-13-2015 at 03:52 PM.
Gary Merrill
Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)