Fun With Trombone Leadpipes and Trim Rings! Video

[Pre59]

[bigbandbone]

Very interesting! Thanks for posting.

[Hawaiyan]

I always wanted to know how it was done. Great video!

[trombonedemon]

So technically it is possible to turn a slide to accept different lead pipes, why was I thinking this was a lot more difficult then what they showed? Hmmm.

[brassmedic]

So technically it is possible to turn a slide to accept different lead pipes, why was I thinking this was a lot more difficult then what they showed? Hmmm.

Because the leadpipes never come out that easily, especially on older instruments.

[trombonedemon]

So technically it is possible to turn a slide to accept different lead pipes, why was I thinking this was a lot more difficult then what they showed? Hmmm.

Because the leadpipes never come out that easily, especially on older instruments.

How old of the instrument would it be difficult for that to be done on and why is it that difficult to remove said lead pipe?

And why don't we see trumpet screw bells and removable lead pipes?

[Matt K]

Because the leadpipes never come out that easily, especially on older instruments.

How old of the instrument would it be difficult for that to be done on and why is it that difficult to remove said lead pipe?

And why don't we see trumpet screw bells and removable lead pipes?

The older Edwards models were but they no longer appear to sell them. That said, the trumpet leadpipe is also part of the structure of the instrument in the sense that the bell is soldered or otherwise attached to it, which isn't the case on the trombone.

Putting words in techs mouths here which is always a danger, but my understanding is that some pipes are a lot easier than others. Even within a particular brand. A Bach small bore leadpipe, I'm told, is a lot easier to remove than the Bach 42 pipe because of how loose they are by comparison. Also matters how much solder the manufacturer put in the slide and really how easily available the parts are to replace. I'm much less reluctant to remove from a Yamaha because you can basically find all the parts for cheap and they're easily available. Just replaced a 356 pipe which fortunately came out rather easily.. well... the pipe itself decintegrated... but a replacement pipe was like $16. When the tech doesn't have to worry about something being irreplacable, it opens up options.

[brassmedic]

Because the leadpipes never come out that easily, especially on older instruments.

How old of the instrument would it be difficult for that to be done on and why is it that difficult to remove said lead pipe?

And why don't we see trumpet screw bells and removable lead pipes?

I would say after 10 years or so the pipe begins to corrode and becomes stuck in place. The older the trombone, the more corrosion. The pipe actually starts to disintegrate at a certain point; sometimes you will see holes in the pipe once you get it out. The solder isn't an issue; solder will melt no matter how old it is. A leadpipe can become stuck even if it isn't soldered in.

[BGuttman]

...
And why don't we see trumpet screw bells and removable lead pipes?

Trumpets don't have oddly shaped cases. French Horns and trombones do. Screw bells were popular on French Horns before they were imported onto trombones. Result is a less ungainly package to tote from gig to gig.

Trumpet leadpipes are actually visible all the time. The tubing from the mouthpiece to the top of the tuning slide is the leadpipe. Replacements are often done, but they have to be soldered in place.

[brassmedic]

I agree with Bruce. The point of having screw bells isn't generally to use different bells (although that is occasionally done); it's to make the instrument easier to transport. Trumpets are often made with the entire bell being interchangeable, and it isn't that hard to manufacture that way, so why would they want a screw on bell flare when they can have the entire bell interchangeable?

[EGoostman]

Thanks guys! That was really cool to see. I’m interested in seeing how to remove the inner slide tubes. Any chance you have an old slide in the back you’d be willing to use for a demonstration?

[Crazy4Tbone86]

Thanks guys! That was really cool to see. I’m interested in seeing how to remove the inner slide tubes. Any chance you have an old slide in the back you’d be willing to use for a demonstration?

If you want to see how an upper inner slide is removed, someone should post a video of a leadpipe removal on a horn that is 50-60 years old. As stated above, corrosion will fuse the leadpipe into the inner slide. Thus, the entire inner slide will likely come out!

That video really over-simplifies the process. Rarely does a leadpipe come out that easily. What I love is when you think you are dealing with a one-piece leadpipe and it comes out as a two-piece mouthpiece receiver/leadpipe combination. There are some brands that have quite a few models with two piece leadpipes (Jupiter, King, Yamaha and others). In order to make many of these horns work as a removable leadpipe system, sometimes you must replace the upper inner slide with a longer slide. Again.....that video REALLY oversimplifies things. There are numerous problems that can arise with conversions to removable leadpipe systems.

[Elow]

Because the leadpipes never come out that easily, especially on older instruments.

How old of the instrument would it be difficult for that to be done on and why is it that difficult to remove said lead pipe?

And why don't we see trumpet screw bells and removable lead pipes?

A trumpet screw bell would serve no purpose. They don’t have any problems transporting with their instrument.

[hornbuilder]

I had a Yamaha bass come through the shop to have the pipe pulled. It was a 2 piece pipe,cylindrical outside and very snug fit. It took a solid 3 hours just to get it out.

[Crazy4Tbone86]

Yep, I pulled a Yamaha bass leadpipe about a year ago. It didn’t take three hours, but it definitely wasn’t easy because that cylindrical mouthpiece receiver part has much more contact area (full of solder, of course) than a one-piece leadpipe. I had to order a new inside slide (the longer lower slide) and trim it to create the removable leadpipe system. If you use the original upper inner slide, it will end up 1-2 inches too short.

Much, much, much more work than that video. However, the slide turned out great and that is what really counts!