To the service techs

[lauriet]

I have a recently bought an old (1930's) conn 78h. (which I really like)
The slide is OK, but not great......I want great!!!
There is a few spots that drag. (I've tried all different type of slide lubricant)
I know the answer is...."take it to a good service tech."..... I took it to my local music store and the guy did some good work on other issues I had, but the slide is still not "great" (In Australia we don't have a lot of choice)
The interesting thing is, if I put the slide in upside down, its better (probably acceptable)
I would like to know the things that make a slide good/bad apart from the simple alignment of the tubes.
I want to be able to talk to the tech with some knowledge of what I want.

eg: does the outers need the rust cleaned off?
do they need expanding?
is it simply alignment?
is it even possible to get ANY slide working like butter?


If I'm going to play trombone for the next 20 years I need to be able to navigate this area.

Any advice ?

[SimmonsTrombone]

Go to
https://slidedr.com/slidedr/#.X-Hf_y88KhA
Do some reading and watch the videos.

[Bonearzt]

Part of the problem is that you have an almost 100 year old slide!
And while this doesn't necessarily mean a nice working slide is not obtainable, there will be limits depending on the condition of the tubes.
That it works better when flipped means there's alignment issues that should have been addressed by the tech.
Along with that, there are many other conditions/issues that affect how a slide works & feels.

At this point I would say there's not much you can DIY at home, unfortunately.

Either you can find another shop near you, or you'll have to resort to send it out.
Sorry that there aren't more options available to you!

[timothy42b]

FWIW, my pBone mini is playable only when I put the slide on upside down. Right side up it is too sticky.

[ithinknot]

I know the answer is...."take it to a good service tech."....

... I want to be able to talk to the tech with some knowledge of what I want.

Fair enough, but if the tech needs to be told what to do, they're not knowledgeable or experienced enough to do the job you want.

is it even possible to get ANY slide working like butter?

No. Nearly any slide could be improved in some respect, but fundamentally it's a slow march towards the grave. Take dent work, for example - you're never completely returning the metal to its original shape; the depression and concomitant stretching can be improved and balanced out, but you're never returning to perfectly flat or perfectly round. Even on a brand new tube, there's a limit imposed by the quality of drawing.

As Eric says, the flipping indicates definite room for improvement. Send it out to your continent's best, and keep your expectations commensurate with the age of the horn.

[hornbuilder]

Where are you in Australia?

[lauriet]

Im in melbourne.

[hornbuilder]

Is Jim Beringer still working? It has been some years since I last had contact with him, but I would trust him with my slides.

Ed Diefes in Sydney would be my other recommendation.

[hornbuilder]

Have also had Aaron Ebert at OzWinds suggested, as well as Will Musig, at Ready Please Mr Musig.

I don't know those people, but were suggested on the Australian Trombone Association Facebook page.

[Oslide]

There is a very informative treatise (text and pictures) to be found with the title "Trombone Slide SPL (Straighten, Parallel and Level)".

http://www.oberloh.com/SPL/spl1.htm

It was written by Daniel Oberloh who in the introduction states "The following pages are not only intended for interested trombone players but hopefully are found beneficial by repair technicians."

Part 1 - Evaluation and Preparation for Repair
Part 2 - Cleaning and Dent Removal
Part 3 - Assembly and Soldering
Part 4 - Inside Slide
Part 5 - Polishing, Lacquering and Completion

[lauriet]

http://www.oberloh.com/SPL/spl1.htm

This guy looks VERY thorougher.
I would be interested to send the slide to him.

Any ideas of cost? (Unfortunately $A to $US is not my friend)

[BGuttman]

Dan Oberloh is going to be pricey. I think he mentions something a bit over US$300 for the service in his SPL. Add to that the cost of shipping from Oz to Seattle (USA) and back.

Also, Dan is pretty busy. Expect the repair to take a while.

Maybe send him an e-mail asking about feasibility and price.

He does great work. So it's money well spent.

[hornbuilder]

If you're willing to send it to the US, I would be happy to do the work. I use the same tools and techniques, But as mentioned, the shipping will probably cost more than the repair costs.

M&W Custom Trombones.
www.customtrombones.com

[lauriet]

Took it to Aron at Ozwinds (Melbourne Australia) and is now pretty damn good.
Hats off to Aron.

[hornbuilder]