Dumb question about trombones

[bigtiny]

So this may be a stupid question from a newbie, but here goes (actually it's a couple of questions):

- are bell sections and slide sections interchangeable? Can I take a bell section from an ol Olds studio (for example) and mate it with a new Bach slide section?

- can I replace the slide section on a regular old tenor trombone with a valve section from a valve trombone (thus making it a valve trombone)?

Dumb questions I know, but humor me

bigtiny

[hyperbolica]

Generally speaking no. There are sre some isolated cases, like Edwards and Bach. Within brands there is some compatibility of some size horns, but not across the board.

[Neo Bri]

I moved this topic because it didn't belong in the Classifieds.

[Matt K]

And when those cases where the slides might fit that doesn't mean it'll work. I had a Bach 6 bell section that a Shires 508/525 fit on (had a Bach 36 tenon) and I thought it played GREAT! Buuuuuuut.... when I played it with a tuner it turned out it made me around 50 cents flat. That was obviously a drastic difference but the common interchangeable parts (Bach/Edwards/Shires genearlly all play pretty nice) still aren't the same lengths and don't share all design features so they might not be optimal depending on what you're after.

Valve sections are even more finnicky to some extent because the piston tuning slides are somewhat fixed. If they were too long, even pushed all the way in, you'd have a harder time than with a slide, where at least some of the notes could still be played in tune!

[bigtiny]

Thanks to all for the info. Sorry about the wrong category. Mea culpa.

[Matt K]

Thanks to all for the info. Sorry about the wrong category. Mea culpa.

No worries, takes 2 seconds to fix

[Neo Bri]

Thanks to all for the info. Sorry about the wrong category. Mea culpa.

No worries, takes 2 seconds to fix

Takes me 10 seconds at least.