Best Valved Trombone: 7 Models of Top Brands 2025

Looking for a great valved trombone in 2025? There are many choices out there. Let me show you SEVEN TOP options for players at all levels.

This guide will help you find the perfect match for your needs.

These top seven valved trombones work well for everyone. They’re good for beginners and pros alike.

Each trombone has special features worth knowing about. We’ll look at what makes each one stand out.

What Is The Best Valved Trombone?

Picking the best valved trombone depends on what you need (in my opinion). There are many choices out there.

Two valve trombones stand out from the rest. Conn Selmer King Legend is great for jazz. It has a rich sound and works very well.

Yamaha YSL-354V is another top choice. It’s made in Japan with high-quality parts.

A good valved trombone will make your playing better. It helps you sound the way you want.

Need some practice motivation? Check out the photos, videos, and stories of the “13 Best Trombone Players of All Time” — they made amazing music.

Yamaha YSL-354V Valve dTrombone

Features

• Two keys available: Bb and C
• Medium bore: 0.500″
• Yellow brass one-piece 8″ bell
• Clear lacquer finish
• Inner slider chrome-plated nickel silver
• One-piece brass outer slide and slide lock
• Large shank 48 mouthpiece
• Detachable balance weight
• Case included
• 5 years warranty

Overview

Yamaha YSL-354V Bb valve trombone makes a rich, noble sound (just like a regular trombone). Its medium bore helps players create tones easily. It responds quickly with smooth action.

This trombone works well for middle-level players. The brass core has a perfect diameter, creating an airtight chamber.

You can add a C key for more slide positions. When you press the trigger, the extra tubing gets bypassed. Then, the trombone makes C and F notes in the first position (similar to an F-attachment). Without using the valve, it plays in Bb like normal trombones. This helps you play F, E, C, and B natural notes with less work.

Pricing

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Yamaha YSL-354 has great sound for many music types. It’s perfect for musicians who play multiple instruments or high school jazz band players. The trombone is light, and with C-Attachment, you can play C and B keys in 1st and 2nd positions. This makes it great for smaller beginners and students.

Read about other most popular “35 Band Instruments: Full List for School & Rock Beginners“

Bach V16

Features

• .485″ medium bore
• Hand-crafted
• One-piece hand-hammered yellow brass 7.5″ bell
• Small cup 12C mouthpiece
• Lacquer finish
• Deluxe wood shell case

Overview

Vincent Bach used his skills as a musician and engineer to make brass instruments with great sound.

Bach Stradivarius V16 is a medium-small bore valve trombone. Playing high notes on large-bore instruments can make you tired. That’s why small or medium-bore horns are popular in jazz music.

Bach V16 valve trombone comes with a small cup 12C mouthpiece. Its shallow mouthpiece helps during practice. It makes it easier to play high notes for longer times.

You don’t need to switch to a bigger mouthpiece. A larger mouthpiece isn’t always better. 12C mouthpiece makes bright, happy sounds with clear notes.

The small bell of the Bach V16 trombone focuses the sound better. It controls sound better than larger bells. Larger bells need more effort to project sound and often sound dull and woofy.

Small bells make vibrant sounds. Smaller bells work well for small groups and solos. Bach V16 valve trombones make punchy, clear sounds that are easier to control.

Pricing

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Bach Stradivarius V16 valve trombone is a professional instrument. It follows Vincent Bach’s original design. It has three monel pistons, a fixed 3rd slide ring, and an adjustable stop. These parts make the action smooth, fast, and allows quick changes. Bach valve trombone is great for tenor trombone players who want high performance.

Jupiter JTB720V

Features

• Wood-Frame Case
• Key of standard Bb and C available
• 8″ brass or silver-plated bell
• Medium-small bore .482″
• Comes in three finishes and bells: yellow, rose, and silver-plated

Overview

Jupiter JTB720V valve trombone has three different bells and body materials, which affect tone quality and can add “darkness”. More zinc makes stable brightness at both soft and loud volumes. Yellow bells sound slightly brighter, while reddish bells make louder sounds with less effort.

When the bell color looks more gold or rose, it has more copper — this makes the bell denser. A denser bell needs more energy to resonate and gives a darker tone.

Jupiter JTB720 has a trigger attachment that adds extra tubing. This turns it into a valve trombone pitched in C.

People call the C trombone the “preacher model” (this nickname comes from making it easier to play with standard music in churches).

C trombones make a C note in their “closed” position. Use your thumb on the trigger to change the closed note to B flat.

Pricing

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Jupiter has made high-quality band instruments since 1980. They offer instruments for students at all skill levels.

The JTB720VS trombone has an 8-inch yellow brass bell and nickel-silver outer slide. These work together for a balanced sound with a lively response. The unsoldered bell is made from one piece for a broader sound.

Stagg TB285 Bb Valve Trombone

Features

• Valve trombone
• 3 Nickelsilver piston valves
• Medium-small bore .499″
• 7.99″ gold brass bell and brass body
• Plastic case with backpack straps
• Small shank 12C mouthpiece
• Clear lacquered

Overview

Stagg is a team of experts who make custom products (like valve trombones). They find the best factories worldwide to sell these instruments.

The Stagg TB285 Valve Trombone helps beginners make great music. Its nickel-silver pistons give the valves smooth, quick action.

Larger bore trombones need more work and air. But they can sound fuller and more rich.

Pricing

Wrap up

Stagg TB285 has a medium-small bore and gold brass bell. These give it a warm, rich tone. This makes it perfect for beginners joining a trombone section.

Conn Selmer King Legend Valve Trombone in Bb 2166

Features

• Perfect for jazz
• Proudly made in Eastlake, Ohio
• Choice of world-known jazz musicians
• .481″ medium-small bore
• 8″ yellow brass bell
• Clear lacquered
• Small cup 12C mouthpiece
• Woodshell case

Overview

Conn Selmer is a well-known musical instrument brand that makes instruments for all skill levels. The “King” valve trombone builds on the famous King 3B trombone. It adds a special King valve section to this legendary jazz horn.

The yellow brass bell gives balanced, focused, and quick sound. The vintage balancer and fancy bell design make you want to play it often. It’s light and looks great. The silver pistons move smoothly, and the clear lacquer finish adds warmth to the sound.

Pricing

Wrap up

The Conn Selmer King model 2166 is made for jazz. It has been popular with jazz players for many years. It’s perfect if you want a great tenor valve trombone.

Blessing BVT-1470

Features

• Professional sound
• Suited to marching 
• .460″ medium-small bore
• 8” yellow brass bell
• Yellow brass mouthpipe
• Yellow brass outer slide
• Blessing 7C mouthpiece

Overview

Emil Karl Blessing started the Blessing company in 1906. Emil was the first person to use eight-sided valve parts.

Historically, the valve trombone was one of the most popular models offered by E.K. Blessing.

BVT-1470 is part of Blessing’s Performance Series. These instruments are made for older students (grades 6-12).

This trombone is great for trumpet players who want to try trombone without learning slides. It sounds professional but costs less (intermediate price). It works well in marching bands

Blessing BVT-1470 has an 8-inch brass bell with engraving designs on it. It uses yellow brass for most parts. The valves are made of stainless steel, which lasts a long time.

Pricing

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Players like Blessing trombones in general. The company has been around for over 100 years and is known to be of good quality.

Blessing BVT-1470 is for serious music students. It is great for school marching bands, pep bands, and jazz groups.

Schiller American Heritage

Features

• Affordable valve trombone
• .488″ bore
• 7.99″ bell
• Monel plated valve block
• Weight-balanced design
• Gold and brushed gold finishes

Overview

Schiller Instruments gets its name from Gustav Johann Schiller — a German craftsman. He was born in 1860 and switched from making furniture to making pianos.

The Schiller American Heritage valve trombone is a cheaper brass instrument. You can buy it in Bb and Eb/F types. These trombones are made in China. 

The company claims these trombones have “authoritative projection with vociferous low end sub tone.” They say players are “returning to the mature sound of American style Trombones.” This is after “very bright and harsh Trombones” that have been common.

The regular valve trombone has a .488″ bore with a 7.99″ bell. The alto model has a dual bore .523″/.547″ with a 7.16″ bell. They use Monel plated valve blocks (for the moving parts).

Pricing

Wrap up

Schiller American Heritage trombones don’t cost much (compared to other brands). Some users say the outside looks pretty good. 

Some players like these trombones, but many don’t. Some say it “plays fantastic”, while others say “They are pretty low quality, horribly flat, but playable.” They work for casual players or beginners with small budgets. 

What Are Valve Trombones

A valve trombone is a type of brass instrument made up of three valves and a slide. It looks similar to a regular trombone but has the added advantage of allowing the musician to alter the pitch by adding or subtracting valves. It has longer tubing than a regular trombone and has three piston valves. Typically pitched in B-flat, valve trombone can be used in other keys with the use of valves.

Learn about other “13 Different Types of Trombones: From Top to Unpopular“

Rising popularity in jazz and other music genres can be attributed to valve trombones, giving musicians more flexibility. It offers a much wider range of notes than a regular trombone, and the player can change pitches quickly and easily, providing greater flexibility to the musician. Valve trombones are an excellent choice for solo performances, especially in jazz and big band genres, and they even can be used for basic orchestra pieces.

What Are The Advantages of a Valve Trombone Over a Slide Trombone?

Valve trombones provide greater articulation, as well as a broader range of notes. This is due to the addition of valves, allowing for more precise control over note duration and dynamics. Pistone valves give a trombone versatility in playing styles, from jazz and classical to Latin and pop music.

The sound of valve trombones is consistent across all notes, resulting in better intonation. This allows musicians to maintain a uniform sound and play softer tones without compromising the tone quality.

Valves enable a seamless transition between low and high registers, which is required to achieve smoother musical performance, particularly when there is a need for increased speed and agility.

Overall, valve trombones offer a range of advantages to players that help them create more dynamic performances. Lightweight construction reduces fatigue for the player due to lighter weight and shorter slide travel and allows easier maintenance due to minimal lubrication requirements.

If you’re also interested in finding good slide trombone options, we’ve picked out the top 7 Best Jazz Trombones for Beginners and Students that Cost Under $1500.

What Other Brass Instruments Use Valves?

The piston valves trombone, while not as common as the slide trombone, is still a popular type of trombone. But valves are not limited to trombones in the world of brass instruments, and other instruments use valves to produce different notes and sounds.

French horns also employ valves to change pitch, and you can often catch these instruments in an orchestra setting. The tuba is another common brass instrument that utilizes valves, and many different types of tubas, such as the baritone and alto, produce their sound similarly.

Some other lesser-known valve brass instruments are worthy of recognition. One such instrument is the baritone, a brass instrument that looks similar to a euphonium but with a larger bore size. The baritone produces a deeper and richer sound, making it a valuable addition to any orchestra. The alto horn is another valve brass instrument that resembles a small tenor horn and is often used in concert band settings.

Here is a list of the Most Reliable Models of Bass Trombones in 2023 that can enhance your music experience and give you a lot of joy.

Conclusion

Our top picks come from the industry’s most trusted and reputable brands, each offering a unique sound and style. From the jazzy and powerful Conn Selmer King Legend to the versatile and adaptable Jupiter JTB720V, these valve trombones provide a range of options for both professionals and avid enthusiasts. The precision and quality of these trombones are what set them apart, making them an excellent investment for any musician seeking the best sound possible.