TromboneChat

I have a standard student Bach I purchased used from a going-out-of-business music store.
I am looking to unload at some point in near future.

There was some material - possibly welding flux or solder or something like that - stuck inside the leadpipe blocking about 20% of the tube. I had my tech remove it but since then the mouthpiece gets stuck even with only a gentle quarter turn.
The surface appears smooth but with some texture.

So what I am trying to figure out is should I work the area to make it smoother or rough it up more?
Which would induce an easier release of a standard mouthpiece?
Any experienced advice is much appreciated.
(I suspect this is a familiar and probably very simple issue)

If I was keeping it for myself I would live with just using a little tuning slide grease or mouthpiece puller.
But I would feel awful giving this to some kid or beginning player who had to deal with it everyday.
Its a perfectly decent early 2000's student horn otherwise

Thanks

Send me your address and I'll send something you can use to improve it. I've done this before...
It's a scrap mouthpiece shank with a 1/4" hex shank in it, that you can use in a drill or screw gun, low speed and low pressure, with lapping compound. You can get a tube of lapping compound at an auto parts store. That should clean up whatever's in there and smooth the taper.

If you're not comfortable doing it, take it to a repair person. Just clean it out thoroughly afterward.

No charge, it's all scrap. Maybe I should sell a kit...

Sending PM.
You are a gentleman and a scholar.
Way more than I expected. Thank you.

Doug Elliott wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 9:24 amNo charge, it's all scrap. Maybe I should sell a kit...

See if you can patent it.

Doug Elliott wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 9:24 am ...That should clean up whatever's in there and smooth the taper...

Good morning and Happy New Year!
Finally got the time to work on the horn. Just a few minutes with a low speed drill and lapping compound. Looks and feels better already. Mouthpiece inserts maybe only an extra mm after lapping. Not sure it makes this horn play any better but it did the job. Thank you again, Doug.
Before, after, and tool (after) pics:

Definitely looks like some solder ran down into the pipe when it was originally assembled.

It was even worse before the tech knocked off the "growth" that was blocking 20% of the lead pipe.
Guess one cannot expect too much from these massed produced Bach 300's.
Still not clear if they are/were actually made in USA or imported.
(Personally I'd rather have a good ol' King 606 or Yam 354 as the student horn representative in a stable)

Vegastokc wrote: ↑Mon Jan 04, 2021 10:47 am Guess one cannot expect too much from these massed produced Bach 300's.
Still not clear if they are/were actually made in USA or imported.
(Personally I'd rather have a good ol' King 606 or Yam 354 as the student horn representative in a stable)

Yup - in my experience the King 606 is a significant step up from the otherwise similar Bach TB300.
If well-maintained, it's better than a "student horn" has any right to be.

Posaunus wrote: ↑Mon Jan 04, 2021 11:01 am

Vegastokc wrote: ↑Mon Jan 04, 2021 10:47 am Guess one cannot expect too much from these massed produced Bach 300's.
Still not clear if they are/were actually made in USA or imported.
(Personally I'd rather have a good ol' King 606 or Yam 354 as the student horn representative in a stable)

Yup - in my experience the King 606 is a significant step up from the otherwise similar Bach TB300.
If well-maintained, it's better than a "student horn" has any right to be.

Agreed.
The pre-2000's 606's still seemed to be a different horn from how Conn-Selmer has since converged them with the TB300 series.
I actually have a 354S (first horn I every bought in Jr High) and a 606 on the shelf. Both from the 80's and both unfortuntlly not playable. (the Yam is from their era of slide plating loss; and the 606, well, it has a longer back story and has seen better days... )

Doug, if you put together a kit for that, I'd sure as heck buy it.

I would use this pretty often, some older bach get weird problems like this