Vintage 1984 KING 606 Student Trombone | Instrument Reviews

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~CHAPTERS~
0:00 Opening remarks
0:52 Playing excerpt
1:21 Get to know the 606!
2:43 How does it PLAY?
3:59 Why you SHOULD play a 606!
5:52 Cautionary advice
6:49 Final verdict
7:31 Closing remarks
~EQUIPMENT~
King USA 606 student trombone
Gold-plated Denis Wick 6BS mouthpiece
~SOCIALS~
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[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Update 12 Aug. 2023: I picked up a King “Tempo” 606 circa 1989, and despite being newer, it still retains a wonderful vintage jazz sound, with a wide-open high register and extremely easy feel through its several octaves. Overall, for $150, a huge win!

[@arntarntzen]

Very helpful and in-depth review, thank you!

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thanks for watching!

[@Daviliberato_oficial]

Congratulations!!! Your sound on the instrument is fine, and beautiful!!!

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thank you for your comments! I’m am glad you enjoy your King 606 and my video!

[@peternaryd_operasinger]

Great video Samuel!🤗👍

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thank you!

[@peternaryd_operasinger]

You're so welcome!🤗

[@radderthanu]

I found the predecessor to the tempo: an american standard, silver plated, and in amazing condition on fb marketplace for 25 dollars 😳 it’s an incredible horn.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Sweet! The Cleveland and American Standard model trombones are great, as are the later numbered models like the 605 and 606 or the Tempo.

[@JMurk-vm8uh]

I have a late 70's 606 that I used for 6 years of marching band. It is a great trombone, but it has had a hard life, so I have retired it in favor of newer trombones.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

I’m sorry to hear, but sounds like you got some good use out of it!

[@Daviliberato_oficial]

Eu sou do Brazil, apesar de não saber Ingles adorei o seu vídeo!!!! EU TENHO TROMBONE DESSE KING 606. I'm from Brazil, despite not knowing English I loved your video!!!! I HAVE A TROMBONE FROM THAT KING 606.

[@Juan_Bone09]

Nice video I have a conn director 18h and it plays amazing and sounds pretty similar to the 606 horn but is a wider slide and is very lightweight

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

I have a 14H (same model but without a Coprion bell sadly) and I like it a fair bit-more so than I did last summer when I said the Director trombones weren’t that good-but I still feel it lacks some of the tonal nuance of the King. Yours probably gets closer with thanks to the Coprion bell.

[@Juan_Bone09]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass but mine is not an coprion 18H Mine is an abelene era director (yellow brass 8 inch bell, 500 bore) and is from the same era from the 606 ( is a bit larger than the 14h director) 14h: 7.5 inch yellow brass bell, .484 bore 18h (elkhart): 7.5 inch coprion bell, .484 bore 18h (abelene or Japan): 8 inch yellow brass bell, .500 bore

[@angelfuentes4282]

Good video mate! I ve a question, what's The diference between King 606 and King 606 tempo? Im searching for one and both have the samen price. The 606 is from 60s and The 606 tempo was made in 88.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

You basically said it all-the Tempo instruments are usually newer, but otherwise the same as, their older counterparts with matching model numbers. I’m sure the Tempo 606 is a good, solid instrument, likely to be less worn from age than the older 606, but I tend to like the tone quality of older trombones more.

[@angelfuentes4282]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass thanks mate! So, for you point of view, you prefer the 606 because is older, but not big difference with tempo. So probably i Will take The one that ve better price, at The moment The 60s 606!!

[@bkraft]

I learned on a mid 80s 606 - back in the mid 80s lol. Funny to hear it called “vintage”

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Lol, apologies. It’s stretching the definition of vintage for sure. Vintage by my frame of reference as a college kid. I have a 1989 Tempo model 606 now that’s a lot of fun.

[@bkraft]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass it’s no problem. I play a vintage 1961 King 3B and a vintage 1964 2B. In my local community band, there is a player in his 80s who is still rocking the slide…. To him they aren’t “vintage” either.

[@playerkingka4341]

I got one for 300 bucks, I am a trumpetplayer but play trombone in some big bands because the lack of tromboneplayers in my area. and it plays very nicely and sounds very good for a student model.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

That’s what I like about older student model trombones. They can often be found for very cheap and sound great in jazz.

[@ceruleansun931]

How does this horn compare to the JTB700?

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@ceruleansun931 They are similar instruments with the same bore and bell profiles. The biggest difference in playing experience really ends up depending on which mouthpiece you use on each. I personally favor the 606 as I think it can do a little more tonally whereas the JTB700 and modern student models tend to fit one specific sound concept, but in general I am biased towards the sound of older trombones.

[@anthonymancini5319]

I have a king Cleveland 605 trombone that I got brand new when I was in the 5th grade I'm now 60 years old. Played through marching band in highschool. I just picked it up again now I have time to goof around with it. Is this basically a 606?

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Yep, basically the same instrument. Arguably slightly better since it was manufactured in Cleveland rather than the modern Eastlake plant.

[@anthonymancini5319]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass thanks!

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@anthonymancini5319I was looking at the comments on this video and realized I got this wrong. The 605 has a smaller bore than the 606. It’ll tend to have a more centered, direct sound with a little less breadth. Both fun horns. I’ve now owned both a Cleveland 605 and a Tempo 606 at some point.

[@robbicu]

Did you say.... SKA? OMG, we gotta talk! lol

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

I’d never have expected you to be a ska guy, but hey, funny that!

[@neefbuckumssbikelife86]

Mines early 1900s

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Just how early are we talking? Pretty sure the model 606 didn’t exist until at least the 1950s. But I’ll admit, if you have an H.N. White Standard or Cleveland model, which were sort of the predecessors to mid and late 1900s King trombones, then that’s pretty cool.

[@neefbuckumssbikelife86]

The serial number on mines start wit 72 so I figured it was from the 1900s because the chart you showed in the video said anything from 50,000 to 78,000 1915-1925. I think mines falls in that category

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@neefbuckumssbikelife86 Hm, not sure. Still doesn't sound right. I would check the bell inscription on that instrument to see whether what you've got is really a King 606 or something like an American Standard or Cleveland model. This forum thread confirms that the 606 was not around nearly that early: trombonechat.com/viewtopic.php?t=16703

[@neefbuckumssbikelife86]

I have the Cleveland 606