Stencil Trombones

Known or Suspected Stencil Trombones

This is a list of known or suspected stencil trombones.

Just what are "stencil" instruments? Let's put it this way: Some manufacturers or instrument retailers want to sell an "own-brand" trombone, but don't have the facilities and/or know-how to design and make their own. Instead, they contract with an established trombone manufacturer to produce instruments on their behalf. In some cases, the stencil-line instruments are produced with no markings. More commonly, however, the manufacturer custom-engraves the instrument with markings specified by the customer.

Stencil instruments aren't inherently good or bad - this depends on the specifications of the instrument (this determines how well an instrument plays) - often not available! - and which contract-manufacturer produced the instrument (on whom build-quality and quality control hinges). Contract manufacturers range from those with fairly-good reputations such as Kanstul and Blessing to (often) unknown Chinese and Indian manufacturers who turn out instruments widely-regarded as junk by experienced trombonists.

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Known or Suspected Stencil-line Trombones

Manufacturer (Parent Company) Model Bore (in.) Bell (in.) Valve(s) Other information

Allora Speculation is that Woodwind and Brasswind's (WW&BW, a US retailer) own-brand trombone is a Bach 42BO clone made in Germany by Gerhard Baier.

Grinnell According to Don Bilger, Grinnell trombones are most probably stencil-lines produced by one of the major manufacturers for Grinnell Brothers. It appears that Grinnell Brothers was a Detroit music store chain known for making good upright pianos - in the mid-1970s most of the practice room pianos were Grinnells at Michigan State University. To the best of Don's knowledge, however, Grinnell Brothers never produced their own trombones.

Steuben, Wexler, German/Italian/French-Engineering, etc Very cheap instruments strongly suspected to be produced in China or India, although they are claimed to be made by "German/Italian/French Engineering" (to the best of my knowledge, there are no reputable manufacturers of that name in either the US, France, Italy or Germany). Previously found exclusively on eBay (eg from the eBay seller Great-tunes, who refused to disclose identity of manufacturer or even source country of instruments), I have now come across some examples of these instruments in certain small retail outlets. Independent reviews sent to me have all been critical; the few positive e-mails I've received seem to all have been from a few people who on further investigation I discovered had been prompted by Great-tunes to write to me.

Zeus ZeuS is Zachary Music's (a small Canadian retailer) own-brand label. The ZeuS 8000 series includes instruments ranging from beginners' to so-called "low professional" models, whereas ZeuS Guarnerius instruments are claimed to be "high professional". There is speculation that the 8000 series instruments come from Blessing (the .547 bore low-pro Bb/F looks very much like the Blessing B88; the B88 is widely regarded as being a cheap but very good value-for-money copy of the Conn 88H)and that the high end ones come from Kanstul. Alex Zachary, owner of Zachary music and experienced instrument technician, claims to have personally selected the instrument specifications, and to be able to exercise a great deal of influence on quality control. He says that his instruments are produced by American manufacturers, whose identities he declined to reveal. However, he has specifically denied that the Guarnerius instruments came from Blessing.
So, just how good are ZeuS trombones? Opinions vary amongst the few who have tried them. The jury is still out.

Known or Suspected Stencil-line Trombones
Manufacturer (Parent Company)	Model	Bore (in.)	Bell (in.)	Valve(s)	Other information

Allora	Speculation is that Woodwind and Brasswind's (WW&BW, a US retailer) own-brand trombone is a Bach 42BO clone made in Germany by Gerhard Baier.

Grinnell	According to Don Bilger, Grinnell trombones are most probably stencil-lines produced by one of the major manufacturers for Grinnell Brothers. It appears that Grinnell Brothers was a Detroit music store chain known for making good upright pianos - in the mid-1970s most of the practice room pianos were Grinnells at Michigan State University. To the best of Don's knowledge, however, Grinnell Brothers never produced their own trombones.

Steuben, Wexler, German/Italian/French-Engineering, etc	Very cheap instruments strongly suspected to be produced in China or India, although they are claimed to be made by "German/Italian/French Engineering" (to the best of my knowledge, there are no reputable manufacturers of that name in either the US, France, Italy or Germany). Previously found exclusively on eBay (eg from the eBay seller Great-tunes, who refused to disclose identity of manufacturer or even source country of instruments), I have now come across some examples of these instruments in certain small retail outlets. Independent reviews sent to me have all been critical; the few positive e-mails I've received seem to all have been from a few people who on further investigation I discovered had been prompted by Great-tunes to write to me.

Zeus	ZeuS is Zachary Music's (a small Canadian retailer) own-brand label. The ZeuS 8000 series includes instruments ranging from beginners' to so-called "low professional" models, whereas ZeuS Guarnerius instruments are claimed to be "high professional". There is speculation that the 8000 series instruments come from Blessing (the .547 bore low-pro Bb/F looks very much like the Blessing B88; the B88 is widely regarded as being a cheap but very good value-for-money copy of the Conn 88H)and that the high end ones come from Kanstul. Alex Zachary, owner of Zachary music and experienced instrument technician, claims to have personally selected the instrument specifications, and to be able to exercise a great deal of influence on quality control. He says that his instruments are produced by American manufacturers, whose identities he declined to reveal. However, he has specifically denied that the Guarnerius instruments came from Blessing. So, just how good are ZeuS trombones? Opinions vary amongst the few who have tried them. The jury is still out.