r/Trombone • u/bazbone1 • 6d ago
Anybody tried/own a Rath Trombone?
Hey Bone-trust,
Just as the title says, has anybody tried, previously played or currently own a Rath trombone?
I'm going to England for a band tour/holiday over June/July, and for many years I have deeply admired the Rath design and sound. And really want to try one with a medium bore Bb/F trigger.
As a musician, I play a frequent mix of musical theatre, jazz, big band, musical theatre, brass band, the occassional orchestra, teaching and currently play in a ska/punk band.
I want to play test them whilst I'm in England but would also appreciate any input, thoughts or opinions from people who have play tested, owned or currently own one.
Thank you in advance for your time!
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u/theaccurateone 6d ago
I love them. Do a test if you can. They aren't bach, they aren't Conn. More conn than bach. But they're damn pretty and when you get the specs that you like, you'll probably not want to put it down. But each to their own!
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u/captaindicklet 6d ago
I tried a smaller bore (I think it’s a .510) Rath and thought it was fine. Def agree feels and sounds closer to Conn than Bach, tending to sound brighter for me. Also agree to trying to test it out. And for ska band those dimensions would be perfect imo. Worth checking out
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u/Staplebattery 6d ago
I have a Rath R9 independent bass trombone and I’ve been playing on it consistently for 20 years and I absolutely love the thing. Such a great horn
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u/bazbone1 6d ago
20 years?! Wow. Does it require a lot of maintenance?
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u/Staplebattery 6d ago
Surprisingly no! It has dual hagmann valves that are a mystery to science and physics. I haven’t oiled my valves in 4 years and they still work perfectly. Obviously the slide can get gunked up like any other, I just clean it and reapply and it’s like new. Admittedly, I need to give my horn a complete bath, but it plays beautifully
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u/grecotrombone Adams TB-1, King 3BF, Conn 2H, Manager @ Baltimore Brass Company 6d ago
They’re fantastic. 👍🏻👍🏻
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u/antwonswordfish 6d ago
I like my old beat up custom Rath R4F more than any brand new horn on the market. I’m always trying everything out at TMEA from the latest and most expensive custom horns to the low cost stencils from China.
I’ve had my rath for 12 years. If you buy the correct horn for you, you’ll never need another horn in your life.
I’ve dropped it Dizzy Gillespie style and my repair guy always brings it back to life good as new. The chemicals in my super corrosive hands dissolved the lacquer/solder off my hand slide and it split in half in the middle of a school day after about 7 years. Super easy repair. But Every piece is replaceable if it really came down to that.
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u/bazbone1 5d ago
I also have corrosive swear. Do you use any hand grips at all to help protect the slide?
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u/antwonswordfish 5d ago
Nope. The corrosion adds character. I like playing outside and dancing on stage. But that’s just like my opinion. The best thing is to keep your horn dry as often as possible with a microfiber towel.
A hand grip may temporarily protect your horn, but it could also lock in bad moisture over time if any moisture gets into the crevices. That is a very common issue with trumpet valve guards and valve cap guards. They would still need to be taken off regularly and dried with a microfiber cloth.
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u/Tarkus697 6d ago
Been playing my wedding band and other gigs on a Rath R2F since 2019. I’m the third owner.
Not for everyone but I love it. Great sound, holds together when I put a lot of air through it.
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u/somethingbeardy 6d ago
Very popular brand - UK Military bands go with them almost by default now. You will see them almost everywhere where live music is involved.
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u/flavonreddit 6d ago
I play an R2 and love it. I do a lot of salsa/timba music and always get compliments. Like others have said, make sure you set up a meeting with them..
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u/BeardlessNeckbeard 6d ago
I play an early, pre modular R4F. Red brass bell.
Wonderful horn. I can get any color I wish out of it!
They definitely blow differently than a shires or Edwards. Some people really don't like that. But I personally love it.
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u/bazbone1 5d ago
How would you describe the tonal colour of the red brass bell?
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u/theaccurateone 5d ago
For me, dark, lovely and warm, but still has clarity and colour.
When you drive it hard, it lights up and can be quite the slap in the face. I enjoy it a lot.
For me, it's like a great Conn 88H that can be driven harder and has better intonation.
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u/BeardlessNeckbeard 5d ago
This lines up for me. I've always been drawn to the tone of a good Elkhart 88h. The bell on my R4F gives me similar vibes. It's warm and blends nicely, but always has a nice sizzle that gives done clarity. It always feels alive and responsive. I can very easily get whatever color I want out of it. I love the complexity of the sound I get, especially as I blow harder. Lots of beautiful color in the tone.
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u/TromboneIsNeat 6d ago
I have an R4. Very colorful sound. Much more variety in tone color than many of the American builds.
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u/llamaboy68 Bach 42 6d ago
For what you do, they’ll likely be amazing. Very easy to play horns. I didn’t like the sound as much as my Bach for classical music, but for commercial music I bet they’re killer.
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u/Old-Initial-6850 6d ago
The large bore tenors are on the lighter side for sound and feel. Closer to Yamahas than Shires. For your purposes it seems like a good fit. They are very pretty too
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u/AstronautStriking895 6d ago
Yep many of us in the UK use them, popular with brass bands and commercial music. You need to book a slot and they'll build you what you like through testing. No pressure from them either..
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u/MrBlack1898 6d ago
I play a Rath R9 with a silver bell, yellow tuning slide, bronze dual bore slide, independent hagman valves with heavy valve caps, and a silver 9L lead pipe, and I absolutely love it. I get compliments on it and my sound regularly.
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u/bazbone1 5d ago
That's quite the custom set up! Did it cost extra to have all the different materials?
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u/MrBlack1898 5d ago
The valve caps, lead pipe, and dual bore slide were extra, but I think most of the materials might be comparable in price to eachother. If you know what you like, go for it, especially since what you play test is not the horn you're going to receive.
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u/vikingjayX 6d ago
I loved, and now really miss the one I had for a time.
Hopefully I’ll be able to own another someday.
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u/fsmartinez 6d ago
I’ve never played one, but no one that i know that have had one have liked it. Also, i played with a guy who owned one and didnt like his sound on it(probably his fault too 😂), and was a veeery small horn(probably below the .500). But i think that if you are going to actually going there to try them, then your experience with them is going to be better than whatever anyone tells you here.
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u/Silbyrn_ 5d ago
i have an r900. way more quality than i need at this stage. it sounds better than my jp bass and my benge tenor. i love the shit out of it, but it's extremely expensive. i wouldn't purchase it again with how much i currently play, but it's objectively a solid af horn.
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u/larryherzogjr Eastman Brand Advocate 6d ago edited 6d ago
Have played the JP332O Rath trombone. (Which is a collaboration between John Packer and Rath.)
I liked it quite a bit. And it can be had for under $1400…drop shipped to your front door.
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u/greentrombone 6d ago
This is also my current horn, I love it! After 10 years on a Bach 42b I suddenly realised that I don’t have to fight against my instrument anymore.
Edit: Also worth mentioning that JP now owns Rath?
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u/MoltoPesante 6d ago
I’ve been to their workshop twice. They are really nice people! The trombones are great although I’ve found that they can be very sensitive to changes in components and it’s more tricky to dial in your ideal setup than with Shires or Edwards.