The Superbone is a hybrid trombone. It has the slide mechanism of a standard trombone and the valve mechanism of a valve trombone.
It was created by Maynard Ferguson[1] in the 1970s, although similar instruments combining valves and a slide were mass produced in the early 20th century, some by C.G. Conn. The most well-known previous version of the valve-slide trombone was the Valide trombone—the word is a portmanteau of 'valve' and 'slide'. Jazz trombonist and reedist Brad Gowans invented the Valide trombone and was well known for playing one from the 1920s on into the 1950s, including with Jimmy Dorsey. In the 1970s the Superbone, which has a different design (including a slide that locks) became a staple for trumpeters such as Ferguson and Don Ellis, who doubled on the Superbone models built by Holton (TR 395) in collaboration with Ferguson. the Superbone has three pieces: bell, slide and valve unit. The Valide trombone has only a bell and a valve/slide unit which does not lock.
Maynard Ferguson recorded a chart entitled "Superbone Meets the Bad Man" on his Chameleon album which features him playing his Superbone. Perhaps more demonstrative of the hybrid valve-slide trombone's capabilities is Ashley Alexander's recording "Spring Can Really Hang You up the Most", found on his Secret Love album. Alexander demonstrates its flexibility to the full, utilising both slide and valves expertly, combining scoops and glissandi with fast segments of fingered riffs. Alexander played a 'double trombone', an earlier version of the valve-slide trombone for lefties which had the slide on the left played with the left hand, while the valves were played with the right hand.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the hybrid valve/slide trombone can be found on a Duke Ellington recording, as Puerto Rica-born trombonist Juan Tizol started using it after he joined Duke's orchestra in 1929. Tizol was commonly credited as playing valve trombone. This can be seen in the 1933 film short by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra entitled "Bundle Of Blues".
Physically, a Superbone has the fully functioning slide of a traditional tenor trombone with 7 positions, when no valves are depressed. It also has a set of three valves, lying just after the slide in the airstream, which are arranged in the same manner as on other valved instruments of the same pitch. The player grips the valve section with their left hand, which supports the weight of the instrument. The player's right arm holds and moves the slide.
The Superbone can be played as a slide trombone, a valve trombone, or in combination. It is impractical to use the slide as a transposition aid for the valve side and vice-versa, since the slide positions do not stay the same when valves are depressed, and the valve tubing is not long enough to be in tune if the slide is engaged. Larger downward transpositions with the valves make the 7th and even 6th slide positions unusable, beyond the end of the slide. Alternative slide positions may be used when the valves are depressed, as on a trombone with an F attachment, or on a bass trombone with rotary valves.