Every musician dreams of playing on an instrument designed perfectly to suit their needs.
I envisioned a trombone that would produce a brilliant sound quality, had perfect intonation and was free blowing across all registers.
Together with the Schagerl company, I designed the Kissbone X , incorporating features which enable me to not only play powerfully, but soft and tenderly with smooth and easy legato.
The F attachment is designed in a figure 8 system and functions as a super highway for the air stream, being especially advantageous for low register playing. The Kissbone X offers a rich tonal palatte with the harmonics it produces and gives me the versatility that is essential for playing in a group such as Mnozil Brass.
I chose a combination of vintage lacquer and gold plating for my Kissbone X, making this already outstanding instrument as attractive to the eye as it is to the ear.
Thank you Schagerl, I couldn’t have asked for a better instrument!
Specifications
- Bell: 220mm / Goldbrass
- Bore: 14,2 mm
- Slide: 13,9 mm
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Statement
The Kissbone with the Fontana slide:
It’s a marvelous instrument. I have no doubt about it, since I play Schagerl instruments and plus the intense technical work, made my playing so much better.
The air goes through the instrument easy and relax. The more you play the rounder the sound get. My feeling with the instrument is that I’m playing with him together. He helps me to make the technical stuff more easy. Really a High-Class instrument.
My favourite thing about the Schagerl Kissbone is the flexibility of sound. It can adapt to such a great variety of style and expression; high or low, loud or soft, mellow or edgy, sparky or noble. The sound is dark and with brilliance at the same time.
I work with symphonic, jazz, pop and experimental contemporary music, and wanted to see if I could find a trombone flexible and versatile enough to do it all. For me, the Kissbone is it! I no longer feel the need to switch equiment for different styles or settings.
I hesitate to call it an “all-round” trombone though, because this might implicate that compromises have been made, sacrificing some special qualities here and there to make it work well enough all over. The fact is that the Kissbone acts as a specialised instrument in such a wide scope of sound colours, styles and settings.
The Kissbone has a great range, and responds really well all over. It has a rich, full bodied bass-register as well as a juicy and brilliant high register when needed. It can play super loud without sounding forced, and super soft with great comfort.
The Schagerl F-valve is the best I have tried, with its consise action and almost equal resistance to the open-horn. This makes legato and intervals between registers very smooth, and maintaining the same sound quality is easier.
The craftmanship of Schagerl is really impressive. The first moment I tried a Schagerl trombone I noticed the special quality; hand-crafted and with great care for every detail. It is a pleasure and an inspiration to work with such an instrument.
