I first began playing trombone when I got braces in high school. Back then I played trumpet with way to much mouthpiece pressure against my lips so playing trumpet with braces was rather unpleasent.

I have played a little trombone here and there, but not very seriously. When I began teaching brass on the Northern Beaches it became apparent there was a huge demand for Trombone Teachers and not many around to meet this need.

I bought my own Yamaha YSL456A Bb/F intermediate trombone, practiced up and began to teach trombone also. My trombone students have been excelling (the ones who practice anyway) and I have been really enjoying the unique character and challenges the trombone presents, both to play and to teach.

If you are looking to buy a trombone, here are a few tips.

Buy New:
Trombone slides are fragile and can be a big problem if they get too dented. If you buy second hand online, there is a good chance you'll have to spend a bunch of money to get the slide fixed up.

I really like the Yamaha YSL154. You can get it new for under $900 right now.
If you are looking to upgrade, the YSL456A is a great intermediate trombone. A little awkward for a smaller student, so make sure you have a good hold to see how it feels in your hand.

Please do not buy the Jupiter. I find the metal is a lot softer than the Yamaha, so it dents way to easily and the slide seems to wear out much faster. The extra you spend on the Yamaha you will easily get back when you go to sell it and realise the Jupiter has very little resale value due to its poor durability, while the Yamaha in good condition is easy to sell second hand for around $400 or more.

If you do want to save some money, a good second hand trombone can be great value, so long as you can have a professional player or teacher check it out to ensure it doesn't need a lot of work. Good second hand trombones can be bought in for around $400 as mentioned above.

More information coming soon...

For young and smaller trombone students, I highly recommend you purchase the NeoTech trombone grip.
Mall Music at Warringah Mall and Macquarie Centre have been stocking them at my request. This grip really does make the trombone much easier to hold and play for longer periods of time. This can make a big difference in the enjoyment and quantity of practice young students will do.

Here's the link to the mall music website where you can see if they have stock and the current price. If it's not currently in stock, give them a call and they can usually get them in fairly quickly. Let them know Josh Hughes sent you :)
http://www.mallmusic.com.au/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=33199&search=neotech+trombone+grip