Posted by js on December 09, 2002 at 00:23:20:
In Reply to: King 3B trombone--question posted by Arnie R. on December 08, 2002 at 22:47:27:
$800 sounds OK, though in my experience, I've been able to sell 3B's WITHOUT F-attachments for more that those WITH...
...the reason being: The 3B is mostly (these days) considered a professional "jazz" trombone (8" bell, .508 bore), and anything below .525" bore with an F-attachment is considered by many to have an F-attachment that is too stuffy.
For instance, for $800 I have a NEW Blessing model B-88-O (copy of Conn 88H) OPEN-WRAP (least "stuffy" off-the-shelf style of F-attachment that doesn't start to cost an extra $1000) brand new for $800 with factory warranty. The bell size is 8-1/2", the bore size is .547", the F-attachment (again) is open wrap, the instrument is American-made, the rotor is probably the best-fitting in the industry (made by Joe Marcinkiewicz) and the outside playing slide is made of rot-proof materials (red brass tubes and nickel-silver crook).
I know that started sounding like an advertisement, but now you know that you can get a very decent NEW Elkhart, Indiana-made large-bore open-wrap F-attachment trombone for the same money.
Joe "who has an older NON-F-attachment 3B with a solid-silver bell for sale, and expects to do very well with it on eBay sometime in the next few weeks {a good bit more than $800), and if my silver-bell 3B DID have an F-attachment, I would remove the F-attachment (to raise its value) before selling the trombone on eBay" S.