Yamaha YBL-830 Xeno Series Bass Trombone

Arrived in good time and perfect order.The Xeno has a lovely dark rich tone compared to the rather bright and easy to crack Bach. After only a weekend of playing I already love it.Especially the mechanics of the triggers'valves. really good ergonomics especially for someone with massive hands like myself, highly highly recommend!

Coming from a standard Yamaha F attachment trombone, the first thing you will notice is how heavy this instrument is. The extra piping will most definitely build up your biceps and forearm. I recommend working out to build up all those muscles so over the years your body doesn’t become one sided. The slide is a lot heavier too. I go to a physical therapist, and due to all he practicing the muscles on my right side that pulls and pushes the slide became inflammatory and needed icing. All I’m saying is make sure your body is ready, because it take a lot of strength and endurance to play this instrument. Part of it could be my form is off, I’m not going to blame this instrument. Yes it is heavy. I found a fat Yamaha silent mute system that can actually fit this thing. I can only play for about an hour before my left arm feels like it’s falling off!The low register sounds amazing. Especially when you couple it with their gold plated Yamaha Douglas Yeo mouthpiece. It handles the highs and the very very lows with ease. I went from not being able to hit any nots below pedal Bflat when I first got it. It took about 6 months of practicing (at least 2 to 3 days a week) and getting the right mouthpiece. It feels amazing.After a year now, my sound and ability continues to grow. This instrument was a good investment. I will never outgrow it and will always be able to learn new challenging techniques that were unimaginable on a tenor or f attachment.