A REAL SUPERBONE!!

Thank you so much to Jan for lending this to me!!
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[@didle6]

As a euphonium player who played trombone for jazz band I’m pretty conflicted. Obviously I’d love to have the valves but I’m afraid I would rely on them too much and neglect the slide

[@user-vf9ee6kn1e]

As a euphonium player who plays valve trombone for jazz band, I wonder if the superbone would be a good thing to use until I can fully learn slide trombone

[@mr.starfish4965]

As a euphonium player, I say just learn slide. I certainly don’t have the fastest (or cleanest) slide technique, but you make yourself more applicable by learning slide. Though, I would like to own both a valve trombone and slide trombone for different things. I believe some Latin American genres use valve trombone, along with 3rd trombone parts on some Duke Ellington pieces.

[@user-vf9ee6kn1e]

@@mr.starfish4965 Just out of curiosity, how long would you say it took you to learn slide to the point where it became about as comfortable for you as valves?

[@mr.starfish4965]

@@user-vf9ee6kn1e I’d say it’s still a process for me honestly. The proper technique helps a lot. I mention this because I had been doing it wrong for the longest time but only because my trombone is currently in need of repair (the bell points down, causing you to hit your hand on the bell if you use proper technique). I can’t answer the question as I have been playing trombone on and off for the past few years, only now deciding to stick with it. My slide ability has approved a lot in the past few weeks, but it’s still a work in progress. Working with drones helps a lot with intonation because there are truly more positions than 7 if you consider the adjustments on each partial. “The Chops Shop” also has a pretty good video on slide technique efficiency. Hopefully I’ll be able to get it down within the next few months.

[@jukes4499]

I'm just a trumpeter and I feel like I'd use the valves primarily and use the slide to bend notes for Blues, jazz and rock licks

[@nyancs7098]

Don’t let Rueben near it, he’ll run through the whole Arban book without breathing on it

[@skraegorn7317]

Hi there! If you want another good demo of the Holton Superbone, listen to Maynard Ferguson’s “Superbone Meets the Bad Man”. As Trent mentioned, he was one of the co-developers of this instrument. Another fantastic player who used a Holton Superbone was Ashley Alexander. His version of “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most” is also a fantastic jazz demo for this instrument.

[@donsmith9952]

Remember him showing up at a community band concert in Chicago late 1970's Sat down next to me. He was a big guy, a beard and afro. I asked him what he was playing ( superbone) . He said you wanna try it? We traded horns and I played the first half of the concert on his. The first march of the second half was Barnum and bailey's favorite. He absolutely shredded it using the valves on the first time then the slide the second time. My jaw dropped. Talked during and after the concert. Sorry to see he died at a young age.

[@Baribrotzer]

Maynard Ferguson’s “Superbone Meets the Bad Man”: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ3NmWmZrNFor7M

[@InstrumentManiac]

Holy cow that thing is sweet! Great playing as well!

[@noodleninjachip2]

Dude i love your videos

[@dsctunes]

Yoo it's the undertale flautist

[@robscott8834]

I had the good fortune to hear Maynard Ferguson play live in the late 1970s, and he performed with his Superbone on a couple of numbers. At that point in my life I had eight years experience playing the baritone horn in concert bands, and seven years experience playing first trombone in high school, college, and professional jazz bands, with a four year overlap between the two instruments. A local music store had a Superbone which I managed to sample during my trombone years, and I much preferred my 1957 Conn 4H or a newer 8H. I found personally that to make the Superbone really sound good required a lot more air pressure than I was used to, and which of course Mr. Ferguson had in spades. It was not meant to be played quietly if used to best effect, at least not by me.

[@cheezenub]

Parents bought me a Superbone direct from the Houlton factory in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. My father said it cost $900US (this was in 1976). It was one of the first batch of the first larger production. It went through some rough times with my playing it. I dropped the valve section and had to have the third valve fixed (you can still see the metal damage on the lower section connector, but it works just fine.) One of the problems with the early Superbones was that the second valve was always sharp. With no tuning slide, I had to get used to using the actual slide to play it in tune when playing mainly with the valves. It is a heavy instrument with an obnoxiously large bell. But it got me through four years of High School, two years of college, and four more years of my son playing it in High School. Not bad for a now, 46 year old Superbone. Always got the looks and questions from people, but for some reason it never attracted the girls. A band nerd for life I guess.

[@pauls5745]

I love all variations of valve trombones! I think these really only found a home in dance bands and small jazz ensembles audio very low on this one

[@peterarn1150]

Trent! Here's a suggestion: why don't you make a piccolo flugelhorn?? From everything I can find, no one has done this before. This would be a MARV-Y addition to a brass quintet or brass choir.

[@sirlee2686]

As a brass band trombonist I have to confess, yes, I do have one of these creatures. It's been played, last year while I was sick, by a fellow trombonist who didn't have the technique to keep up with other instruments on a particularly fast and daunting piece. I'd love to get my hands on a Valide trombone as well - it's a valve trombone with a slide, opposite to the Superbone, which is a slide trombone with valves.

[@hanj31]

with a super bone you can get that elusive low B that is not available on a F attachment tenor trombone

[@campbat5712]

it seems like there's a bunch of neat stuff you could do with it, you could use the valves and the slide at the same time for certain stuff, like you could be playing somthing like a G with the slide and then go to a G flat by putting down the first valve. You could also use it for trills and stuff like that. And when you play C or B with valves you could put the slide out a little bit so that those notes are in tune kinda like on a trumpet or a 4th valve on a Euphonium. Although at the end of the day it looks kinda awkward to hold and a normal trombone would probably be best most of the time.

[@mattavenson7542]

Finally a trombone to do the impossible glissandos that non-trombone literate composers have written.

[@aguynamednathan]

I've played a super bone. It was super! Transposing was a blast!

[@RussellRRocke]

Would love to hear more playing of this or any instrument, it cuts off so soon at the end of the video!

[@RynoDBones]

I had a Conn valve trombone in the 90’s and early 00’s. One of my favorite trombones, ever….I don’t recall is having any fun names.

[@ceicli]

I really like the sound of it, and the bell is beautiful to watch! 😍 I wouldn't be able to play it through, even if my life depended on it... 😅

[@xyz.ijk.]

I played a Conn 88h. It was a wonderful instrument. I still have it but I haven't touched it in years. I had a valve trombone but the sound just wasn't as rich. But I did like the idea that I could play it as fast as my trumpet buddies.

[@Dr_E_Yekley]

Perhaps it would be a useful tool for transposing. Say you're reading in B-flat treble, where first space F would be your concert E-flat, just place your slide on 3rd position and use your valves as if you're playing concert pitch treble, making up for intonation problems by slightly moving the slide up or down.

[@waynesteffen3262]

I hear valve trombones can be stuffy. What about the Superbone?

[@user-vf9ee6kn1e]

I play the valve trombone (I forget what brand I used before but my current one is a Yamaha) and I can confirm they can be stuffy sometimes, partly because you need a very particular embouchure.

[@waynesteffen3262]

@@user-vf9ee6kn1e Interesting. Why a different embouchure for a valve trombone vs a slide? I play euphonium; would it be a similar embouchure?

[@user-vf9ee6kn1e]

@@waynesteffen3262The embouchure is somewhat similar to euphonium, but it's a bit tighter, and you need to make sure your air is straight, if that makes any sense. I'm not sure if it differs from the embouchure used for slide trombone.

[@bikkies]

Interesting instrument but that hand position looks like it could be quite uncomfortable if it had to be held for prolonged periods. Did you feel any fatigue after playing this?

[@keithshockley3443]

I remember seeing a video back in ‘09 that was originally uploaded in 2007 Titled “Superbone (slide/valve trombone )” by basunfan. I wanted a valve trombone since high school and that video may have peeked my interest. Lol

[@erichd9460]

Neat instrument Trent! Any plans on doing a follow-up video on the 6-valve cavalry trombone?? You had mentioned doing a second more in-depth video explaining the history and reasoning behind them.

[@laurencefinston7036]

The superbone appears to me to be the equivalent in brass of wearing a belt and suspenders. I'd rather just have a tenor trombone and a baritone horn or euphonium or an alto trombone and an alto horn and switch if needed. I find a tenor trombone to be about at my limit of discomfort anyway and the questionable benefit of this instrument doesn't seem to me to outweigh the added complexity of construction and weight. However, to each his/her own.

[@mal2ksc]

It's a bit of a shame that these were driven pretty much exclusively by the needs of jazz players, as this has resulted in a small bore instrument when the concept might work better on a large one.

[@lcope2004]

James morrison played one of the rotary

[@federicosamuelaguayo2601]

SOUND of trombone is at 04:50.

[@ES_ETP]

The Bugles of the old drum corps days were modified to have slides along with valves and or rotor valves

[@pathos_music]

What about a bass superbone with 4 valves and a trigger

[@ohshitnotanotherknob]

I'd love to try one sometime. I just play a straight tenor and even the idea of a single trigger makes me anxious; I cant work out if this would be better or worse.

[@caleblarsen5490]

As someone who has played one of these, I can tell you from first hand experience that this is MUCH worse. So much worse.

[@spencerparker8406]

@@caleblarsen5490 Please elaborate

[@caleblarsen5490]

@@spencerparker8406 the trombone is known for its owned openness. The Super bone is the exact opposite. It is stuffy, and it sounds dreadful.

[@spencerparker8406]

@@caleblarsen5490 I guess I won't be purchasing one anytime soon

[@Da_TboneLife]

Kinda wish I had that tbh I would live to learn to master it with valves like that

[@kj4ilk]

my question has always been: can you put the slide in on position (like 2nd) and change the tuning of the valves and use the valves with the slide in different positions?

[@TrentHamilton]

Yes

[@srajfnly2]

As an trombonist I have a superbone made by Mendini and I love it btw I’m a lefty

[@Aaron-Qman]

Same here! Very fun instrument! I prefer the superbone over my regular slide trombone.

[@rachelcastaneda3610]

I found a superbone at a pawn shop in Mississippi. Was not expecting that.

[@Relbac3]

That's a very nice trombone very nice superbone trombone but can you play the superbone trombone just asking and all that stuff

[@sirlee2686]

Additional comment - has anyone written a method, or studies/etudes at the very least, on how to use both valves and slide? My other trombone's got a trigger, and I've noticed how the slide positions change when I use the trigger.

[@James_Dawes]

I'd love a soprano superbone, but when it becomes that small, a problem with the space available arises

[@ryanatour]

Holton also made a combo trumpet with Maynard, which apparently had a limited use kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnaqfo1md8tjjc0 Monette has made a few on request but I can't find their video of it on KZbin these days

[@thatoneguyvalk647]

blue devils reference nice

[@tylerjack6018]

Hey Trent, I'm looking in to upgrading mouthpieces and figured I would ask someone with more experience. What would you say some of the biggest differences in feel between a bach 5g and a denis wick 4al as well as the differences between the heritage and classic model from denis wick?

[@error.418]

I think I like the balanced design of the Schagerl better

[@adrianclay3472]

Mr Hamilton, I’m checking out this valve trombone from Soviet Russia, and it has rotary valves. I was wondering if you had any knowledge of this subject and it’s valve positions. Will it have the normal trumpet fingerings or the horn fingerings. Thanks!!!

[@TrentHamilton]

Normal fingerling

[@MrBibobs]

Send him!

[@blu3620]

Now make an ultrabone

[@TrentHamilton]

What would an ultrabone be?

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Success

[@euphinism1]

Didn't Maynard play one of these?

[@hrenes]

as we concluded a few videos ago: pistons are for lazy trombonists :)

[@Arthur-hg7ny]

No wedding ring. Are you single these days? Looking good.

[@keithshockley3443]

Whoa, have you lost weight??! I remember you looking a lot chubbier in your last videos! 😂😅😊

[@erniebiggs8343]

Cool man,

[@thejerryj]

I can't understand you. More volume.

[@unclerdr1526]

mommy

[@tristanperciful6609]

Ayo?