Courtois Trombones: French Elegance and Precision

Courtois trombones is the choice of many international soloists and orchestral musicians who select them as their main instruments. Their high-quality build, rich history in the world of brass instruments and a variety of features perfectly meet the needs of various settings and playing styles. In this article we will explore the history of the Courtois brand, reasons why their trombones are so good and what specific characteristics of Courtois trombones make them a top choice for contemporary trombonists.

Courtois Trombones: The History of the Brand

Courtois is a French brass instrument manufacturing company with a long-lasting respected reputation among brass players. It was founded by Antoine Courtois in 1803. His father ran a family workshop specializing in manufacturing instruments, and Antoine continued that tradition. When he moved his workshop to 21 rue du Caire, it included many various instruments, such as slide trombones, semicircular trumpets, and flugelhorns with keys. Later, in 1844, his son, Denis A. Courtois’ patented his improvements in the manufacturing process and valve design. He closely collaborated with renowned artists to incorporate what they exactly needed for better playing experience.

In 1878, the company of Antoine Courtois won the gold medal at the Universal exhibition in Paris for the accuracy and high quality of their trombones and other brass instruments. Since 1880, the company regularly won awards at various exhibitions worldwide. Since 1909, Antoine Courtois’ brand started to provide their instruments for the Ministry of Beaux Arts as a reliable supplier.

The company evolved over centuries, crafting the world’s finest trombones and other musical instruments with a strong accent on craftsmanship and professional approach. This helped Courtois trombones offer various ways of customization to meet individual needs of musicians who played jazz and modern music. Moreover, The Courtois trombones contributed to the evolution of brass instruments throughout the 19-20th centuries.

Musicians and Bands Who Use Courtois Trombones

Here are several artists who currently play Courtois trombones:

Qu4tre a 4 – an ensemble from northern Paris, featuring four talented musicians and professors who successfully represented the French trombone school at many prestigious festivals worldwide, including Valencia, Lausanne, Paris, and New York.

In Medias Brass – a brass quintet from Budapest, winners of many brass competitions, including the 6th Jeju International Brass Competition in South-Korea, 11th International Chamber Music Competition for Brass Ensembles, 11th International Music Competition for Young Performers, and more.

Swing Bones – a trombone jazz quartet created by four friends as the tribute to the Four Bones, a well-known band formed in 1967.

Phil Abraham – a self-taught professional musician, who worked with many renowned bands as a soloist. In addition to his playing career, he also teaches jazz and trombone at the Brussels Royal Conservatory and the National Conservatory in Douai.

Quintette Alliance – a chamber music ensemble who masterfully blends finesse and fantasy and has got a good deal of positive feedback from press for their unique approach. 

David Arboleda – a musician who performed with many world-renowned orchestras and who is currently a bass trombone with the Medellin Philharmonic Orchestra, and a trombone professor at the University of Antioquia, and Eafit University.

Courtois trombones are also the choice of Demian Austin, Scott Anderson, Michel Becquet, Ivan Bosnjak and others. 

Famous Series of Courtois Trombones

Some of the most famous Courtois trombones include:

The Antoine Courtois New York collection

Created in collaboration with the famous orchestral players from the New York Metropolitan Opera, Paul Denson Pollard and Weston Sprott, trombones from this series feature venturi and playing slides, ergonomic handrest, specially designed leadpipes, and a variety of set-up options. The series represents two models, Creation 421 tenor trombones and Creation 551 bass trombones. Both models feature a specially designed bell with a cut screw ring flare, which helps to improve the sound projection.

Creation Paris

These Bb/F trombones feature the latest innovation, the Icon Valve, which helps to easily get the perfect resonance and consistent resistance between open notes and those played with valves. Easy projection and elegant sound make these trombones perfect instruments for orchestral and chamber musicians, and soloists. Musicians can select the models with a red brass bell or sterling silver bell. 

Legend 502

These are standard rotor independent bass trombones with a
lightweight outer slide, hard chrome plated nickel silver inner slides, and a fixed brass lead pipe. The models boast a clear
lacquered finish and are available in two bell options: yellow brass bell and gold brass bell

Mezzo 280

These trombones have been created for young performers and feature
two-piece yellow brass, lightweight nickel silver outer slide with large shank receiver, forged water key assembly, open wrap traditional valve, and adjustable thumb trigger.

Xtreme 430

Lightweight trombones with excellent sound characteristics. Their main features include: one-piece yellow brass bell with radius revers tuning slide, a yellow brass hand slide with single radius end crook and ergonomic hand grip. Trombonists can buy models with yellow brass or gold brass bell.

Why People Buy Courtois Trombones?

People consider Courtois trombones good for a variety of reasons:

• Excellent Craftsmanship. Courtois trombones are designed with great attention to detail regarding their construction. This approach results in durable design and a high-quality sound with rich tone and perfect projection. Musicians praise these instruments for their powerful and nuanced sound, which fits various styles.
• Ergonomic Design and Innovation. Courtois trombones are created with precise engineering and an idea to make instruments easy to play. To achieve this goal, the company incorporates smooth slide action and well-balanced weight. Not least among these is the advanced slide technology, which provides valves with the smoothness and precision.
• Reputation. Courtois’ reputation speaks for itself, as these trombones have been a number one choice and remain so for many professional musicians, playing in chamber ensembles, orchestras and jazz bands. The long history of the brand is synonymous to the consistent quality.
• Customizable Options. Courtois trombones are also known for their customizable features, allowing brass players to select various elements and make instrument and their sound more personal and tailored to particular needs and settings. Musicians can select various types of bells, leadpipes, and slides.

Conclusion

With a history dating back to 1803, Courtois trombones continue to hold the position of one of the finest instruments in the world. Reliable construction, ergonomic design, advanced slide technology, and customizable features all result in excellent tonal quality, ready to meet the needs of professional trombonists within jazz and modern music context. Their consistent quality, innovative ideas and a great number of models, each with its own individual character, have earned the brand its prestigious reputation.

Would you like to discover information about other trombone manufacturing brands? Do not miss our recently published articles about King trombones and Edwards trombones.

We also have a great collection of trombone accessories and upgrades, designed to boost your personal style and sound characteristics of your instrument.