TromboneChat

Has anyone added a ring to their bass slide? My hands aren’t the biggest and it hurts to stretch all the way to the leadpipe. The only problem i would think is having room for the leadpipe to be taken out. I have an unnamed mouthpiece that i cut chop up and use for a ring.

I wouldn't use a mouthpiece for that. Use a 3rd valve finger ring from the push rod of a trumpet. You can even keep some of the straight rod on it for more surface area. If you are concerned about being too close to the leadpipe/mouthpiece receiver, you should solder it on the brace.

This Williams I bought from Noah has an added ring. Helps quite a bit with this horn.

I bet just about any tech will have a few rings kicking around.

This is how King did them:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xsYEWfdsFQ3uBBF9A

So i got bored and went ahead and did it. Cut the mouthpiece rim with a dremel and that little piece the separates ring from leadpipe is from the cup of the mouthpiece. Took a lot of time with the dremel so my neighbors might hate me because it’s 10 at night but oh well. I kind of like it, only spent a couple of minutes with it so i’ll report on if it helps tomorrow.

HawaiiTromboneGuy wrote: ↑Tue Jun 30, 2020 9:17 pm This Williams I bought from Noah has an added ring. Helps quite a bit with this horn.

That looks like a cozy room. Love the plants

Nice job!

How hard was it to cut all those parts with a dremel?

bass wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:45 am How hard was it to cut all those parts with a dremel?

Well pretty hard. I used a drill bit in the dremel and drilled a bunch on holes right under the rim and use a jewelers saw to cut through all of it. Went through a couple blades though so probably not the best way to do it.

Sounds like it was a lot of work. However, that is a very solid ring and should hold up very well. It's the final product that always counts. Nice job!

The photo that HawaiiTromboneGuy posted reminded of something. I installed a ring on a bass trombone one time that was a thumb ring from a Jupiter baritone. I believe the part was about $4.00, but that was several years ago.

I have been thinking about doing this on my 62H. Elow, does the ring dig into your index finger? I am thinking about a large ring, to it can be padded a bit.

PhilTrombone wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2020 12:57 pm I have been thinking about doing this on my 62H. Elow, does the ring dig into your index finger? I am thinking about a large ring, to it can be padded a bit.

No, it’s quite comfortable to hold. But i did spend like 5 minutes just sanding it down.

Crazy4Tbone86 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:42 am Sounds like it was a lot of work. However, that is a very solid ring and should hold up very well. It's the final product that always counts. Nice job!

Yeah, probably would have been a lot easier with the right tools.

Elow wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:07 am

bass wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:45 am How hard was it to cut all those parts with a dremel?

Well pretty hard. I used a drill bit in the dremel and drilled a bunch on holes right under the rim and use a jewelers saw to cut through all of it. Went through a couple blades though so probably not the best way to do it.

That was creative, if the hard way to do it.

I saw something similar done at larger scale in Germany. Warning, almost totally off topic story follows.

I was visiting a closed German military base and got invited to visit a museum one of the locals had created out of an old ammunition plant compound. He had a tank in one of the garages. I don't know much about German armor from WWII so I couldn't tell you the model. Over in the corner was a pile of worn out drill bits and cut off saw blades, a big pile.

This was about the time that somebody in the US stole a tank or APC, got on the freeway, and the police had trouble stopping him. In response, the German government told this museum guy he could only keep the tank if he cut a window through the armor at the front of the tank. That armor is hardened steel, about a foot thick, and he had to cut a window through it about 18 inches square. I asked him why he didn't use a torch; he said it was an operational tank with fluids, fuel, hydraulic hoses, electrical connections, etc. So he and his retired buddies and some beer met out there for two years solid and drilled many many holes and used a cutoff saw to connect them.

For a not so permanent approach, you can solder your ring of choice to the clamping section of a lyre and place it on the slide brace, with some plastic tubing underneath if needed to prevent scratches or to help make it fit.

Contact Dan Stevens at Don Wilson Music in Lexington, KY, he sells them for ~$10 and are perfect for your younger students.

I should point out that because of the cork barrel design, that won't fit a King 2B, 3B, etc.

If anyone is thinking of doing this I would suggest using a Sousa or tuba thumb ring or tuba strap ring. It would have to be modified a little but would be substantial and comfortable.

bigbandbone wrote: ↑Thu Jul 02, 2020 10:54 am If anyone is thinking of doing this I would suggest using a Sousa or tuba thumb ring or tuba strap ring. It would have to be modified a little but would be substantial and comfortable.

I thought about it and looked at how big the ring on a trashed up fiberglass sousa was and it was massive and thick compared to what i got. Those are meant for thick thumbs which my index finger is not. It could be good for someone with big hands, but then why even have a ring.

Elow wrote: ↑Thu Jul 02, 2020 10:59 am

bigbandbone wrote: ↑Thu Jul 02, 2020 10:54 am If anyone is thinking of doing this I would suggest using a Sousa or tuba thumb ring or tuba strap ring. It would have to be modified a little but would be substantial and comfortable.

I thought about it and looked at how big the ring on a trashed up fiberglass sousa was and it was massive and thick compared to what i got. Those are meant for thick thumbs which my index finger is not. It could be good for someone with big hands, but then why even have a ring.

I usually cut a section out and silver solder it back together to reduce the diameter. But the profile of the ring itself is comfortable to hold for long rehearsals and gigs.

https://trombonechat.com/viewtopic.php? ... 37#p112337

See the pics from a different post on lead-pipe adapters. You can clearly see a finger ring that doesn't interfere with the screw in pipe.

This setup allows for a number of comfortable hand positions.