Trombone on Railroad Tracks

5 Best Tenor Trombones for Musicians on a Budget

When it comes to buying a trombone on a budget, it’s hard to get the right information. Luckily, I’ve done the research and built up this list of budget tenor trombones which are under $500.

As it turns out, you can get a quite a bit of value for your money. For instance, $500 will buy you a nice pBone, various F Trigger trombones, and even some solid beginner horns with loads of accessories like tuners, gloves, and cleaning kits. It’s just a matter of finding the right tenor trombone for you.

Review Criteria

One of the best ways to find out if a budget horn is right for you is to try a few out. Unfortunately, I don’t know of any places that’ll let you actually go in and try a trombone. After all, it’s kind of gross, right? Unlike with a guitar or a drum set, you have to spit into a horn to play it.

Fortunately, there’s loads of data from consumers across the internet which we can collect to make an objective decision. In particular, I used Amazon to limit my search as follows:

  • Department: Trombones
  • Average Customer Review: 4+ Stars
  • Price Range: < $500
  • Instrument Key: B♭
  • Instrument Range: Tenor

From there, I sorted the trombones by average review which are listed in the following section in order.

5 Best Budget Tenor Trombones

In this section, we’ll take a look at the 5 best tenor trombones under $500. To avoid duplicates, I skipped over models that were similar—like different colored pBones.

#1. Jiggs Plastic Trombone, Blue – $

Unlike all the other trombones in this list, this one is made of plastic. As a result, it weighs just under 2 Lbs. Other than that, this horn comes with two mouthpieces, 6.5AL and 11C, and a carrying case.

In terms of verified reviews, thoughts are mixed. On one hand, some folks really like the way it looks. On the other hand, other folks didn’t care for the sound quality. Of course, a lot of people gave it a positive review just because they knew what they were getting.

All-in-all, I’d say this a pretty solid horn if you’re looking to start out. After all, it’s not a huge investment. And hey, you might just catch the music bug.

#2. Mendini MTB-31 Intermediate B♭ Tenor Slide Trombone with F Attachment – $$

For about three times the cost of a pBone, you can get a brass intermediate horn and much more. In particular, you’ll get all of the following:

  • F Trigger
  • Tuner (Cecilio 92-D)
  • Case
  • Mouthpiece (12C)
  • Gloves
  • Cleaning Cloth

And it’s all covered under a 1 year warranty against manufacturer’s defects.

Even better, most of the reviews are raving. For example, a lot of people were really impressed with the quality. Of course, there are always faults. For instance, one verified customer claimed the slide oil that it came with wasn’t great. All that said, most customers seemed to be quite content with the horn. Even a band director signed off on it.

Overall, if plastic isn’t your thing, this might be the horn for you.

#3. Eastar ETB-330 B♭ Tenor Trombone – $

If you’re still tight on cash but you don’t want a pBone, you can always forego the F trigger and pick up an Eastar ETB-330. In addition to the horn, you’ll get all of the following:

  • Case
  • Mouthpiece (7C)
  • Cleaning Kit
    • White gloves
    • Short and long brushes
    • Oil
    • Joint grease

In terms of reviews, a lot of beginners were really happy: Apparently, the price was a big selling point for this horn. Despite all the praise, a few customers were concerned that the horns weren’t new.

All that said, I think this is the best horn in the list by value. If you’re a beginner looking for an affordable horn, this might be the way to go.

#4. Costzon B♭ Tenor Slide Trombone – $

Like many of the other trombones in this list, this one is targeted at beginners. As a result, it comes with plenty of accessories like:

  • White gloves
  • Mouth piece
  • Case

In terms of reviews, many of the customers were very happy with the low barrier to entry. Of course, there were a few reviews that weren’t as nice. In particular, there appears to be some rust concerns.

That said, I think most customers would agree that the price makes up for all those issues. In other words, if you know someone just starting out, this might be the horn for them.

#5. Cecilio 3Series TB-381 Intermediate Bb Tenor Slide Trombone with F Attachment – $$$

Last but not least—and pardon the lack of a picture—we have the Cecilio 3Series TB-381 trombone. Of all the B♭ tenor trombones in this list, this one is by far the most expensive. So, what do you get? Well, here’s the breakdown:

  • F attachment
  • Mouthpiece (12C)
  • White gloves
  • Cleaning cloth
  • 1 year warranty against manufacturer’s defects

All that said, what do the customers think? Unfortunately, there aren’t a ton of reviews. However, the ones that exist are four stars and up. For example, on the high end, there are several customers that bought this horn as a gift and were very happy with their purchase.

As a matter of fact, the only negative review I could find was in regards to how the product was shipped. That said, with this horn being on the high end of the budget, I think some folks felt this horn could pass off as intermediate. If you have the money, maybe this is the right horn for you.

Summary

As you can see, when you’re looking for a trombone on a budget, you can find a few diamonds in the rough. In particular, we found five solid budget B♭ tenor trombones. Up next, we’ll take a look at some intermediate horns with price points between $500 and $2000.

While your here, are you looking for a laugh? If so, check out this list of trombone jokes. They’re sure to make you laugh! And, don’t forget to respect the brass!