Finally upgraded my Slide lube.

Bloo · Post by **Bloo** » Tue Jun 18, 2019 12:01 pm

I've been using Slid-o-mix since I've been playing trombone. It's always served me well. However, it started getting expensive to oil all 3 of my horns with it weekly.
Finally got the Yamaha Liquid slide oil a month ago, and the difference is night and day. Not only do I have to oil far less often, but the action is so much smoother. It's so much easier to apply and the response is instant.
I could never go back.
My Eastman slide went from decent to one of the best slides I've had in my hand.
I could gush about how nice it feels for hours.

Doubler · Post by **Doubler** » Tue Jun 18, 2019 1:07 pm

Thanks for the recommendation. When my Slide-o-Mix gets used up, I'll give it a try.

HeyMan · Post by **HeyMan** » Sun Nov 10, 2019 4:22 am

Yamaha Trombone Slide Lubricant (YAC-1021P). This, with a spritz of water, works amazingly well! It's recommended by some guy named Andy Martin, whoever he is. /S

Amconk · Post by **Amconk** » Sun Dec 29, 2019 11:35 pm

I just made this upgrade today. Fully cleaned my shires slide first, then did just the Yamaha lube and a few spritzes of water. I could not believe the difference. Amazingly fast and quiet.

JLivi · Post by **JLivi** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 7:30 am

Yamaha is far superior to slide o mix. I love using the Yamaha slide oil.

If you’re looking for something to not use that often I love trombotine too. And t lasts forever! But Yamaha is definitely the way to go.

tbonesullivan · Post by **tbonesullivan** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 8:42 am

Were you guys using the Two part slide O-mix, or the rapid comfort?

bbocaner · Post by **bbocaner** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 9:50 am

My big problem with Yamaha is that on slides that don't get used every day it tends to dry out and turn into this extremely hard residue on the stockings that I have trouble removing. Ideally I should be wiping off my slides after I use them but once in a while after a gig something that isn't my main instrument sits in the case for a while and when I do get it back out I've got a huge problem on my hands. It never happens on my main trombone because I use it often enough, but on small bore, bass, alto, etc. it's a huge problem.

afugate · Post by **afugate** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 5:12 am

bbocaner wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 9:50 am My big problem with Yamaha is that on slides that don't get used every day it tends to dry out and turn into this extremely hard residue on the stockings that I have trouble removing. Ideally I should be wiping off my slides after I use them but once in a while after a gig something that isn't my main instrument sits in the case for a while and when I do get it back out I've got a huge problem on my hands. It never happens on my main trombone because I use it often enough, but on small bore, bass, alto, etc. it's a huge problem.

And I've got to believe the same happens to the insides of the outers, unless I swab down the slide before I put it away.

FWIW, I don't seem to have as much residue with Ultra Pure's slide lube. Nevertheless, I think Yamaha's lube is a better overall lubricant.

--Andy in OKC

Mikebmiller · Post by **Mikebmiller** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 7:47 pm

I went the other way, from Yamaha to SOM Rapid comfort. They both work great, but I like the SOM a bit more.

PaulT · Post by **PaulT** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 8:40 pm

I just checked the slides of two trombones I use Yamaha slide lubricant on but haven't played for about nine months. Each had a couple small patches of dried residue on the stockings. But, the residue wasn't hard (the slides moved smoothly and quietly). The residue came off easily and completely when wiped with a moistened cloth.

Burgerbob · Post by **Burgerbob** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 8:52 pm

I've used Yamaha only for probably 5 or 6 years now. No water. I don't have any residue that won't come off, even on the horns that sit for longer.

Post by **Doug Elliott** » Wed Jan 01, 2020 12:05 am

Some of my horns sit for weeks or months between use. It dries up some but still works.

Pre59 · Post by **Pre59** » Wed Jan 01, 2020 5:05 am

I used to have an issue with a residue building up on the slide. I fixed it by putting some ball bearings in the bottle and now I just give it a good shake before each application, works a treat.

Cmillar · Post by **Cmillar** » Mon Jan 13, 2020 9:07 pm

Whatever works, right?

I've gone to Slide-O-Mix classic from Yamaha. I thought Yamaha was the greatest thing since slice bread, but I have a '70s vintage Bach and the SOM seems to last much longer with the same great action as the Yamaha used to give me.

Also....I would think that everyone is different depending on the amount of excess saliva or gunk you happen to blow into the horn as you play.

So that would require the right slide lube depending on the individual.

All that stuff is pretty cheap....experiment!

Briande · Post by **Briande** » Tue Jan 14, 2020 6:30 am

I grew kind of depends on the horn. I think old school
Ponds cold cream works best on my ‘50s 2B. Seems like it’s just thick enough to stick in and smooth out the imperfections.

tbonesullivan · Post by **tbonesullivan** » Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:02 am

It seems sometimes like every side is different. My Bach 42T loves classic Slide O mix. My King 3b most certainly does not. Rapid comfort works best on my Kanstul horns, while I use super slick cream for my Yamaha bass, and Yama-snot for my Tenor.

bbocaner · Post by **bbocaner** » Tue Jan 14, 2020 10:26 am

huh... it's EXTREMELY hard when it dries up for me. I end up having to do a combination of chipping it off with my fingernail and then wrapping the slide tubes in vinegar-soaked paper towels to soften the last little bit off enough so that it will wipe off. Maybe a combination of the ingredients of the lubrication with my body chemistry?

CharlieB · Post by **CharlieB** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 8:46 am

bbocaner wrote: ↑Tue Jan 14, 2020 10:26 am huh... it's EXTREMELY hard when it dries up for me. I end up having to do a combination of chipping it off with my fingernail and then wrapping the slide tubes in vinegar-soaked paper towels to soften the last little bit off enough so that it will wipe off. Maybe a combination of the ingredients of the lubrication with my body chemistry?

Bottom line; it isn't working for you.
Something to try........
I have abandoned all the cream lubes. I now use "Superslick Plus Professional Slide Treatment" on all my horns, old and new. It's a silicone oil. I use one drop to lube both inners.The Superslick needs to be reapplied more frequently than the creams, and it does need to be spritzed with water, but it makes my slides super fast and it leaves no gummy residue.

bbocaner · Post by **bbocaner** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 11:12 am

silicone oil seems to be the problem for me, whether it's as a component in Yamaha or the superslick oil or slide-o-mix. I've started using the Berp Bio-Lube which is more of a cream but it's based on beeswax and I haven't had any problems since. Not quite as slick as the yamaha stuff, but it works well.

HGrobot · Post by **HGrobot** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 3:28 pm

Briande wrote: ↑Tue Jan 14, 2020 6:30 am I grew kind of depends on the horn. I think old school
Ponds cold cream works best on my ‘50s 2B. Seems like it’s just thick enough to stick in and smooth out the imperfections.

I have by and large run into the same sort of thing. On my old Getzen it always worked best with Trombotine. I tried Slide O Mix and Superslick on it and neither worked nearly as well. My 3B on the other hand felt like it had maple syrup on it when I tried Trombotine. Slide O Mix works dramatically better on that one.

bkessler · Post by **bkessler** » Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:23 pm

After seeing so many people rave about the Yamaha stuff, I finally got some. I've used Slide-O-Mix (both rapid comfort and the 2-bottle one) for years, and it works well by and large, but does tend to build up if I'm not really on top of maintenance, so I figured the Yamaha stuff was worth a shot. I wasn't immediately blown away, but I got a tip from a great player in the area that has made it fantastic. I haven't used water on my slides in years, but he suggested I not only do that, but put some Hetman Hydro-slide in with the water. The combination of that plus the Yamaha lubricant is pretty incredible. I may be a convert.

Crazy4Tbone86 · Post by **Crazy4Tbone86** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 9:06 am

I'm wondering if CharlieB realizes that the SuperSlick Plus Professional Slide Treatment is silicone that is supposed to be added to the SuperSlick slide cream. It was never intended to be used alone. I'm not saying it is wrong, I'm just wondering how that would work. If it does work, I'll be buying some industrial silicone in a spray can the next time I shop at a home improvement or auto parts store!

For me the bottled Yamaha bottled Trombone Slide Lubricant got crusty after about 7 or 8 days, even when I used the trombone daily. I wasn't thrilled with it because I was able to get a couple more days of use from the different Slide-O-Mix varieties and good old slide cream. Although.....the Yamaha Trombone Slide Lubricant did have a nice smell!

Post by **BGuttman** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 9:25 am

SuperSlick Plus can be used with a lot of different slide creams. I started using it with Trombotine on the advice of a colleague, and also used it with plain cold cream (old Pond's).

WilliamLang · Post by **WilliamLang** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 9:34 am

i like the yamaha trombone slide lubricant, but i also spray my slide with water and gently wipe it down with a cheesecloth between each application, so i've never had the hardening issue.

any lubricant will work well if you regularly service your slide with a good technician and gently clean with water and a cheesecloth like once a week.

modelerdc · Post by **modelerdc** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:56 am

I find that any of the standard slide lubes can give good results when used on a good clean slide. But the Yamaha slide oil, as they call it, gives me results as good as any, with the least build up of old stuff on the slide. So it's my favorite.

harrisonreed · Post by **harrisonreed** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 5:44 pm

The new PHAT bottle of yamaha seems to be even better than the one with the weird disk applicator.

Garoissimo · Post by **Garoissimo** » Mon Nov 06, 2023 6:13 pm

Ok, so... meanwhile, years later... (on the Garo Show)

So, ok - I bought the Yamaha Trombone Slide Lubricant (YAC-1021P), (well, either that or a new Air Force attack fighter-drone, judging from the number), and a couple bottles of Hetman Hydro-slide to mix with my water (it's in the Plants and Garden section, of course

)

In a few days, when they arrive, there shall be much extremely slick sliding in my apt...

"We look for things... things that make us go. This can make us go. We are not dumb. We are smart..."

Garoissimo · Post by **Garoissimo** » Sun Nov 19, 2023 2:02 pm

Wow - So, for my 1970 88H the combination (as described by 'bkessler' above) of the Yamaha YAC-1021P, plus the little atomizer/spray bottle with clean water (and several drops of the Hetman Hydro-Slide lubricant mixed-in) on top of it, is totally amazing.

Compared to carefully (properly?) applied Trombotine, I would say it has increased the smoothness of this slide by at least a couple of whole numbers, to what feels close to 9-9.5. For a 23 year old, narrow old school Conn slide, this is... amazing.

Thanks bkessler! Really grateful for the tip!

BrassSection · Post by **BrassSection** » Sun Nov 19, 2023 4:49 pm

After using Blue Juice as a one bottle for everything oil, with good results on my trombone, I decided to try the Yamaha after reading all the positive comments. Week 1…Wiped down slides inside and out good and switched, not really impressed. Week 2…rewiped slides and put on fresh Yamaha…seemed even more sluggish. Week 3, no wipe, just a light application, slight improvement, ready to give my lube to my tuba player buddy to give to his trombone playing brother. Week 4…got horn out and slide felt as good as juiced slide with nothing wiped or no new lube, used and enjoyed playing the horn again. Week 5, light drop of Yammy lube on each slide and the slide felt great. Today, pulled out of case and enjoyed smooth slide without doing anything. Not sure why it took so long to work, but as of now I’m keeping the tube of Yamaha! Still using Blue Juice in all the valved horns, lasts at least a month in trumpet, and at least 3 weeks in the euph. Tuba typically only comes out around Christmas time, otherwise all tuning slides and the valves are removed, cleaned, and stored for no-worry about anything being stuck. They get fresh grease/oil when tuba is reassembled.

whitbey · Post by **whitbey** » Fri Dec 22, 2023 3:43 pm

I use Yamasnott on my slides.

And because I am a little allergic to the oil and I hate the smell, I use the mixed slideomix on my rotary valves. There is a powdery buildup that seems to be helpful to the valves.

harrisonreed · Post by **harrisonreed** » Fri Dec 22, 2023 6:36 pm

BrassSection wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2023 4:49 pm After using Blue Juice as a one bottle for everything oil, with good results on my trombone, I decided to try the Yamaha after reading all the positive comments. Week 1…Wiped down slides inside and out good and switched, not really impressed. Week 2…rewiped slides and put on fresh Yamaha…seemed even more sluggish. Week 3, no wipe, just a light application, slight improvement, ready to give my lube to my tuba player buddy to give to his trombone playing brother. Week 4…got horn out and slide felt as good as juiced slide with nothing wiped or no new lube, used and enjoyed playing the horn again. Week 5, light drop of Yammy lube on each slide and the slide felt great. Today, pulled out of case and enjoyed smooth slide without doing anything. Not sure why it took so long to work, but as of now I’m keeping the tube of Yamaha! Still using Blue Juice in all the valved horns, lasts at least a month in trumpet, and at least 3 weeks in the euph. Tuba typically only comes out around Christmas time, otherwise all tuning slides and the valves are removed, cleaned, and stored for no-worry about anything being stuck. They get fresh grease/oil when tuba is reassembled.

It probably took a long time for the valve oil to get completely flushed out of the hand slide. I can't imagine that the Yamasnot reacted well to blue juice.

whitbey wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 3:43 pm And because I am a little allergic to the oil and I hate the smell, I use the mixed slideomix on my rotary valves. There is a powdery buildup that seems to be helpful to the valves.

whitbey · Post by **whitbey** » Sat Dec 23, 2023 6:41 am

harrisonreed wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 6:36 pm
BrassSection wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2023 4:49 pm After using Blue Juice as a one bottle for everything oil, with good results on my trombone, I decided to try the Yamaha after reading all the positive comments. Week 1…Wiped down slides inside and out good and switched, not really impressed. Week 2…rewiped slides and put on fresh Yamaha…seemed even more sluggish. Week 3, no wipe, just a light application, slight improvement, ready to give my lube to my tuba player buddy to give to his trombone playing brother. Week 4…got horn out and slide felt as good as juiced slide with nothing wiped or no new lube, used and enjoyed playing the horn again. Week 5, light drop of Yammy lube on each slide and the slide felt great. Today, pulled out of case and enjoyed smooth slide without doing anything. Not sure why it took so long to work, but as of now I’m keeping the tube of Yamaha! Still using Blue Juice in all the valved horns, lasts at least a month in trumpet, and at least 3 weeks in the euph. Tuba typically only comes out around Christmas time, otherwise all tuning slides and the valves are removed, cleaned, and stored for no-worry about anything being stuck. They get fresh grease/oil when tuba is reassembled.
It probably took a long time for the valve oil to get completely flushed out of the hand slide. I can't imagine that the Yamasnot reacted well to blue juice.

whitbey wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 3:43 pm And because I am a little allergic to the oil and I hate the smell, I use the mixed slideomix on my rotary valves. There is a powdery buildup that seems to be helpful to the valves.

Never used oil on a hand slide since middle school. And used the silicone/ Teflon lube on valves since the 1990's.
In the early 90's I had a Besson euph that I used a filtered white wine for a valve oil. Then switched to the Cerveny.

ghmerrill · Post by **ghmerrill** » Sat Dec 23, 2023 7:40 am

French wine in a British euph? That just doesn't sound right.

bitbckt · Post by **bitbckt** » Sat Dec 23, 2023 8:59 am

There’s nothing more British than French envy.

ghmerrill · Post by **ghmerrill** » Sat Dec 23, 2023 9:47 am

Well, I suppose it's better than British wine in a French euphonium.

OneTon · Post by **OneTon** » Sat Dec 23, 2023 1:04 pm

The Czech instrument valve specifies Mad Dog 20/20.

whitbey · Post by **whitbey** » Wed Dec 27, 2023 2:58 am

No French wine here.
The cheep stuff in a box at the grocery store. Less stuff to filter out. I used coffee filters back then.

Yes the Czech horn was a good price. But it is a solid horn. I put a lever on the tuning slide and had the receiver changed to hold a bass shank. Had the horn 30 years now and still love the way it plays.

LetItSlide · Post by **LetItSlide** » Thu Aug 22, 2024 2:56 pm

Holton used to make some stuff called Trombone Slide Treatment (TST). I used it all through high school. It was excellent, so I thought at the time, and long-lasting. Can't get it any more.

MTbassbone · Post by **MTbassbone** » Thu Aug 22, 2024 6:49 pm

I couldn't get past the smell of the Yamasnot. Trombotine for life....literally the tube will last for ever. There is a better chance the tube will fail before I run out of the product.

ghmerrill · Post by **ghmerrill** » Fri Aug 23, 2024 6:17 am

MTbassbone wrote: ↑Thu Aug 22, 2024 6:49 pm I couldn't get past the smell of the Yamasnot.

Yamasnot has some odor? That's certainly escaped my notice. Now Blue Juice (beloved by many valved instrument players) has always had such a dreadful odor for me that I find it difficult to even sit next to someone using it. But people are sensitive to different things. I don't find the odor of Ballistol to be at all unpleasant, but my wife absolutely can't tolerate it to the point that if I use it in the house I have to clean up thoroughly afterwords, wipe down everything it's touched, and dispose of anything touched by it in my garage trash can.

OneTon · Post by **OneTon** » Fri Aug 23, 2024 9:51 am

This thread has real potential to break the current post record.

LetItSlide · Post by **LetItSlide** » Mon Aug 26, 2024 2:54 pm

My problem with Trombotine when I tried it in college was that it broke down pretty fast, though it seemed quite good for the first couple of scales (ok maybe a little more playing than that). Not so with Holton TST.

bkessler's comment caught my eye, and I will probably try it: "...I haven't used water on my slides in years, but he suggested I not only do that, but put some Hetman Hydro-slide in with the water. The combination of that plus the Yamaha lubricant is pretty incredible. I may be a convert."

Bach5G · Post by **Bach5G** » Mon Aug 26, 2024 2:57 pm

My main complaint about the Hydro slide was the overspray onto the carpets/floor of my practice space.

chouston3 · Post by **chouston3** » Mon Aug 26, 2024 9:15 pm

I tried trombotine today after a few months of yamasnot. The trombotine works but it's not as good.

Bach5G · Post by **Bach5G** » Mon Aug 26, 2024 9:38 pm

Horn Guys is selling:

AlphaSynth Trombone Hand Slide Lubricant

Is this something new or a rebranding of Superslik?

UrbanaDave · Post by **UrbanaDave** » Tue Aug 27, 2024 4:58 am

Bach5G wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 9:38 pm Horn Guys is selling:

AlphaSynth Trombone Hand Slide Lubricant

Is this something new or a rebranding of Superslik?

I’m also curious about this.

OneTon · Post by **OneTon** » Tue Aug 27, 2024 5:37 am

Steve Ferguson is evaluating Alpha Synth as a new unique product on HornGuys site. It looks like he compared
It to some other products. I keep seeing an endorsement by educators as “safe for use,” whatever that means.

Post by **BGuttman** » Tue Aug 27, 2024 6:50 am

I assume it means you won't poison yourself if you eat it. I remember my contemporaries eating paste when we were in Kindergarten.

Also, there are huge lists of products that have been reported as carcinogens and you have to report any potential hazards. See any Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for examples. Here's one for a material we should all be familiar with: https://dhmo.org/msds/MSDS-DHMO-2007-ChemSafe.pdf

ghmerrill · Post by **ghmerrill** » Tue Aug 27, 2024 7:58 am

BGuttman wrote: ↑Tue Aug 27, 2024 6:50 am Here's one for a material we should all be familiar with: ...

Yeah, but the effects of that can be significantly diluted by previously or simultaneously drinking large quantities of Irish Whiskey (aka "the water of life"). However, NEVER mix the two in a container or glass.

OneTon · Post by **OneTon** » Tue Aug 27, 2024 8:46 am

BGuttman wrote: ↑Tue Aug 27, 2024 6:50 am I assume it means you won't poison yourself if you eat it. I remember my contemporaries eating paste when we were in Kindergarten.

Also, there are huge lists of products that have been reported as carcinogens and you have to report any potential hazards. See any Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for examples. Here's one for a material we should all be familiar with: https://dhmo.org/msds/MSDS-DHMO-2007-ChemSafe.pdf

I looked for a Proposition 65 Warning but could find no label. I plan to refrigerate it after opening. Maybe right next to the Louisiana Hot Sauce. For anyone who hasn’t tried it, serving below room temperature is a must. Martha Stewart will never steer you wrong. This rivals chopped lIver pate, which should come with a Proposition 65 Warning.