pBone (Green)

About the pBone (Green)

The pBone combines an ABS plastic body and bell section with fiberglass inner and outer handslide tubes fitted with brass stockings, keeping the standard dimensions of an entry-level trombone: a .500-inch bore and an 8-inch bell. At around 800 grams it weighs a fraction of a comparable brass tenor trombone. The handslide is self-lapping, meaning its action is designed to smooth out with regular use rather than needing a break-in by a technician. It ships with a mouthpiece and a carrying bag, and maintenance is limited to warm water and standard slide oil rather than the more involved care a brass slide requires.

Where to buy

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Sound character of the pBone (Green)

Despite being built almost entirely from plastic, the pBone is repeatedly described as sounding remarkably close to a genuine brass trombone - full enough to work in general music class, jazz band, pop band and marching settings alike, rather than coming across as a toy-like approximation of the real thing.

What owners of the pBone (Green) say

Customer reviews at multiple retailers lean positive overall, with the tone and out-of-the-box playability drawing the most praise - more than one reviewer notes surprise at how much it actually sounds like a real trombone. The one consistent gripe is the slide: a bit noisy and stiff on new units, though that's framed by the maker as a feature that improves with use rather than a flaw, and reviewers who've played theirs in report the action loosening up over time.

Playability & handling of the pBone (Green)

Retailer customer reviews describe the pBone as remarkably close to a real brass trombone in sound and easy to play straight out of the box, which is a notable result for an instrument built mostly from plastic. The recurring complaint centers on the slide: several owners describe it as noisy - compared to lightly rubbing two styrofoam blocks together - and a bit stiff, especially on a fresh, unplayed unit, which lines up with the maker's own claim that the self-lapping slide needs regular use to smooth out. The light weight is consistently welcomed for younger players and anyone who struggles with the heft of a metal trombone, and some professional players reportedly keep one around for its simplicity and surprisingly solid tone on side projects.

Recommended accessories & strings for the pBone (Green)

The included mouthpiece covers the basics, with a later switch to a standard metal mouthpiece possible just as on the sister pTrumpet model. Standard slide oil applied to the fiberglass-and-brass slide combination, plus occasional cleaning with warm water, is all the maintenance this instrument needs - no valve or slide oil ritual like a brass trombone requires. The included gig bag is adequate given how robust the plastic construction is; a hard case isn't necessary.

Technical data for the pBone (Green)

The history of the pBone (Green)

The pBone was pInstruments' very first product, launched in 2010 by UK trombonists Simon Hogg and Steven Greenall, who had originally run a music publishing business before turning to instrument design out of frustration with how heavy, costly and fragile conventional brass instruments could be for young players. The pBone won Best in Show at NAMM in 2012, and that success is what led the company to expand into the pTrumpet, pBuzz, pCornet and eventually the hybrid hyTech trumpet. Trombonist Jiggs Whigham backed and invested in the brand early on, which is why this model carries his name.

About pBone as a manufacturer

As the product that started pInstruments, the pBone set the template the rest of the range still follows: take a brass instrument's genuine playability and tone as closely as plastic construction allows, then lean into the weight and durability advantages rather than trying to disguise the material. The brand has since backed that founding idea with an independent carbon-neutral certification in 2020, keeping sustainability alongside affordability as a core part of its identity.