Yamaha YSL-897Z VERNI

A Custom Designed for the Stage, in Yamaha's "Jazz" Spirit

The Yamaha YSL-897Z Custom follows a clear philosophy: to offer a high-end tenor trombone capable of adapting to a wide variety of performance contexts. Developed in close collaboration with Andy Martin and Alastair Kay, it emphasizes responsiveness, precision, and playing comfort, with a musician-oriented design down to the details. One of its major strengths is the presence of two mouthpipe options allowing customization of the instrument without changing its identity.

For Whom and Which Styles?

This tenor trombone is primarily aimed at advanced musicians, conservatory students, and professionals seeking an expressive, stable, and highly responsive instrument. Its design makes it particularly comfortable in jazz (brass section, big band, lead trombone), but it retains enough control and balance for variety, studio music, and many live situations where precision and quick response are essential. The two mouthpipe options allow fine-tuning of the instrument's behavior according to your attack style, articulation, and tonal preferences.

Sound and Design

The one-piece yellow brass bell with axial soldering (lengthwise) promotes a more uniform vibration of the material: resulting in a natural resonance feel, purity of sound, and a beautiful balance between brightness and warmth. The hand hammering enhances projection and harmonic richness, ideal for "carrying" in a section or cutting through an ensemble. Regarding playability, the bore size of 12.29 to 12.45 mm contributes to easy response, good intonation stability, and very direct response, with appreciable consistency across position changes.

Slide and Balance Designed for Precision

The slide work is a hallmark of this model. The inner slide made of stretched chrome-plated nickel silver offers great durability and precise alignment, resulting in a quick response and clean movement. The outer slide made of stretched yellow brass features a tube with a very consistent diameter along its length: sealing is optimized, the action remains smooth and regular, and the feel is particularly effortless. Finally, the counterweight has been specifically designed according to the instrument's design to ensure a natural balance in hand, highly appreciated during long sessions and fast passages.

Recommended Compatible Accessories

The YSL-897Z comes with a Yamaha SL-46C2S mouthpiece and an SLC-891Z case. For routine maintenance, you may consider a slide lubricant and a swab suitable for tenor trombone to preserve slide smoothness and air circuit cleanliness (without affecting instrument compatibility).

Technical specifications

Trombone type	Single	Body material	Varnished brass
Level	Professional	Color	Yellow
Tone	Bb	Finishing	Varnished

Type	Tenor trombone	Bore size	12.29-12.45 mm
Key	Bb	Inner slide	Nickel silver
Finish	Lacquered	Outer slide	Yellow brass
Material	Yellow brass	Mouthpiece	SL-46C2S
Bell diameter	190.4 mm	Case	SLC-891Z