Now she gets to do two things she loves, write and use her music knowledge to enrich other musicians’ lives and help them follow their musical dreams! When she’s not delving into the music world, she spends time writing for various niches like beauty, style, and pet care!
- How to Learn to Play Cello Guide: The Only Guide You Need to Get Started - April 18, 2022
- How to Find the Best Trumpet Tuner - April 14, 2022
- Best Carbon Fiber Violins Guide: Why You Need the Glasser Carbon Composite Violin - April 13, 2022
Are you struggling to find a trombone that’s affordable but will still give you the quality you need to perform well?
Mendini by Cecilio is here to deliver. This brand has amazing prices on their trombones, but a lot of professional-level players tend to look down on these instruments. Why? Because this brand doesn’t have the best reputation amongst those who play professionally.
But, if you aren’t a professional-level trombone player, why should you be looking into professional-level instruments? You can save yourself a bunch of money if you instead choose to look into beginner and intermediate level instruments. And that’s where Mendini by Cecilio comes in!
Plus, if you’re brand new to the world of instruments, you should definitely look into Mendini by Cecilio. There’s a lot of different types of trombones Mendini offers, so they’ve really got something that’ll suit everyone’s budget, wants, and needs.
But, which of the trombones that Mendini offers are really their best? Well, that’s what I’m here to break down for you. You don’t have to journey onto the Mendini website with a look of confusion on your face. Instead, after you read through this guide, you’re going to feel super confident in your purchase. Let’s get started!
What’s the Anatomy of a Trombone?
For you to understand the importance behind the bits and pieces that Mendini by Cecilio offers, it’s important for you to understand the anatomy of a trombone. If you’ve never played this instrument before, it can likely feel a little confusing looking at all of the different parts of this instrument.
Each of the parts and pieces I’ve listed below has a part of doing in the sound that comes out of the instrument. First, you have the mouthpiece. This is where you’ll put your mouth to blow into your instrument, and it’s one of the most important parts of your trombone.
The slide of your trombone is what musicians use to change the pitch of the instrument they’re playing. The F attachment, or F trigger, is an attachment some trombones have. Not every trombone will have an F trigger. But, an F trigger is useful to have, as it helps to change the pitch of the instrument faster than the alternative of sliding all the way down to the 6th or 7th position.
In addition, there’s the bell of the trombone. The bell of trombones varies by shape, material, size, and thickness. The tuning slide is what’s used to tune the trombone.
Selection Criteria
Now that it’s almost time to discuss the best trombones from Mendini by Cecilio, it’s important for you to understand the criteria I used to make the product recommendations I’ve listed before. First, I made sure to personally test all of these trombones out. Then, I chose the trombones based on positive customer reviews, so I made sure I wasn’t the only person who had a positive experience with the trombones I’ve listed. I also made sure to consider availability and durability in my reviews.
Mendini by Cecilio Tenor Slide Trombone
This is a pretty basic trombone, but that’s mainly because tenor trombones don’t have a lot of pizzazz to them. Since this trombone is in the key of B, you can continue transposing as you normally would. However, if you aren’t in need of a super fancy instrument, this will suit you perfectly. This trombone is a great option to consider for beginners. It’s got a super smooth action on the slide, so even younger children won’t have any troubles moving the slide around. This means they’ll also have an easier time making adjustments to the registers they’re comfortable playing in.
Plus, the smaller bore on this trombone makes it the best option available for smaller children. They won’t need to have as much breath to get the sound of this instrument, either. You’ll find that the purchase of this trombone comes with a cleaning cloth, clothes, a mouthpiece that’s silver-plated, and a hard case.
This trombone has a lot of great reviews, and it’s one of the most popular models Mendini by Cecilio’s offered. With a tuner, gloves, case, and cleaning cloth, this tenor trombone’s got everything a beginning student would need to find success. There’s a .500-inch bore with an 8-inch bell. And as for the exterior of this trombone, you’ll find that it has all gold lacquer.
Pros
- Comes with a hard case
- Comes with a care kit
- Available in several colors
- Lightweight
- Well balanced
- Comfortable to hold and use
- Has a super durable case
- Best-selling model
- Comes with a one year warranty
Cons
- Doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles
- Corrodes quickly
Mendini MTB-31 Trombone
Now, if you’re looking for an upgrade from the above-listed trombone, the Mendini MTB-31 trombone will deliver. This trombone has an F trigger on it, which means it’ll be a great option for those who have a bit more experience playing. Along with your purchase of this instrument, you’ll get a cleaning cloth, white gloves, a durable hard case, and a chromatic tuner. Having all of these things coming with your trombone purchase is super helpful, as otherwise, it would be very pricey to purchase these items separately.
This is an intermediate-level tenor trombone, and I fell in love with how sensitive the response of this trombone is. It responds super well to both touch and your breath, so intricate pieces that require small adjustments in how the instrument is played will definitely be picked up by this trombone.
You’ll also find the mouthpiece is a 12C and that there’s a large .547-inch bore. With the bell being 8.75-inches, this trombone will really push any beginner to learn how to develop their lung capacity to push this trombone to its limits.
Pros
- F trigger
- Super sensitive to adjustments from breath and touch
- Comes with a care kit
- High-quality mouthpiece
Cons
- Heavy
- The exterior of the slide isn’t gold, so it may not be appealing to those who don’t like a trombone that’s all one color
Mendini MTB-33 Intermediate Bb Tenor Slide Trombone
This is my favorite trombone on the entire list, and I highly, highly recommend it. While the super cool rose brass finish makes this trombone cool to look at, there’s so much more this F trigger trombone has to offer. You’ll find it has a .525-inch bore, which produces an outstanding sound from this trombone.
Personally, I love how balanced this instrument is and how easy it is to hold. Weighing in at 13 pounds, the case that comes with this trombone will protect it through drops, falls, and normal wear and tear. The nickel coating on the exterior of this trombone will certainly catch anyone’s eyes too! You’ll also find that this trombone has an 8-inch bell, which gives you a better idea of the amount of sound you’ll be able to play around with this trombone. And the F-trigger attachment makes this trombone so much cooler, too- especially if you’re upgrading from a student trombone.
I loved how responsive the F trigger was, and tuning wasn’t an issue while using it. I found the tuning stayed relatively well with this trombone too. Using the F trigger made reaching lower notes without having to extend my arm all the way out to 6th and 7th so easy, especially while playing pieces at a faster tempo.
Pros
- Super loud sound
- Comes with an F trigger
- Beautiful appearance
- Affordable
Cons
- Dents super easily
Mendini MTB-40
This trombone gets me EXCITED! There’s not a lot of brands that offer valve trombones, let alone at an affordable price. However, Mendini by Cecilio delivered this MTB-40 model! This is a tenor valve trombone, which means you’ll press on the Monel piston valves instead of sliding a slide as you do with normal trombones.
The benefit of this trombone over other models is that it’s easier to play than other types of models on this list. This is because you don’t have to worry about your hand sliding to an exact position to get a specific pitch. Instead, you’ll press on the valves, which will increase the precision of the pitches you’re getting while you’re playing.
With a .488-inch bore and an 8-inch bell, you won’t find this smaller trombone having any problem with keeping up with larger models in the sound department. There’s a surprising projection from this trombone that’ll do well in both classical and orchestral settings. Plus, you’re getting a 12C mouthpiece with this trombone.
Pros
- Strong materials, durable instrument
- Valve trombone makes it easier to get exact pitches, instead of using a slide
- The smaller model would be a great option for people who have smaller bodies
Cons
- Doesn’t stay in tune great. The tuning slides tend to slide around a lot, so it’s constantly falling out of tune
FAQs
Answer: Mendini trombones are a great option for beginner and intermediate players. If you’re shopping around for a person who doesn’t know if they’re going to stick with playing trombone, you should definitely check out a Mendini trombone. They’re super affordable, but they still provide a good enough quality if the person you’re shopping around for does end up sticking with playing the instrument.
Answer: There are a few things you can do to take care of your trombone. Playing the trombone requires daily maintenance, so it’s important that you care for your instrument before and after you play it.
Before you play your trombone, you’ll want to apply your cream or oil to the thick part of the trombone slide (also called a stocking). If you’ve used oil on your slide, you’ll want to blow on it a little bit to dry it. But, if you’ve used the cream, you’ll want to put a little bit of water on the cream to moisten the slide. After this, you’ll want to move your slide back and forth to get the lubricant spread all around the inside of the slide.
After you’ve finished playing, make sure to open up the water key (also called the spit valve) to remove all of the condensations that have built up inside of your instrument. Then, you’ll want to clean off the slide using a cloth.
Answer: When you’re shopping around for an instrument for a child that’s beginning to learn how to play trombone, there are a few things you need to keep in the back of your mind. Not only will you need to consider their motivation and age, but you’ll also need to consider the size of their body.
If the child you’re shopping around for has a smaller body with smaller arms, be sure to choose a trombone that’s lighter weight. This means you’ll want to shop around for a trombone that has a bore that’s at least .547-inches or smaller. On this list, you’ll want to specifically look at the Bb tenor slide trombone from Mendini by Cecilio for this specific measurement.
Plus, you’ll also want to consider the weight of the instruments you’re looking at. There’s a lot of trombones that would be too heavy for a small child to use. In addition, you’ll want to find a trombone that has a lightweight slide that’s easy to move around. All of these are feature the Bb tenor slide trombone from Mendini by Cecilio offers!
Conclusion – Should You Buy a Mendini Trombone?
Yes, absolutely, you should buy a Mendini trombone! There’s a lot of amazing qualities about these trombones, but most importantly, for some people, they’re affordable! Plus, a lot of the features available on their trombones are super easy to use. So, you won’t get frustrated trying to learn how to use the instrument.
Out of all of the trombones listed in this guide, I would highly recommend the Mendini intermediate Bb tenor slide trombone. I recommend this trombone the most out of all of the other options on this guide because it comes with an F trigger attachment, but it still is an affordable model. Plus, it’s so pretty to look at too!