The King 3B is a medium-bore

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...

currently manufactured by Conn-Selmer, Inc and sold as the "King 2103 Legend 3B." Popular with professional

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

musicians, the older models from the 1960s are known for their brilliant tone and fluidity in the upper register. One of several models of King trombones, the 3B has a bore (the inside diameter of the inner slide) and an bell. It is available with a yellow brass, gold brass, or sterling silver bell, with an

F attachment The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

, or as a

valve trombone A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...

. The King 3B fits a small shank

mouthpiece Mouthpiece may refer to: * The part of an object which comes near or in contact with one's mouth or nose during use ** Mouthpiece (smoking pipe) or cigarette holder ** Mouthpiece (telephone handset) ** Mouthpiece (woodwind), a component of a woodw ...

, Originally manufactured by the H.N. White Company, King trombones are named for Thomas King, a solo trombonist with the Lyceum Theatre Orchestra in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

who during the late 19th century worked with instrument manufacturer Henderson N. White to design and build a new trombone. King trombones quickly gained acclaim with trombonists due to their superior sound quality and quick slide movement; one of the company's greatest endorsers was "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing,"

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

. Production of King Concert 3B model trombones started around 1951-53 as a larger version of the King Liberty 2B trombones (originally produced in 1938 as the King Liberty Model no. 2-B). They remained unchanged until the company was sold in 1965. From 1965 to 1985 they were manufactured and sold by

King Musical Instruments King Musical Instruments (originally founded as the H. N. White Company) is a former musical instrument manufacturing company located in Cleveland, Ohio, that used the trade name King for its instruments. In 1965 the company was acquired by the S ...

until the company was sold again to United Musical Instruments (UMI), formerly

C.G. Conn C. G. Conn Ltd., sometimes called Conn Instruments or commonly just Conn, is a former American manufacturer of musical instruments incorporated in 1915. It bought the production facilities owned by Charles Gerard Conn, a major figure in earl ...

and currently Conn-Selmer, Inc

References

Trombones {{brass-instrument-stub