Schmelzer Model 5 GR Bass Trombone with Open Flow Rotor

Item Details

This Model 5 GR custom single valve bass trombone is made by Manfred Schmelzer in M-Gladbach, Germany.  Manfred has passed away in January 2026 so this is the last one.  This trombone is made to be light and nimble in the style of George Roberts, the Hollywood studio great.  This F almost pulls to E but not really, but by bending the pitch you can make it work.  The low B false tone is spectacular.  Lightweight bell horns will do that.

Includes Eastman case which is big and ordinary but does the job.  Backpack straps are included. 

April 2026:  Upon the askance of a client I gave this trombone a good play test today along with a dual rotor Schmelzer Model 5 and my own Kanstul George Roberts bass trombone.  For those who don't know the Kanstul, it tunes in the hand slide like a very old Conn, and is especially light weight.  Its single rotor in F pulls to E but it also has a great false tone low B.  I play the Kanstul because it's a good horn and it's unique and Zig made it for me.  I also adore George Roberts, one of the nicest people anyone has ever met.  He'll always be "Mr. Bass Trombone" to me.

But...in several ways this Schmelzer is a better horn than the Kanstul.  Its larger bell flare give its tone more warmth and girth with less bark, and overall it has a bit more resistance which to me gives better projection and more broad tone for the efforts.  The weight in the tuning slide area helps with that:  more projection.  The Schmelzer is more full and less brittle and its sound is just like the sound George made.  To go from my very good personal horn to this Schmelzer leads to lots of smiling.

The Schmelzer doesn't pull to E - the tubes are not long enough.  If you've got a gig with lots of long low B's to play, bring another horn.  But if it's a commercial job with just a few pops or riffs that glaze by the B, the false tone B in flat 3rd position is just fine.  For we single valve bass players, that's the primary position to play it.  Low C in 2nd and Db in first can be done just as well.  Single bass primary technique is just different than double valve bass.  George told me that people don't hear the low B note anyway, they just feel the huff and it fits fine in the ensemble.  To find a bass trombone with a great false tone low B is so satisfying.  The lightness of the bell is what helps it IMHO.

I previously wrote that the bell flare and slide were pretty close, but I had Brad Close The Brass Medic adjust that today and it's normal again.

Schmelzers can be some technical effort to set up properly: hand slide tune up, trigger bending and trimming, other alignment.  But once done, those of us who know and play Schmelzers often say the same thing: "That was the best horn I ever played".  This one had its hand slide tuned up by renown technician Bruce Belo.

Condition: new with marks from handling in Germany, shipping, small ding on upper cork barrel.  Sigh...and so it goes.

Features

• .562" wide nickel hand slide with two removable leadpipes
• Bruce Belo slide tune-up
• Meinlschmidt Open-Flow rotor
• 240mm gold brass bell
• Modular bell
• Ornate hand engraving
• Lacquer finish
• Includes Eastman fiberglass case, backpack straps, no mouthpiece