Hi! I watched this video carefully twice and found it very useful - thanks! I'm a classical player. I got a pbone mini to try alongside my other alto which I have a bit of love-hate relationship with. I rather like my pbone, though it is not suitable for everything. It has a soft breathy tone when played quiet which can be amplified up for special effects (though this isn't really classical) and it's generally a bit softer and less edgy than my brass alto. It does need a bit more air to get the tone, but the tone is there. Best of all, it never overblows or gets too brash. I tried it in orchestra rehearsal for the Weber Freischutz overture recently and it sounded fine. I wouldn't use it for Beethoven 5 though. I have been using mine with the plastic mouthpiece that came with the instrument. The main reason is that no metal mouthpiece I have tried matches the trombone very well (and I've tried quite a few). The sound always comes out really weak and thin - just like yours (did I read somewhere you use a 6 1/2 AL?). So I suspect you might get a lot more out of your pbone mini with a different mouthpiece.
Richard Kaye I have a good friend who 3-D printed me a plastic replica of my beloved 6 1/2 AL. Might be a good way for you to go. You keep the plastic but you could play on something familiar.
You've made me consider getting an alto. My plastic tenor is like playing with a weird mute. The different sound is just different. I like it fine as a change up. I don't like the brain drain to get it in tune. Love the weight and the durability. Not big on the slide.
Thanks for your review. With due respect, I believe you may have missed the point of the pBone Mini. It's not a replacement for a brass alto (which I also own/play) but a worthwhile and entertaining addition to it. It is light, fast (when slide is properly conditioned), percussive, and NON-resonant (a sound that works well with certain kinds of music (e.g. rock). However, I'll admit to using a Bach 15EW mouthpiece...which costs almost as much as the horn (laugh). The pBone Mini is also cheap and makes a great, nearly indestructible travel horn. Just saying. Rock on!
I agree for the most part. I picked one up, but mine did not have a leek. The tenor sounds better then the alto pbone and they sound about as good as my bundy student, but is way off from my yamaha ybl 830 bass trombone. It is good for parades and light jobs, but nothing big.
Can I ask why Jiggs thought making this instrument was even... necessary? I thought the original idea for the pbone or any plastic trombone was to make a lighter tenor. I've played alto trombone before and it doesn't really have those same issues in my opinion
It’s intended for children who can’t really reach a lot of the slide positions of a regular tenor, so its meant more so to be a smaller pbone rather than a plastic alto
I play the trombone and I used to have a p-bone myself. I loved it at first, but after getting my first actual metal trombone, I started playing it less and less and less and less. I stopped playing it after one of my fellow trombone players stepped on it and broke it by accident (thankfully I got it fixed and back to playing again). What can I say, that's ABS plastic for you. If there's anything in this world that are perfectly comparable today as far as trombones goes, it's any trombone that is not made out of metal completely, that being carbon fiber and ABS plastic, which is shown in this video. ABS plastic does not resonate as much as brass, therefore when you play an instrument constructed of ABS plastic, such as the P-bone, Tromba Pro, Tiger, or anything like that, it feels and sounds kind of dead and muffly. However with carbon fiber, The resonance between it and brass is super close, and that's why we see many trombone players going the route of carbon fiber compared to ABS plastic. All of this doesn't apply to just the trombone, as we're even seeing trumpets being constructed out of carbon fiber and many other miscellaneous musical instruments now being constructed out of carbon fiber. All of this is just my opinion
Yes, it did fix the leak, but the other problem is that it is a plastic instrument! I didn't have much faith in something that is marketed as a child's trombone, but it was fun to experiment with it and create this video.
Well there is obviously no comparison between your beautiful brass alto and the PBone plastic leaky plumbing. But I guess they are useful for practice when you're travelling, going down the Amazon, or putting plants in out in your garden.
I own a P-BONE mini alto trombone and I love mine!! I play it at my church and the congregation gets excited about it as well! Also for what I paid it was a dirt cheap PLAYABLE alto trombone. I have seen the cost of a brass alto trombone and if I wanted to play one of those, I would still be saving and waiting! Consider the cost of the P-BONE horn and if a trombone player desided he/she didn't want to play one after all! They could be stuck with the cost of a very expensive brass instrument they didn't want to play after all! I disagree with your review completely! I think for its cost it's a wonderful little horn to own and play!
Your entire post is about the cheapness of the horn, and yes, that's a consideration. But did you not hear how terrible the intonation was? The overtone series is completely flawed, and the tone is muffled and stuffy. You can pick up a JinBao for about $50 more than the Pbone Mini and have a horn that plays in tune with itself and has a decent tone.
Everybody else's pBone sounds brighter and sharper than yours, so I suspect you won't be able to fix it to factory standard. None of them match a brass instrument, but the pBone should sound better than this. That particular instrument is just a bad example.
I've seen other videos where it sounds better than this. Maybe they improved it or you got a serious dud or perhaps using a real mouthpiece on it might help?
Wow! Absolutely dead overtones. No brightness at all. Sounds like you have a practice mute in the bell, or someone stuffed socks in the tuning slide. Thanks. I'd wanted one of these after my friends gave the tenor pBone a big thumbs up, but after this, I won' be wasting my money. Now - is there an alternative somewhere in between in price for the serious non-pro? I mean, come on, there's no way a $128 pBone mini (Amazon price) is going to compare to even the less expensive of the two Yamaha altos (YSL-871 @ >$2300 at Musician's Friend). There ought to be something viable in between these extremes. No doubt if I pay upward of $2K, I'm going to get a good horn. $2K is also pushing into the price range for a very good vintage 2B Silversonic. How about something more comparable in price to a 3B or 88H? Good quality production horns just shy of the quality of a custom horn.
***** I wish I could give you a recommendation, but I really don't look at other horns. I guess I married mine for life. A lot of guys are trombone junkies, always buying and swapping horns. One thing I do love about my Yamaha is the relatively large bore. That definitely helps my sound. And of course compared to the mini, sounds like night and day. Yes, I could have more carefully mic'd it better or done processing, but I obviously wasn't trying to make it sound great.
+TheBerkeleyGang "No doubt if I pay upward of $2K, I'm going to get a good horn." A dangerous mindset to have, my friend. My $1,500 BAC Artist horn plays a lot better than a lot of horns I've played that cost $2500+.
Hi! I watched this video carefully twice and found it very useful - thanks!
I'm a classical player. I got a pbone mini to try alongside my other alto which I have a bit of love-hate relationship with. I rather like my pbone, though it is not suitable for everything. It has a soft breathy tone when played quiet which can be amplified up for special effects (though this isn't really classical) and it's generally a bit softer and less edgy than my brass alto. It does need a bit more air to get the tone, but the tone is there. Best of all, it never overblows or gets too brash. I tried it in orchestra rehearsal for the Weber Freischutz overture recently and it sounded fine. I wouldn't use it for Beethoven 5 though.
I have been using mine with the plastic mouthpiece that came with the instrument. The main reason is that no metal mouthpiece I have tried matches the trombone very well (and I've tried quite a few). The sound always comes out really weak and thin - just like yours (did I read somewhere you use a 6 1/2 AL?). So I suspect you might get a lot more out of your pbone mini with a different mouthpiece.
Richard Kaye I have a good friend who 3-D printed me a plastic replica of my beloved 6 1/2 AL. Might be a good way for you to go. You keep the plastic but you could play on something familiar.
Could you imagine a green glow in the dark Pbones?! XD
I would buy.
I have a red pTrumpet.
I don't love it either, but I don't hate it. I've got this idea about putting a led-light in the bell.
I liked the Spain solo more than the review, great sound!
Hey, Mike -- try the Yamaha slide with the pBone bell. Believe it or not, it fits together perfectly and pretty much fixes the intonation!
Fixing the leak gave the horn instant keyboard accompaniment. Wonderful thing, silicon.... :)
Yes, magic sealant works every time!
You've made me consider getting an alto. My plastic tenor is like playing with a weird mute. The different sound is just different. I like it fine as a change up. I don't like the brain drain to get it in tune. Love the weight and the durability. Not big on the slide.
You still sound great on it - better than when I tried one - of course I didn't think to check for leaks either!
Anyway i can get a hold of that spain sheet music?
Thanks for your review. With due respect, I believe you may have missed the point of the pBone Mini. It's not a replacement for a brass alto (which I also own/play) but a worthwhile and entertaining addition to it. It is light, fast (when slide is properly conditioned), percussive, and NON-resonant (a sound that works well with certain kinds of music (e.g. rock). However, I'll admit to using a Bach 15EW mouthpiece...which costs almost as much as the horn (laugh). The pBone Mini is also cheap and makes a great, nearly indestructible travel horn. Just saying. Rock on!
Hell yeah! Spain is one of my favorite songs! 👌
you should do a cover of spain on your alto dude good stuff
I agree for the most part. I picked one up, but mine did not have a leek. The tenor sounds better then the alto pbone and they sound about as good as my bundy student, but is way off from my yamaha ybl 830 bass trombone. It is good for parades and light jobs, but nothing big.
....goes out to put his pBone in the backyard fishpond.
No leaks.
Listens to comparison at 2:33
Checks for sock in bell.
Can I ask why Jiggs thought making this instrument was even... necessary? I thought the original idea for the pbone or any plastic trombone was to make a lighter tenor. I've played alto trombone before and it doesn't really have those same issues in my opinion
It’s intended for children who can’t really reach a lot of the slide positions of a regular tenor, so its meant more so to be a smaller pbone rather than a plastic alto
I play the trombone and I used to have a p-bone myself. I loved it at first, but after getting my first actual metal trombone, I started playing it less and less and less and less. I stopped playing it after one of my fellow trombone players stepped on it and broke it by accident (thankfully I got it fixed and back to playing again).
What can I say, that's ABS plastic for you. If there's anything in this world that are perfectly comparable today as far as trombones goes, it's any trombone that is not made out of metal completely, that being carbon fiber and ABS plastic, which is shown in this video.
ABS plastic does not resonate as much as brass, therefore when you play an instrument constructed of ABS plastic, such as the P-bone, Tromba Pro, Tiger, or anything like that, it feels and sounds kind of dead and muffly.
However with carbon fiber, The resonance between it and brass is super close, and that's why we see many trombone players going the route of carbon fiber compared to ABS plastic.
All of this doesn't apply to just the trombone, as we're even seeing trumpets being constructed out of carbon fiber and many other miscellaneous musical instruments now being constructed out of carbon fiber.
All of this is just my opinion
Love your sound Mike
I am happy with my Moz $150 brass Chinese alto. I don't know if I just got a good one or not but it's well in tune.
That's great. One thing about a cheaper manufactured horn is that it's inconsistent. Glad you got a good one. How's the slide?
Well, did the silicone glue fix the leak? If so, perhaps there are other problems with this instrument.
Yes, it did fix the leak, but the other problem is that it is a plastic instrument! I didn't have much faith in something that is marketed as a child's trombone, but it was fun to experiment with it and create this video.
@@mymusicsavvy Thank you very much.
Well there is obviously no comparison between your beautiful brass alto and the PBone plastic leaky plumbing. But I guess they are useful for practice when you're travelling, going down the Amazon, or putting plants in out in your garden.
I own a P-BONE mini alto trombone and I love mine!!
I play it at my church and the congregation gets excited about it as well!
Also for what I paid it was a dirt cheap PLAYABLE alto trombone.
I have seen the cost of a brass alto trombone and if I wanted to play one of those, I would still be saving and waiting!
Consider the cost of the P-BONE horn and if a trombone player desided he/she didn't want to play one after all! They could be stuck with the cost of a very expensive brass instrument they didn't want to play after all!
I disagree with your review completely! I think for its cost it's a wonderful little horn to own and play!
Your entire post is about the cheapness of the horn, and yes, that's a consideration. But did you not hear how terrible the intonation was? The overtone series is completely flawed, and the tone is muffled and stuffy. You can pick up a JinBao for about $50 more than the Pbone Mini and have a horn that plays in tune with itself and has a decent tone.
1:31
I love the way he said that
hey Mike, it's made from ABS molded plastic. So it's not going to vibrate as much as brass hince the fluffy sound. Just sayin'!!!
Plastic resonates like plastic. There is nothing like high quality metal.This is why the bell on the ice cream truck is not made of plastic!
I have the same problem with the pTrumpet! Severe leaks!!!
can someone please tell me the name off that song
Spain by Chick Corea
Love this!
I want a soprano one
But you gotta love Chick Corea
sounds cool these plastic dingsda, Chet Bakerish
Everybody else's pBone sounds brighter and sharper than yours, so I suspect you won't be able to fix it to factory standard.
None of them match a brass instrument, but the pBone should sound better than this. That particular instrument is just a bad example.
Use flex seal
I've seen other videos where it sounds better than this. Maybe they improved it or you got a serious dud or perhaps using a real mouthpiece on it might help?
Wow! Absolutely dead overtones. No brightness at all. Sounds like you have a practice mute in the bell, or someone stuffed socks in the tuning slide. Thanks. I'd wanted one of these after my friends gave the tenor pBone a big thumbs up, but after this, I won' be wasting my money. Now - is there an alternative somewhere in between in price for the serious non-pro? I mean, come on, there's no way a $128 pBone mini (Amazon price) is going to compare to even the less expensive of the two Yamaha altos (YSL-871 @ >$2300 at Musician's Friend). There ought to be something viable in between these extremes. No doubt if I pay upward of $2K, I'm going to get a good horn. $2K is also pushing into the price range for a very good vintage 2B Silversonic. How about something more comparable in price to a 3B or 88H? Good quality production horns just shy of the quality of a custom horn.
***** A lot of that is the micing situation. But it is of course not as good as a normal horn
***** I wish I could give you a recommendation, but I really don't look at other horns. I guess I married mine for life. A lot of guys are trombone junkies, always buying and swapping horns. One thing I do love about my Yamaha is the relatively large bore. That definitely helps my sound. And of course compared to the mini, sounds like night and day. Yes, I could have more carefully mic'd it better or done processing, but I obviously wasn't trying to make it sound great.
+TheBerkeleyGang "No doubt if I pay upward of $2K, I'm going to get a good horn." A dangerous mindset to have, my friend. My $1,500 BAC Artist horn plays a lot better than a lot of horns I've played that cost $2500+.
TheBerkeleyGang know very Little about altos but Wessex tubas (a very reputable brass brand) has a 722$ Alto the Alto premier pe 523
Can I pls have it I wanted one sense I was like 5
I liked the PBone playing better!
I thought it was a soprano